Electronic metadevices for terahertz applications

The evolution of electronics has largely relied on downscaling to meet the continuous needs for faster and highly integrated devices(1). As the channel length is reduced, however, classic electronic devices face fundamental issues that hinder exploiting materials to their full potential and, ultimately, further miniaturization(2). For example, the carrier injection through tunnelling junctions dominates the channel resistance(3), whereas the high parasitic capacitances drastically limit the maximum operating frequency(4). In addition, these ultra-scaled devices can only hold a few volts due to the extremely high electric fields, which limits their maximum delivered power(5,6). Here we challenge such traditional limitations and propose the concept of electronic metadevices, in which the microscopic manipulation of radiofrequency fields results in extraordinary electronic properties. The devices operate on the basis of electrostatic control of collective electromagnetic interactions at deep subwavelength scales, as an alternative to controlling the flow of electrons in traditional devices, such as diodes and transistors. This enables a new class of electronic devices with cutoff frequency figure-of-merit well beyond ten terahertz, record high conductance values, extremely high breakdown voltages and picosecond switching speeds. This work sets the stage for the next generation of ultrafast semiconductor devices and presents a new paradigm that potentially bridges the gap between electronics and optics.