Detection of terahertz electromagnetic waves using conducting antiferromagnets

A model of a terahertz electromagnetic wave detector based on a conducting antiferromagnet and a heavy metal has been investigated. The mechanism of resonant rectification of oscillations is based on the inverse spin Hall effect in a heavy metal under spin pumping from an antiferromagnet. It is shown that the frequency dependence of the dc voltage of the detector is resonant with a peak corresponding to the antiferromagnetic resonance frequency. The sensitivity to an ac terahertz signal of the proposed detector structure is comparable with the sensitivity of modern detectors based on Schottky and Gunn diodes.