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

PI将建立一个研究计划，以开发新型集成电路和天线，这些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数百倍。通过利用太赫兹辐射的优势，拟议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，并将以更好的容错能力跟踪移动接收器，而不是具有类似距离和带宽的竞争技术，如自由空间光通信。太赫兹成像系统不仅可以通过准确检测隐藏的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数万人在车祸中丧生。太赫兹光谱系统能够以高特异性识别气体分子的种类，并以高灵敏度检测这些分子的痕量。国际学生联合会的长期教育目标是鼓励各级学生在STEM学科中追求职业生涯。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，PI将帮助教师开发他们的物理课程。国际学生联合会将与莱斯卓越与公平中心合作，让代表人数不足的少数族裔学生参与研究，并为他们提供暑期实习机会。提出的研究计划的目标是开发新型集成电路和天线，可以产生、辐射、检测和操纵频率高达1THz的相干高功率脉冲。利用今天的硅工艺，有可能建造一个复杂的集成电路，其芯片上的天线工作在高达500 GHz的频率。然而，现有的解决方案大多是窄带的，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。在该计划下开展的基础研究有望推动宽带时域信号产生和检测的最先进水平。PI将通过以下贡献来展示所提出的计划的智能优点：(1)演示皮秒脉冲辐射阵列，(2)演示皮秒脉冲采样阵列，(3)开发准确和可靠的测量系统来表征皮秒源和探测器，(4)产生高分辨率的三维雷达图像

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