Plasmon enhanced LT-GaAs terahertz photoconductive switch technology

太赫兹（THz）电磁波提供了关于分子的独特光谱信息。因此，太赫兹技术正在出现许多应用在制药开发和过程控制，污染监测，工业监测，爆炸物和药物检测等，有大约50家公司提供太赫兹技术全球。该提案旨在发展我们最近的发现，即光电导天线（PCA-THz系统的关键组件）结合精心设计的纳米结构金属（等离子体）和低温生长的GaAs可以在带宽和功率方面优于现有的商业设备，同时在1550 nm（低于GaAs的带隙）下工作。需要进一步优化材料性能，以便这些PCA能够充分发挥其潜力。此外，还需要仔细评估其业务特点，以便向潜在投资者/供应商提供具体说明。最后，这些设备在恒定波操作模式下的演示有望扩大市场。这个项目结合了戈登博士在等离子体方面的专业知识（加拿大纳米等离子体研究主席），Darcie博士的系统和市场专业知识（加拿大通信、成像和传感光学系统研究主席，在AT & T工作了20年，在UVic工作了6年），以及Tiedje博士的材料生长专业知识。（杰出学者-RSC和APS研究员，埃克森美孚研究和工程部前负责人）。三名经验丰富的研究生和一名强大的博士后研究员将帮助确保该项目的里程碑得到满足。

Terahertz (THz) electromagnetic waves provide unique spectroscopic information about molecules. Consequently, THz technologies are emerging for many applications in pharmaceutical development and process control, pollution monitoring, industrial monitoring, explosive and drug detection etc. There are about 50 companies providing THz technologies worldwide. This proposal is aimed at developing our recent discovery that photoconductive antennas (PCAs -- a key component of THz systems) incorporating carefully designed nanostructured metals (plasmonics) and low-temperature grown GaAs can outperform existing commercial devices by a factor of two in both bandwidth and power while operating at 1550 nm (below the bandgap of GaAs). Further optimization of material properties is required so that these PCAs can meet their full potential. Also, careful evaluation of their operation characteristics is required to provide specifications to potential investors/vendors. Finally, the demonstration of these devices in constant-wave mode of operation is desired to broaden the market. This project combines expertise of Dr. Gordon in plasmonics (Canada Research Chair in Nanoplasmonics), with the systems and market expertise of Dr. Darcie (Canada Research Chair in Optical Systems for Communications, Imaging and Sensing, with 20 years at AT&T and 6 start-ups at UVic), and the materials growth expertise of Dr. Tiedje (distinguished academic - Fellow RSC and APS, and former group head at Exxon Research and Engineering). Three experienced graduate students and a strong postdoctoral researcher will help ensure that the milestones of this project are met.