Strong terahertz emission from superlattices via Zener tunneling

We develop a comprehensive, elegant theory to explain terahertz (THz) emission from a superlattice over a wide range of applied electric field,which shows excellent agreement between theory andexperiment for a GaAs/Al{0.3}Ga{0.7As superlattice. Specifically we show that increasing electric field increases THz emission for low fields, then reduces emission for medium fields due to field-induced wave function localization, and then increases emission in the high field due to delocalization and Zener tunneling between minibands. Our theory shows that Zener tunneling resonances yield high THz emission intensities and points to superlattice design improvements.