Detection of terahertz, mid- and near infrared radiation by a multilayer metal-insulator heterostructure

An analogy between the tunneling of quantum particles through a chain of barriers and the propagation of electromagnetic waves through a metamedium has allowed new methods for the fabrication of selective detectors of terahertz, mid-infrared, and near infrared radiation. The calculations have shown that a resonance metal-insulator heterostructure with one and two metal layers allows achieving nearly 100% absorption of radiation in a narrow frequency range. The use of a large number of metal layers makes it possible to detect ultrashort (including picosecond) field pulses with a broad spectrum.