Photoconductive detector device with plasmonic electrodes

A photoconductive device for detecting terahertz (THz) radiation, comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate;
• an antenna assembly fabricated on the semiconductor substrate;
• and
• a photoconductor assembly fabricated on the semiconductor substrate and coupled to the antenna assembly, wherein the photoconductor assembly includes a plurality of plasmonic contact electrodes and wherein the photoconductive device is configured to receive optical input that impinges upon the photoconductor assembly and the plasmonic contact electrodes such that charge carriers are generated in the semiconductor substrate adjacent the plasmonic contact electrodes in response to the impinging optical input;
• wherein the plasmonic contact electrodes have sub-wavelength electrode spacing compared to at least one wavelength of the optical input, and wherein the plasmonic contact electrodes are configured to collect the generated charge carriers and are electrically connected to the antenna assembly, whereby the plasmonic contact electrodes provide improved quantum efficiency of the photoconductive device when receiving the optical input.