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Abstract While terahertz spectroscopy can provide valuable information regarding the charge transport properties in semiconductors, its application for the characterization of low-conductive two-dimensional layers, i.e., σ s  <  < 1 mS, remains elusive. This is primarily due to the low sensitivity of direct transmission measurements to such small sheet conductivity levels. In this work, we discuss harnessing the extraordinary optical transmission through gratings consisting of metallic stripes to characterize such low-conductive two-dimensional layers. We analyze the geometric tradeoffs in these structures and provide physical insights, ultimately leading to general design guidelines for experiments enabling non-contact, non-destructive, highly sensitive characterization of such layers. 

This paper discusses the terahertz electromagnetic response of metallic gratings on anisotropic dielectric substrates. The metallic gratings consist of parallel gold stripes. Utilizing numerical simulations, we observe that it is possible to excite a series of resonant modes in these structures. These modes are affected differently by the different indices on the anisotropic substrate. An analytical model is discussed to show that modes associated with transmission peaks are due to the excitation of (a) Fabry–Pérot modes with polarization along the grating and/or (b) waveguide modes with polarization perpendicular to the grating. It is observed that the resonance associated with the TM 1,1 mode is a narrow linewidth resonance which, in some particular circumstances, becomes nearly independent of substrate thickness. Therefore, from the spectral position of this resonance, it is possible to extract the out-of-plane component of the substrate refractive index with very small uncertainty. Based on this observation, we demonstrate the refractive index characterization of several lossless semiconductor substrates through frequency-domain polarized terahertz transmission measurements in the frequency range of 0.2–0.6 THz at normal incidence. The reliability of the technique is demonstrated on well-known materials, such as high-resistivity silicon and sapphire substrates. This technique is also applied for the characterization of a Fe-doped β-Ga 2 O 3 single-crystal substrate.