Highly sensitive photodetectors at 0.6 THz based on quantum dot single electron transistors

Terahertz (THz) technology has recently attracted wide scientific and technological interests in quantum science, where the need of fast and sensitive photodetectors prospects fascinating impacts in quantum computing, quantum metrology and optical communications. In this work, we demonstrate that quantum dot single electron transistors (SETs) based on InAs/InAs0.3P0.7 axially heterostructured nanowires integrated with planar on-chip nano-antennas, behave as highly sensitive zero-bias photo-thermoelectric detectors at 0.6 THz. The detector photoresponse can be optimized by electrostatic gating, taking advantage of the SET transport characteristics that clearly reflects energy quantization and single-electron tunneling in the dot.