Enhanced performance of a fast GaAs-based terahertz modulator via surface passivation

Surface-modified semiconductors show enormous potential for opto-terahertz(THz) spatial modulation due to their enhanced modulation depth(MD) along with their inherent broad bandwidth. Taking full advantage of the surface modification, a performance-enhanced, all-optical, fast switchable THz modulator was achieved here based on the surface-passivated Ga As wafer. With a decreased surface recombination rate and prolonged carrier lifetime induced by passivation, S-passivated Ga As was demonstrated as a viable candidate to enhance THz modulation performance in MD, especially at low photodoping levels. Despite a degraded modulation rate owing to the longer carrier lifetime, this passivated Ga As modulator simultaneously realizes a fast modulation at a 69-MHz speed and as high an MD as ～94% in a spectral wideband of 0.2–1.2 THz. The results demonstrated a new strategy to alleviate the tradeoff between high MD and speed in contrast to bare surfaces or heterogeneous films/unusual geometry on semiconductors including Si, Ge, and GaAs.