A graphene-based THz selective absorber with absorptivity 95 % and wide-range electrical tunability

The equivalent circuit model (ECM) is developed by using a MATLAB code to analyze graphene-based multi-band chiral metamaterial absorbers composing graphene-based square split-ring resonator arrays in the terahertz (THz) range. The absorbers are simulated numerically by the finite element method (FEM) in CST Software to verify the ECM results. Our introduced multi-band absorbers can be used as suitable platforms in polarization-sensitive devices and systems in the THz range. We have designed four tunable graphene-based chiral metamaterial absorbers containing one, two, three, and four gaps in their arms, respectively. The absorber with one gap has four absorption bands (two for TE and three for TM, one band of both modes approximately overlaps) with absorption > 50%. The absorber with two gaps has three absorption bands (two for TE and two for TM, one band of both modes approximately overlaps). The absorber with three gaps has four absorption bands (three for TE and two for TM, one band of both modes approximately overlaps). The absorber with four gaps has three absorption bands (three for TE and two for TM, two bands of both modes approximately overlap). They work in the 1-5.5 THz with maximum linear dichroism (LD) responses of 98, 99, 89, and 77%, respectively. The designed absorbers are dynamically tunable. Additionally, by a 90° rotation of the incident electromagnetic fields, it is possible to switch between the number and/or location of absorption bands making these absorbers a promising candidate for future THz systems. ECM results are following the FEM ones. The proposed ECM procedure is a simple and fast way to recognize the characteristics of the designed absorbers. Our proposed absorbers could be promising enablers in future THz systems.

Terahertz (THz) wave science and technology have been found countless applications in biomedical imaging, security screening, and non-destructive testing as they approach maturity. However, due to the challenge of high ambient moisture absorption, the development of remote open-air broadband THz spectroscopy technology is lagging behind the compelling need that exists in homeland security, astronomy and environmental monitoring. Furthermore, the underlying physical mechanisms behind the interaction between the THz wave and laserinduced plasma which responds strongly to electromagnetic waves have not been fully understood. This review aims to explain the light-plasma interaction at THz frequencies within a semiclassical framework along with experimental study of the femtosecond-laserinduced nitrogen plasma fluorescence under the illumination of single-cycle THz pulses. The results indicate that THz-radiation-enhanced-emission-of-fluorescence (THz-REEF) is dominated by electron kinetics in the THz field and the electron-impact excitation of gas molecules/ions. The information of the time-dependent THz field can be recovered from the measured time-resolved THz-REEF from single-color laser induced plasma with the help of the bias as local oscillator. The calculations and experimental verification lead to complete understanding of the science behind these effects and push forward to extend their capabilities in related applications such as remote THz sensing, plasma diagnostics and ultrafast photoluminescence modulation. Systematic studies in selected gases including neon, argon, krypton, xenon, methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), and n-butane (C4H10) gases were performed to obtain an improved understanding of the THz-REEF. The dependences of the enhanced fluorescence on the THz field, laser excitation intensity, gas pressure, and intrinsic atomic properties were experimentally characterized. Both narrow line emission and broad continuum emission of the gas plasma were enhanced by the THz field. Their fluorescence enhancement ratios and time-resolved enhanced fluorescence were largely dependent on the scattering cross section and ionization potential of atoms. For the first time, we demonstrated a novel ‘all-optical’ technique of broadband THz wave remote sensing by coherently manipulating the fluorescence emission from asymmetrically ionized gas plasma that interacted with THz waves. By studying the ultrafast electron dynamics under the single cycle THz radiation, we found that the fluorescence emission from laser-induced air plasma was highly dependent on the THz electric field and the symmetry of the electron drift velocity distribution created by two-color laser fields. The time-resolved THz-REEF can be tailored by switching the relative two-color phase and laser polarizations. Owing to the high atmospheric transparency and omni-directional emission pattern of fluorescence, this technique can be used to measure THz pulses at standoff distances with minimal water vapor absorption and unlimited directionality for optical signal collection. The coherent THz wave detection at a distance of 10 m had been demonstrated. The combination of this method and previously demonstrated remote THz generation would eventually make remote THz spectroscopy available. We also introduced a unique plasma diagnostic method utilizing the THz-wave-enhanced fluorescence emission from the excited atoms or molecules. The electron relaxation time and plasma density were deduced through applying the electron impact excitation/ionization and electron-ion recombination processes to the measured time-delay-dependent enhanced fluorescence. The electron collision dynamics of nitrogen plasma excited at different gas pressures and laser pulse energies were systematically investigated. This plasma diagnostic method offers picosecond temporal resolution and is capable of omnidirectional optical signal collection. The ultrafast quenching dynamics of laser-pulse-induced photoluminescence in semiconductors under the radiation of single-cycle THz pulses was studied. It was found that the quenching in both cadmium telluride (CdTe) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) was linearly proportional to the intensity of incident THz waves and reaches up to 17% and 4% respectively at the peak intensity of 13 MW/cm2. The THz-wave-induced heating of the carriers and lattice and the subsequent decreased efficiency of photocarrier generation and recombination were most likely to be responsible for the quenching. This is potentially useful for the applications of a non-invasive ultrafast light modulator for photoluminescence devices with picoseconds switching time in the fields of the light-emitting devices and optical communication.

The ever-growing number of interconnected devices and the emergence of high-bandwidth technologies such as holographic communications in mixed reality are driving an exponential growth in the demand for terabits-per-second (Tbps) data rates with sub-milliseconds latency. For this reason, the sixth-generation (6G) wireless communications are moving towards the terahertz (THz) frequency band because of its wider spectral bandwidth availability to enable higher channel capacity and data rates according to the Shannon-Hartley theorem. However, the efficiency of wireless THz signal transmission is reduced by the increased path loss and atmospheric attenuation due to water vapor absorption at THz frequencies, which significantly decreases the signal-to-noise ratio and the spectral efficiency of THz wireless communications. The realization of THz band communications is further impeded by the limited power output of existing compact THz sources due to the extremely low conversion efficiencies. Therefore, it is crucial to develop broadband THz integrated circuits with waveguiding and beamforming functionalities for supporting high data-rate on-chip communications and to provide sufficient gains to counteract the path loss and limited power of THz wireless transmissions. This thesis aims to improve the spectral efficiency of 6G wireless communications via the spatiotemporal shaping of THz waves using silicon photonics. Spatiotemporal light shaping is the basis of nearly all THz photonic devices, ranging from THz wavefront manipulation using metasurfaces to THz planar waveguiding using photonic crystal waveguides. Silicon photonics is a promising material platform for THz wave shaping due to the low-loss propagation of THz waves in high-resistivity silicon and the prospect of a monolithic integrated circuit due to the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication process compatibility. Silicon metasurfaces allow the wavefront modulation of incident THz radiation by exploiting the generalized Snell’s law of refraction and reflection to beamform highly directional THz waves in a dynamic multi-user communication environment for enhancing the spectral efficiency. Likewise, broadband silicon photonic crystal waveguides allow the in-plane and lossless transport of THz waves to support on-chip high data-rate THz communications that can also seamlessly integrate multiple THz photonic devices in a THz integrated circuit. In addition, silicon electron emitters and silicon gratings potentially allow the on-chip generation of highly intense and broadband THz radiation to counteract the significant THz attenuation. In this thesis, spatiotemporal wave shaping techniques using silicon photonics for enhancing the spectral efficiency of THz band communications is presented. First, a self-adaptive and deep reinforcement learning model for THz beamforming is proposed, which can beamform multiple highly directional THz radiation beam in real-time to serve a dynamically changing multi-user communication environment and improve the signal-to-noise ratio of THz wireless transmission while potentially reducing the communication latency. Second, a broadband THz topological silicon waveguide designed based on valley photonic crystals is proposed for the robust and lossless transport of broadband THz waves for the construction of THz integrated circuits with broadband channel capacity for enabling higher data-rate on-chip communication. Last, the versatility of free-electron radiation from silicon gratings is investigated for the generation of highly intense spatiotemporal wave packets with user-designed group velocities and tunable intensity profile, with the potential to realize integrated high-power THz sources. The deep learning beamforming model, the broadband topological waveguide designs, and the free-electron radiation intensity shaping techniques presented in this thesis extends beyond the THz regime and are scalable across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. The CMOS process compatibility of silicon metasurfaces, silicon planar waveguides, along with silicon electron emitters and silicon gratings offers the opportunity to realize a broadband THz photonic integrated circuit with waveguiding, wave generation and beamforming functionalities for enhancing the spectral efficiency of THz communications in 6G wireless networks.

Owing to the unique characteristics of terahertz (THz) waves and their interaction with matter, THz imaging has significant potential in diverse fields, including life sciences, non-destructive quality control, and security. However, today’s THz technology faces major obstacles in providing the cost, compactness, and functional scope that is required to facilitate a wide-reaching use outside the laboratory. Therefore, the general aim of this thesis is to increase the societal impact of THz technology by exploring novel THz imaging modalities with integrated circuits (ICs) based on conventional silicon technolgy. Previous research in THz ICs mostly focused on building compact integrated source and detector components for far-field imaging systems that exploit the ability of THz waves to penetrate through diverse dielectric materials. One part of this thesis joins this research and demonstrates low-cost volumetric THz imaging based on computed tomography with silicon components for the first time. To this end, a high-power 0.43 THz source in 0.13 μm silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistor (SiGe HBT) technology is developed in this thesis. However, the resolution of THz far-field imaging is limited by diffraction to the millimeter range, whereas some of the most promising THz applications in life sciences, such as intraoperative imaging of cancerous tissue, are in need for a microscopic resolution to resolve material properties on the cellular level. This thesis presents the realization of microscopic THz imaging with a silicon-based sensor system. The central contribution of this work is the development and analysis of a 128-pixel THz near-field sensor System-on-a-Chip (SoC) operating at 0.55 THz and showing a spatial resolution around 10 μm. The sensor exploits the capacitive near-field interaction between split-ring-resonator probes and imaging objects, giving an imaging contrast based on the dielectric permittivity. To simultaneously enable real-time image acquisition, high sensor sensitivity, and an integration level that is comparable to conventional consumer electronics, the full integration capabilities of a high-speed 0.13 μm SiGe bipolar CMOS (SiGe-BiCMOS) technology are exploited. In particular, the presented SoC employs cointegration of a chip-scale one-dimensional THz sensor front-end, analog signal processing, and digital circuitry for controlling the chip and external communication. The achieved results in terms of imaging speed, system cost, and integration level reach well beyond the state of the art in THz near-field imaging. The ability to rapidly acquire THz images with micrometer-scale resolution will be of benefit to fundamental research into material properties in the THz range and lays the foundation for the exploration of THz bioimaging applications on the cellular level. In particular, the sensor enables the conduction of large-scale clinical studies on the relevance of microscopic THz imaging to ex vivo tumor margin assessment in breast cancer surgeries for the first time.

Metal gratings formed by parallel conductors are widely used as elements of various devices in the terahertz (THz) frequency range. With a change in the angle of incidence of radiation on the grating, the reflection and transmission coefficients of this grating change. Moreover, with certain grating parameters, the nature of the change in the reflection and transmission coefficients can differ significantly from the linear dependence. Especially when the period is comparable to the wavelength. Theoretical models for calculating grating parameters exist and used. However, in real gratings there are a number of design and technological features, the influence of which is theoretically extremely difficult to take into account. Therefore, along with theoretical calculations, comparative measurements are required. This is especially true in the THz range, where there is a shortage of experimental data. The aim of the work is the experimental determination of the properties of one-dimensional metal gratings at different angles of incidence of a plane electromagnetic wave in them in the THz range. An experimental determination was carried out of the propagation of laser radiation with a wavelength of 337 μm through wire gratings with a pitch of 400 and 200 μm at various incidence angles of THz radiation. The analysis of the experimental data and their comparison with theoretical calculations obtained. The experimental results correlate with theoretical data and most fully characterize the properties of the gratings, taking into account their design and technological features. Which are extremely difficult to consider in theoretical calculations. The resonance maxima in the dependences of the transmitted radiation power on its angle of incidence practically coincide with the calculated data. This makes possible to develop a number of measurement methods. The recommendations have been developed to improve the accuracy of measurements and the practical use of the obtained data. The obtained experimental results contribute to the study of the electrodynamic properties of one-dimensional metal gratings in the THz range.

THz imaging and spectroscopy using intense THz sources at the advanced laser light source

In recent years, the field of Terahertz (THz) science and technology has entered a completely new phase of unprecedented expansion that is generating ever-growing levels of broadbased international attention. Indeed, the plethora of activities that have arisen recently in both the technology and scientific arenas associated with the THz frequency domain i.e., between 1 millimeter (300 GHz) and 100 micrometers (3 THz), suggest that the field might be attempting to undergo a dramatic transition that could lead to long-awaited payoffs in a number of application areas. The inherent advantages and potential payoffs of the THz regime for military & security as well as industry relevant applications have long stood as an important driver of interest in this science and technology area. This extremely expansive and spectrally unique portion of the EM spectrum had initial application in space-based communications, upper atmospheric sensing and potentially for short-range terrestrial communications and non-intrusive package screening. However, the very rapid growth in more recent years is arguably most closely linked to the potential payoffs of THz sensing and imaging for an array of military, security and industrial applications. These applications include the spectroscopic-based detection identification and characterization of chemical and biological agents and materials, remote and standoff early-warning for chemicalbiological warfare threats, and imaging of concealed weapons and explosives, just to name a few. In addition, THz-regime finds its application possibilities in industry and private-sector areas as food-industry process control, pharmaceutical industry, biological science, medical diagnostics and security screening. Systems for rapidly emerging applications at THz frequencies thus require reliable highpower sources. In the last few years, the development of suitable sources for this frequency regime is being extensively explored worldwide. There are broadly two technology roadmaps for THz semiconductor devices. Approaching from the lower frequency range in the THz regime, electronic devices such as, Gunn diode, Resonant Tunneling diode (RTD) and nanometer Field Effect Transistors (FET) based on plasma wave have been widely investigated for THz frequency generation. From higher portion of the THz frequency spectrum, the photonics-based device Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) extends the emission 7

Terahertz (THz) range holds between infrared light and millimeter wave or microwave radiation. Moreover, THz waves is highly attenuated by the metal object or sensitive to an inter-molecular binding force. Therefore, imaging using THz range is attracted much attention for security, manufacturing, chemical imaging, and so on. In our research, the THz detector composed of Indium arsenide (InAs) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) and one-sided directional slot antenna on a chip will be developed. In this paper, we focused on the antenna on a chip. The proposed antenna has three layers, namely, top antenna metal, dielectric substrate (BCB, benzocyclobutene) and bottom floating metal layer. There are a coplanar (CPW) feed lines and slots on the top antenna metal. By optimizing the size of the bottom floating metal layer, the radiation toward the back side is suppressed. The CPW feed line is connected the gate electrode on the InAs HEMT. In order to maximize the receiving THz signal form the antenna to InAs HEMT, antenna and gate input impedance is characterized by using the 3D electromagnetic simulator. It has been found that when the input impedance of the gate electrode changes from 10 ohms to 50 ohms, the voltage generated at the gate electrodes is tripled. The antenna was fabricated by the conventional photolithography process. The size of the radiation metal is 290 μm x 210 μm on the top metal with probe pads. The measured antenna gain is 5.57 dBi at 0.93 THz compared with the 5.96 dBi antenna gain at 1 THz from the simulation.

Molecular vibration mode assignment of nematic liquid crystal 5CB on Terahertz spectra

Objectives. Advances in laser physics over the last decade have led to the creation of sources of single-period electromagnetic pulses having a duration of about 1 ps, corresponding to the terahertz (THz) frequency range and a field amplitude of several tens of MV/cm. This allows the electrode-free application of an electric field to a ferroelectric for observing not only the excitation of coherent phonons, but also ultrafast (at the sub-picosecond timescale) dynamic polarization switching. To detect polarization switching, a pump-probe technique is used in which a THz pulse is used with an optical probe. Since its intensity is proportional to the square of the polarization, the signal of the optical second harmonic is used to measure polarization switching under the action of a THz pulse. To evaluate switching efficiency, both linear (refractive index and absorption coefficient) and non-linear optical characteristics (quadratic and cubic susceptibilities) are required. For any application of ferroelectric crystals in the THz range, knowledge of the relevant linear optical characteristics is also necessary.Methods. The technique of THz spectroscopy in the time domain was used; here, a picosecond THz pulse transmitted through the crystal is recorded by strobing the detector with a femtosecond optical pulse. The THz-induced dynamics of the order parameter in a ferroelectric was studied by detecting the intensity of a nonlinear optical signal at the frequency of the second optical harmonic.Results. The transmission of a THz wave and the intensity of second harmonic generation on a lead germanate crystal doped with silicon in the time and spectral domains were measured. On this basis, the absorption coefficient dispersion and cubic nonlinear susceptibility were calculated in the range of 0.5-2.0 THz. The presence of a region of fundamental absorption near the phonon modes was confirmed along with a resonant enhancement of the cubic nonlinear susceptibility for two phonon modes Ω1 = 1.3 THz and Ω2 = 2.0 THz.Conclusions. The proposed technique is effective for analyzing the dispersion of the optical characteristics of ferroelectric crystals. The significantly improved spectral resolution (0.1 THz) increases the accuracy of determining nonlinear susceptibility due to the detailed analysis of the linear and nonlinear contributions to the second harmonic intensity.

A multi-band, graphene-based anisotropic metamaterial absorber designed to operate in the terahertz (THz) range features two circular split ring resonator arrays, each with two gaps and a connecting rod. This metamaterial is simulated using the frequency domain in CST Software. In addition, equivalent circuit models (ECMs) were derived to provide alternative approach to assess the characteristics of transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes using MATLAB code. The absorber is dynamically tunable, exhibiting a strong linear dichroism (LD) response of 98% within the 0.5–5.75 THz range. It achieves a single absorption peak with a 99.9% rate in TM mode and three absorption bands with an average rate of 97.1% in TE mode. This absorber has potential applications in THz polarization-sensitive devices and systems.

The terahertz (THz) range is the next frontier of electronics and optoelectronics with potential applications ranging from imaging, space communications, computing, quality control, and homeland security to biotechnology and medicine. At THz frequencies, the electron inertia becomes important, providing delay between the applied voltage and electron velocity and current. When the electron collisions with impurities and lattice vibrations are infrequent, this delay leads to oscillations of the electronic density (called plasma waves) with the transistor channels serving as resonant cavities for the plasma waves. In the collision-dominated regime, the plasma waves are overdamped but still play a role by dramatically changing the electron distribution in the device channels at THz frequencies. The resonant regime can be used to generate THz radiation. Both resonant and overdamped plasma waves enable other THz electronic devices, such as detectors, mixers, and phase shifters. Periodic (symmetrical and asymmetric) plasmonic structures are especially promising for generation and detection of THz radiation. In this article, we review the state of the art of the plasma-wave electronics for silicon, III-V, III-N, and graphene semiconductor devices and project future performance of plasma-wave THz devices.

As the communication band gradually approaches the terahertz (THz) range, there is an urgent need to explore materials with ideal dielectric properties for THz communication devices. Nevertheless, most polymers present a low dielectric constant (Dk), and the regulation of their dielectric properties in the THz range has rarely been reported. In this work, the isotactic polypropylene (iPP)/α-Al2O3 whisker composites were synthesized and their THz dielectric parameters were optimized. The Dk values increased from 2.23 to 3.13 with filler (α-Al2O3 whisker) concentration, ranging from 0 to 20 vol%, but were almost independent of the test frequency. The loss tangent (Df) values presented an increasing tendency along with both filler concentrations and test frequency. All composites exhibited Df values of less than 4.0 × 10−3. Particularly, the dielectric properties of composites can be further regulated by adjusting the orientation direction of the whisker fillers. The orientation of the whisker fillers was adjusted via the injection molding method. Along the direction of the whisker orientation distribution, the composites exhibit higher Dk values and lower Df values. This work presented a schematic to design polymer composites with higher Dk but controlled Df in the THz range and is significant for the development of advanced materials-based THz devices.

In this work, a long-path Terahertz (THz) communication channel is characterized between 0.32-1.1 THz using a custom-designed silicon-based THz pulse radiator chip. Our chip generates and radiates 1.9 ps pulses with an on-chip antenna at a repetition rate of 5.2 GHz, resulting in a broadband 0.1-1.1 THz frequency comb. A specular non-lineof-sight link was created using the impulse radiator, parabolic reflector antennas, a plane mirror, and a downconverting mixer. The THz channel was characterized up to a distance of 113 m. The measurement results demonstrate channel path loss, atmospheric absorption, and low-loss frequency windows suitable for wireless links in this range. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first time a custom lowpower silicon-based radiator has been used as the source in channel characterization at THz frequencies.

Spectral analysis of terahertz (THz) and sub-THz emission from quantum cascade lasers has been recently demonstrated using conventional YBa2Cu3O7−x bicrystal Josephson junctions made from c-axes thin films. Josephson frequencies of alternative bicrystal junctions made from YBa2Cu3O7−x films with mutually tilted c-axes extend further into the THz range. However, these THz oscillations can weaken due to new absorption channels in the junction environment. Here, using Josephson admittance spectroscopy, THz losses in YBa2Cu3O7−x bicrystal junctions with mutually tilted c-axes are studied. Absorption maximizes at a reproducible set of THz frequencies close to those of collective modes in bulk YBa2Cu3O7−x recovered by Fourier spectroscopy. Annealing junctions in atomic oxygen reduces the losses at frequencies of 2.7 and 3.6 THz, while the losses increase at frequencies of 2.3 and 4.6 THz. Thus, as a THz spectrum analyzer, YBa2Cu3O7−x bicrystal junctions require post-fabrication correction of the oxygen content. In addition, the fine structure of the absorption spectrum appears at frequencies near 4.6 THz. Significant absorption near 2.3 THz may be due to effects associated with the second Josephson harmonic or second-order nonlinearity of the susceptibility in YBa2Cu3O7−x. This work paves the way towards probing collective modes in high-Tc materials in situ using the Josephson oscillations.