CAREER: Silicon-Based Electronic Arrays for Coherent Generation and Detection of Picosecond Pulses

PI将建立一个研究项目，开发新型集成电路和天线，可以产生频率高达1太赫兹（THz）的高功率脉冲，比当今蜂窝网络的频率高出数百倍。通过利用太赫兹辐射的优势，提出的研究计划可以改变无线通信，成像和光谱系统。太赫兹通信系统将提供更大的带宽，并且还将跟踪具有更好容错性的移动接收器，而不是具有类似范围和带宽的竞争技术，例如自由空间光通信。太赫兹成像系统不仅可以通过精确探测隐藏物体和爆炸物来加强国土安全，还可以通过提高防撞汽车雷达的精度来防止每年成千上万人在车祸中丧生。太赫兹光谱系统能够以高特异性识别气体分子的种类，并以高灵敏度检测微量气体分子。PI的长期教育目标是激励各级学生追求STEM学科的职业生涯。PI将与莱斯大学STEM参与办公室合作，为休斯顿独立学区的高中教师提供研究经验和实习机会，并协助教师开发物理课程。PI将与莱斯卓越与公平中心合作，让未被充分代表的少数族裔学生参与研究，并为他们提供暑期实习机会。该研究计划的目标是开发新型集成电路和天线，能够产生、辐射、探测和引导频率高达1THz的相干高功率脉冲。利用今天的硅工艺，有可能构建一个复杂的集成电路，其片上天线的工作频率高达500GHz。然而，现有的大多数解决方案都是窄带的，并且基于连续波信号的产生。为了突破高速无线通信、三维雷达成像和太赫兹光谱学的性能极限，需要宽带源和探测器。在该计划下进行的基础研究预计将推进宽带时域信号产生和检测的最新技术。PI将通过以下贡献来展示所提议计划的智力价值：(1)演示皮秒脉冲辐射阵列，(2)演示皮秒脉冲采样阵列，(3)开发准确可靠的测量系统来表征皮秒源和探测器，(4)生成高分辨率三维雷达图像

The PI will build a research program to develop novel integrated circuits and antennas that can generate high-power pulses with frequencies up to one terahertz (THz), several hundred times higher than the frequency of today's cellular networks. By exploiting the advantages of THz radiation, the proposed research program can transform wireless communications, imaging, and spectroscopic systems. THz communications systems will offer greater bandwidth and will also track mobile receivers with better fault tolerance than competing technologies with similar range and bandwidth, such as free space optical communication. THz imaging systems can not only bolster homeland's security by accurate detection of hidden objects and explosives, but also can prevent tens of thousands of lives lost in car accidents every year by increasing the accuracy of collision avoidance automotive radars. THz spectroscopy systems can identify the species of gas molecules with high specificity and detect trace quantities of those molecules with high sensitivity. The PI's long-term educational goal is to inspire students at all levels to pursue careers in STEM disciplines. Working with the Rice University Office of STEM Engagement to provide research experience and internship opportunities for high-school teachers from Houston Independent School District, the PI will assist teachers with the development of their physics curriculum. The PI will work with the Rice Center for Excellence & Equity to engage underrepresented minority students in research and to provide summer internship opportunities for them. The objective of the proposed research program is to develop novel integrated circuits and antennas that can generate, radiate, detect, and steer coherent high-power pulses with frequencies up to 1THz. With today's silicon processes, it is possible to build a complex integrated circuit with on-chip antennas operating in frequencies up to 500GHz. However, most of the existing solutions are narrow-band and based on continuous-wave signal generation. To push the performance limits of high-speed wireless communications, three-dimensional radar imaging, and THz spectroscopy, broadband sources and detectors are required. The basic research carried out under this program is expected to advance the state-of-the-art in broadband time-domain signal generation and detection. The PI will demonstrate the intellectual merit of the proposed program through the following contributions: (1) demonstrating picosecond impulse radiating arrays, (2) demonstrating picosecond impulse sampling arrays, (3) developing accurate and reliable measurement systems to characterize picosecond sources and detectors, (4) producing high-resolution three-dimensional radar images