Solid state oscillator-detector device of electromagnetic waves

Claim 2

A solid state oscillator-detector of electromagnetic waves comprising: a body having separate regions joined together forming a junction therebetween, each region being made of a semiconductor material having carriers therein, and having in at least a part thereof such a portion that carriers move twodimensionally on specific parallel planes; means for inducing separate Landau energy levels in said portions, the levels in each portion being different with respect to the energy levels in another portion, and means for inducing electronic transitions from Landau levels of one of said portions to said Landau levels of another of said portions, whereby electromagnetic waves will be absorbed or emitted at said junction.

Claim 3

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 1, wherein each region of semiconductor material comprises an anisotropic semiconductor material having a crystal orientation different with respect to the crystal orientation of another region.

Claim 4

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 1, wherein said regions are made of different semiconductor materials forming a heterogeneous junction therebetween.

Claim 5

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 2, wherein said body is provided with a pair of electrodes in contact with said regions and said means for inducing electronic transitions comprises a power supply connected to said electrodes for causing carriers to drift across said junction.

Claim 6

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 2, wherein said means for inducing separate Landau energy levels comprises means for applying a magnetic field to said body.

Claim 7

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 4, wherein said means for inducing separate Landau energy levels comprises means for applying a magnetic field to said body.

Claim 8

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 2, wherein said anisotropic semiconductor material has a layer structure to induce the carriers therein to move two dimensionally.

Claim 9

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 7, wherein said anisotropic semiconductor material is pyrolytic graphite.

Claim 10

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 7, further comprising means for inducing stimulated emission of radiation at said junction with said body, whereby laser oscillation is produced from within said body.

Claim 11

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 3 , wherein said body has a surface substantially perpendicular to said region which is coated with an insulating layer, said insulating layer being coated with a conducting layer to form a metallic oxide semiconductor structure and means for providing an electric field between said body and said conducting layer across said insulating layer, whereby an inversion layer is formed in said body adjacent said insulating layer, so that carriers will drift across said junction within said layer to effect the emission or absorption of electromagnetic waves at said junction in said inversion layer.

Claim 12

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 10, wherein said different semiconductor materials are made of Ge and Si respectively.

Claim 13

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 10, wherein said body is provided with a pair of electrodes in contact with said region to which said means for providing an electric field is connected.

Claim 14

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 10, further comprising means for inducing stimulated emission of radiation at said junction within said body, whereby laser oscillation is produced within said body.

Claim 15

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 9, further comprising means for modulating the electromagnetic energy emitted by said body.

Claim 16

A solid state oscillator-detector according to claim 14, wherein said means for inducing separate Landau energy levels comprises means for applying a magnetic field to said bodY and wherein said modulating means comprises a means for superposing a modulating magnetic field onto the magnetic field applied to said body by said means for inducing separate Landau levels.

Claim 17

A solid state oscillator-detector of electromagnetic waves comprising: a body having two regions joined together to form a junction therebetween, each region being made of a semiconductor material having carriers therein, and having in at least a part thereof such a portion that carriers move two-dimensionally in specific parallel planes, said carriers in said portions effecting cyclotron motions of different radii in said planes upon subjecting said body to a magnetic field; means for applying a magnetic field to said body to induce Landau energy levels due to said cyclotron motions in said planes, the levels in each portion being different with respect to the energy levels in another portion; and means for applying such a voltage as to drift said carriers across said junction to said body to induce electronic transitions from Landau levels of one of said portions to Landau levels of another of said portions, whereby electromagnetic waves will be absorbed at said junction when said voltage has such a polarity as to cause said transition from lower levels to higher levels and will be emitted at said junction when said voltage has such a polraity as to cause said transition from higher levels to lower levels.

Claim 18

A solid state oscillator-detector of electromagnetic waves comprising: a body having two regions joined together to form a junction therebetween, each region being made of a semiconductor material having carriers therein, and having in at least a part thereof such a portion that carriers move two-dimensionally in specific parallel planes, said carriers in said portions effecting cyclotron motions of different radii in said planes upon subjecting said body to a magnetic field; means for applying a magnetic field to said body to induce Landau energy levels due to said cyclotron motions in said planes, the levels in each portion being different with respect to the energy levels in another portion; and means for applying such a voltage as to drift said carriers across said junction to said body to induce electronic transitions from Landau levels of one of said portions to Landau levels of another of said portions, whereby electromagnetic waves will be absorbed at said junction when said voltage has such a polarity as to cause said transition from lower levels to higher levels and will be emitted at said junction when said voltage has such a polraity as to cause said transition from higher levels to lower levels.

Claim 19

A solid state oscillator-detector of electromagnetic waves comrpising: a body having two regions joined together to form a junction therebetween, each region being made of anisotropic semiconductor material and having a crystal orientation different with respect to the crystal orientation of another region; means for applying a magnetic field to said body to induce Landau energy levels in said regions, the levels in each region being different with respect to the levels in another region due to the difference of said crystal orientations; and means for applying a bias voltage across said two regions to induce electronic transitions from Landau levels of one of said regions to Landau levels of another of said regions, whereby electromagnetic waves will be absorbed at said junction when said voltage has such a polarity as to cause said transition from lower levels to higher levels and said waves will be emitted at said junction when said voltage has such a polarity as to cause said transition from higher levels to lower levels.

Claim 20

A solid state oscillator-detector of electromagnetic waves comrpising: a body having two regions joined together to form a junction therebetween, each region being made of anisotropic semiconductor material and having a crystal orientation different with respect to the crystal orientation of another region; means for applying a magnetic field to said body to induce Landau energy levels in said regions, the levels in each region being different with respect to the levels in another region due to the difference of said crystal orientations; and means for applying a bias voltage across said two regions to induce electronic transitions from Landau levels of one of said regions to Landau levels of another of said regions, whereby electromagnetic waves will be absorbed at said junction when said voltage has such a polarity as to cause said transition from lower levels to higher levels and said waves will be emitted at said junction when said voltage has such a polarity as to cause said transition from higher levels to lower levels.

Claim 21

A solid state oscillator-detector of electromagnetic waves comprising: an MOS body made of a semiconductor crystal having two regions joined together to form a junction therebetween, said regions being made of different semiconductor materials to form a heterojunction, and having inversion layers in surface portions thereof, respectively, said inversion layer being joined together in said junction; means for applying a magnetic field to said body to induce Landau energy levels in said layers, the levels in each layer being different with respect to the levels in another layer due to the difference of said materials; and means for applying a bias voltage across said two layers to induce electronic transitions from Landau levels of one of said layers to Landau levels of another of said layers, whereby electromagnetic waves will be absorbed at said junction when said voltage has such a polarity as to cause said transition from lower levels to higher levels and said waves will be emitted at said junction when said voltage has such a polarity as to cause said transition from higher levels to lower levels.

Claim 22

A solid state oscillator-detector of electromagnetic waves comprising: an MOS body made of a semiconductor crystal having two regions joined together to form a junction therebetween, said regions being made of different semiconductor materials to form a heterojunction, and having inversion layers in surface portions thereof, respectively, said inversion layer being joined together in said junction; means for applying a magnetic field to said body to induce Landau energy levels in said layers, the levels in each layer being different with respect to the levels in another layer due to the difference of said materials; and means for applying a bias voltage across said two layers to induce electronic transitions from Landau levels of one of said layers to Landau levels of another of said layers, whereby electromagnetic waves will be absorbed at said junction when said voltage has such a polarity as to cause said transition from lower levels to higher levels and said waves will be emitted at said junction when said voltage has such a polarity as to cause said transition from higher levels to lower levels.

Claim 23

A solid-state oscillator-detector according to claim 13, further comprising means for modulating the electromagnetic energy emitted by said body.