All-optical broadband terahertz modulator based on CdS NWs/Si heterojunction and interface photoconductivity analysis

Abstract A high-performance, low-cost terahertz modulator is fabricated by spin-coating CdS nanowires onto silicon. This all-optical modulator achieves broadband modulation (0.4–1.6 THz) with a significant depth of 85% at a low power density (2 W cm −2 ), exceeding bare silicon by fourfold. THz-TDS confirms its terahertz amplitude modulation capability. Tests of the simple photonic switch further illustrate the modulator’s potential for carrying information on a terahertz transmission wave. The modulation mechanism is explained through energy band theory and photoconductivity data. This work also presents a novel method for probing heterostructure formation using THz-TDS with laser irradiation.