Realizing Self-Powered Room-Temperature Terahertz Detection via Pnictogen Chalcogenides α Phase-Arsenic Telluride (As₂Te₃)

This study introduces a self-powered terahertz (THz) detector based on a log periodic antenna-coupled arsenic telluride (α-As2Te_3), a low-bandgap pnictogen chalcogenide, operational at room temperature. The detector covers a broad frequency range from 0.1 to 1.2 THz. At a frequency of 1.1 THz, the device exhibits a maximum responsivity of 248 mA/W, while achieving a detectivity of0.25× 10^7Jones at 0.2 THz, even in its self-powered configuration. Furthermore, applying bias enhanced the responsivity of the detector by approximately 2.2 times. A decent low noise equivalent power (NEP) of9.7× 10^-9W-Hz-1/2 is achieved at room temperature. This antenna-coupledα-As2Te3-based THz detection holds promise for future high-frequency applications in wireless communication and low-power electronics.