The control and monitoring of the polarization of terahertz radiation are of interest for numerous applications. Here we present a simple controllable THz emitter with a small coercive magnetic field. It is based on a Co/WS2/silicon structure, in which the presence of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy caused by mechanical stress in a ferromagnetic film was found. Our results show that a ferromagnet/semiconductor emitter can become a technologically simple device for terahertz spintronics.
In this article, we investigate optically induced terahertz radiation in ferromagnetic FeCo layers of varying thickness on Si and SiO2 substrates. Efforts have been made to account for the influence of the substrate on the parameters of the THz radiation generated by the ferromagnetic FeCo film. The study reveals that the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer and the material of the substrate significantly affect the generation efficiency and spectral characteristics of the THz radiation. Our results also emphasize the importance of accounting for the reflection and transmission coefficients of the THz radiation when analyzing the generation process. The observed radiation features correlate with the magneto-dipole mechanism, triggered by the ultrafast demagnetization of the ferromagnetic material. This research contributes to a better understanding of THz radiation generation mechanisms in ferromagnetic films and may be useful for the further development of THz technology applications in the field of spintronics and other related areas. A key discovery of our study is the identification of a nonmonotonic relationship between the radiation amplitude and pump intensity for thin films on semiconductor substrates. This finding is particularly significant considering that thin films are predominantly used in spintronic emitters due to the characteristic absorption of THz radiation in metals.
Objectives. The optical properties of two-dimensional semiconductor materials, specifically monolayered transition metal dichalcogenides, present new horizons in the field of nano- and optoelectronics. However, their practical application is hindered by the issue of low light absorption. When working with such thin structures, it is essential to consider numerous complex factors, such as resonance and plasmonic effects which can influence absorption efficiency. The aim of this study is the optimization of light absorption in a two-dimensional semiconductor in the Kretschmann configuration for future use in optoelectronic devices, considering the aforementioned phenomena. Methods. A numerical modeling method was applied using the finite element method for solving Maxwell’s equations. A parametric analysis was conducted focusing on three parameters: angle of light incidence, metallic layer thickness, and semiconductor layer thickness.Results. Parameters were identified at which the maximum area of absorption peak was observed, including the metallic layer thickness and angle of light incidence. Based on the resulting graphs, optimal parameters were determined, in order to achieve the highest absorption percentages in the two-dimensional semiconductor film.Conclusions. Based on numerical studies, it can be asserted that the optimal parameters for maximum absorption in the monolayer film are: Ag thickness <20 nm and angle of light incidence between 55° and 85°. The maximum absorption in the two-dimensional film was found only to account for a portion of the total absorption of the entire structure. Thus, a customized approach to parameter selection is necessary, in order to achieve maximum efficiency in certain optoelectronic applications.