Integrated terahertz frequency generator

太赫兹辐射，在100千兆赫到30太赫兹的范围内，已经被研究用于天文学和分析科学。光子学和纳米技术的最新进展使新的太赫兹产生技术的创新研究成为可能。一种用于太赫兹辐射的技术是利用两束约0.8微米的光照射在低温生长的砷化镓（GaAs）光合成器上的外差光合成。另一种技术是利用量子级联激光器获得无频率可调且工作在低温下的太赫兹辐射，随着太赫兹的减小，需要更多的级联激光器。第三种技术是在低输出平均功率的光台上使用飞秒激光器。在信息通信领域，1.55微米光子技术已经得到了很好的建立和探索。我们将研究和开发一种集成的太赫兹频率发生器，通过外差光混合大约1.55微米的两个光来获得100 GHz到6太赫兹的太赫兹辐射。该发生器由双模可调谐的1.55微米左右的量子点锁相半导体激光器、大功率量子点半导体放大器、超快光电混合器（低温生长InGaAs）和太赫兹天线组成。这种太赫兹发生器将具有成本效益，坚固，非常紧凑和集成。太赫兹发生器可用于传感和通信。这些应用包括(1)生物、医学和制药科学的检测，包括生物分子、药物、癌症组织、DNA、药物、蛋白质和细菌；(2)半导体和其他工业应用，包括材料评估、硅太阳能电池、纳米复合材料、聚膜和介电膜的检查和故障分析；(3)安全筛查，包括识别每种爆炸物和麻醉品的特征；(4)信息通信技术，包括未来可能达到10gb /s的室内外高速无线通信；(5)地球与空间科学，包括污染分析与观测、气体传感；(6)基础科学，包括食品质量控制。

Terahertz radiation, in the range of 100 GHz to 30 THz, has been investigated for astronomy and analytical science. Recent advancements in photonics and nanotechnology are now enabling innovative research of new THz generation technologies. One technique for terahertz radiation is to use heterodyne photomixing by two lights of around ~0.8-micron incident on a low temperature grown GaAs photomixer. Another technique is to use quantum cascade lasers to obtain THz radiation with no frequency tunability and working at low temperature, and more cascade lasers are required with the decrease of THz. The third technique is to use a femto second laser within an optical bench with low output average power. Photonic technologies at 1.55 micron have been well established and explored for information and telecommunication sector. We will investigate and develop an integrated terahertz frequency generator by heterodyne photomixing of two lights at around 1.55-micron to obtain THz radiation from 100 GHz to 6 THz. The generator is composed of a dual-mode and tunable quantum-dot phase-locked semiconductor laser at around 1.55 micron, a high-power quantum-dot semiconductor amplifier, an ultrafast photomixer (low-temperature grown InGaAs) and a THz antenna. This THz generator will be cost-effective, robust, very compact, and integrated. The THz generator can be used for both sensing and communications. The applications include (1) detection of biological, medical and pharmaceutical science including biomolecules, medicines, cancer tissue, DNA, drug, proteins and bacteria, (2) semiconductor and other industrial applications including material evaluations, inspection of silicon solar cells, nanocomposites, polyfilms and dielectric films and fault analysis, (3) security screening including identifying signature of every explosive and narcotic, (4) information and communication technology including indoor and outdoor high speed wireless communications with possible 10 Gb/s in the future, (5) earth and space science including pollution analysis and observation, and gas sensing, and (6) basic science including food quality control.