Terahertz photocurrents in heterostructures with one-dimensional lateral periodic potential

We report on the observation of terahertz radiation induced photogalvanic currents in semiconductor quantum well structures with one-dimensional lateral periodic potential. The current response is well described by the phenomenological theory of the superposition of the linear and circular photogalvanic effects. Experimental data demonstrate that the inversion asymmetry of semiconductor heterostructures can be controllably varied by means of electron beam lithography. The inversion asymmetry in quantum well structures is of importance for rapidly growing field of spintronics providing an effective tool for the spin manipulation by an electric field.