Two dimensional crystal tunneling devices for THz operation

Two dimensional crystal heterostructures are shown to possess a unique opportunity for nonlinear THz devices. In contrast to the oxide tunneling barrier, the uniformity of layered crystal insulators provides an ideal condition for tunneling barriers in the atomic scale. Numerical calculations based on a first-principles method clearly indicate the feasibility of diode operation with barriers as thin as two monolayers when placed between graphene-metal asymmetric electrodes. Further analysis predicts cut-off frequencies over 10 THz while maintaining strong nonlinearity for zero-bias rectification. Application to hot electron transistors is also examined, illustrating potentially superior performance in the frequency range inaccessible thus far.