Non-linear Doppler shift of the plasmon resonance in a grating-coupled drifting 2DEG

Abstract

We report experimental measurements and computer calculations of the plasmon resonances of two dimensional electron gases in the far-infrared which show the effects of laterally drifting the 2DEG. Coupling to radiation is achieved using an overlaid metal grating of submicron period, and its periodic screening effect splits the plasmon into upper and lower energy modes. For a symmetric grating profile the higher energy mode is non-radiative for a stationary 2DEG and a splitting is not observable, but when the 2DEG is laterally drifted under the grating, coupling to both modes can occur, and their Doppler shifts produce an observable splitting which increases with drift velocity. These Doppler shifts are not linear with drift velocity for low velocities, but approach asymptotically the expected linear shift with increasing drift velocity. Experimental results on 2DEGs at GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunctions compare well with theoretical calculations.