Antenna-coupled terahertz thermocouples

We present a vastly simplified and polarization-sensitive approach to terahertz and infrared detection based on a nanoscale single-metal integrated antenna-coupled thermocouple (ACTC) structure. Radiation collected by the integrated nanoantenna and fed into the (hot) junction creates a temperature difference between the hot and cold junctions of the thermocouple, which results in a measurable open-circuit voltage due to the Seebeck effect. We provide experimental evidence of this novel integrated device structure. Simulations show a picosecond response time of nanostructured TCs.