Self-consistent coupling between driven electron tunneling and electromagnetic propagation at terahertz frequencies

An accurate procedure for coupling (time-dependent) driven electron tunneling and electromagnetic propagation at terahertz frequencies cannot be developed neither with equivalent electric-circuit approximations nor using standard electromagnetic solvers. Alternatively, in this work, a full-physical time-dependent self-consistent algorithm for such coupling is presented. In order to demonstrate the numerical viability of the algorithm and to show the great interest of driven electron tunneling devices for terahertz applications, a transistorlike tunneling device (coupled to lossy transmission lines) is designed for developing a rectifier, a harmonic generator, and an amplitude modulator at terahertz frequencies. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.