EAGER: A New Class of Room Temperature THz Detectors and Spectrometers

太赫兹辐射在通信、医疗诊断、国防以及化学品和生物化合物的非侵入性鉴定等广泛应用中获得了极大的兴趣。太赫兹辐射的独特特性之一是能够穿透一系列材料，从而使“透视”许多包装材料（如纸、塑料和木材）成为可能。尽管在该领域取得了重大进展，但太赫兹探测器在速度、探测频率和工作温度方面仍然存在重大限制。这项EAGER提案的目的是通过非线性频率转换开发一种新颖的、潜在的破坏性方法，用于探测远红外和太赫兹辐射。该研究将为设计和开发具有重大社会影响的高速、室温集成太赫兹接收器提供理论和实验基础。该研究的更广泛影响集中在光电研究理论和实验领域的研究生和本科生的教育和培训上。该研究将通过实习和暑期REU项目扩大妇女和代表性不足的少数民族的参与。太赫兹波是一种非电离辐射，频率范围为0.1/10太赫兹，在非侵入性检测和识别方面具有显著优势。这项EAGER研究的目的是为在宽光谱范围内检测远红外和太赫兹辐射创造一种新颖的、潜在的破坏性方法的基本理解。该设计基于单模激光泵浦对太赫兹信号进行腔增强不平衡混频，通过周期性极化铌酸锂（PPLN）非线性晶体产生和频率进行非线性频率转换。其结果是在光学频率上产生具有太赫兹辐射特征的新输出信号，该信号将被广泛使用的高速，低噪声硅或InGaAs PIN探测器有效地检测到。这种高风险、高回报的探索性研究的智力优势在于开发了一种新型高效、cmos兼容的接收器和难以探测频率的光谱仪。研究工作将包括详细的建模，结合频率和功率转换的实验验证，以及灵敏度和噪声评估。这些发现为电子学、光学和光子学以及混合集成的交叉领域提供了新的知识和发现。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Terahertz radiations are gaining significant interest in a wide range of applications including communication, medical diagnostic, defense and non-invasive identification of chemicals and biological compounds. One of the unique properties of terahertz radiation is the ability to pass through a range of materials, thus making it possible to "see through" many packaging materials such as paper, plastics, and wood. Despite significant progress in the field, terahertz detectors still have major limitations in speed, detection frequencies and operating temperature. The aim of this EAGER proposal is to develop a novel, potentially disruptive method through nonlinear frequency conversion for the detection of far-infrared and terahertz radiations. The research will provide theoretical and experimental foundations for design and development of high-speed, room temperature integrated terahertz receivers with significant societal impact. The broader impact of the research focuses on the education and training of graduate and undergraduate students in both theoretical and experimental areas of optoelectronic research. The research will broaden participation of women and underrepresented minorities through internship and summer REU programs. Terahertz waves, with a frequency range of 0.1/10 THz are nonionizing radiations with significant advantage in non-invasive detection and identification. The aim of this EAGER research is to create a fundamental understanding of a novel, potentially disruptive approach for the detection of far-IR and THz radiation over a broad spectral range. The design is based on cavity-enhanced unbalanced frequency mixing of the terahertz signal with a single-mode laser pump, nonlinear frequency conversion via sum frequency generation through a periodically-poled lithium niobate (PPLN) nonlinear crystal. The result is the generation of a new output signal in the optical frequency having the signature of the terahertz radiation that will be efficiently detected using widely available high speed, low-noise silicon or InGaAs PIN detectors. The intellectual merits of this high-risk high-reward exploratory research is the development of a new class of efficient, CMOS-compatible receivers and spectrometers in the hard-to-detect frequencies. The research effort will include detailed modeling combined with experimental validation of frequency and power conversion as well as sensitivity and noise evaluation. The findings provide new knowledge and findings at the intersection of electronics, optics and photonics, and hybrid integration.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.