Continuous-wave 1550 nm operated terahertz system using ErAs:In(Al)GaAs photo-conductors with 52 dB dynamic range at 1 THz

Telecom-wavelength compatible photoconductors benefit strongly from the large amount and affordability of telecom lasers and components but there are demanding requirements on material development. We demonstrate continuous-wave (CW) photomixing with a setup that only uses ErAs:In(Al)GaAs devices with a peak dynamic range (DNR) of 78 dB and a bandwidth of ∼3.65 THz at an integration time of 300 ms and only 26 mW laser power on each device. The ErAs:InGaAs receiver further features a factor of two lower noise equivalent power (NEP) than a state-of-the-art photoconductor, despite an antenna mismatch.