Programmable terahertz photonics : the backbone for the forthcoming ultra-fast communication networks

我们建议全面研究与超高速无线太赫兹通信相关的使能技术和基本限制，这是微波和光通信专家的新前沿。在IEEE P802.15内建立了几个工作组，旨在制定相关的工业标准和促进联盟活动，这表明了对太赫兹通信的商业兴趣。由于太赫兹通信还处于起步阶段，了解其潜力、局限性和实现策略是当前全球迅速发展的一个活跃的研究领域，本方案的主要目标是开发和表征一个实用的无线太赫兹通信系统，该系统能够短距离(高达数百米)传输高比特率(高达几个10s Gb/S)的数据流。为了具有实际重要性，该系统必须具有内在的健壮性，成本适中，并且易于理解。为了稳健性，必须使用高功率太赫兹电源。此外，传输光束必须具有自我修复能力，并能抵抗从光束路径中移入和移出的障碍物。或者，该系统必须具有主动转向功能。在成本适中的情况下，太赫兹系统组件的制造必须得益于低成本的快速成型技术，如3D打印或数控铣削。为了实现可靠的通信，必须很好地理解该系统。这意味着系统必须在现实环境中进行长时间(至少1年)的测试，在整个测试期内系统性能结果和环境参数相关。我们将通过追求几个短期、中期和长期目标来实现我们的目标。个人目标追求各种新技术和子组件的开发，然后这些技术和子组件将用于组装几个太赫兹通信系统。预计每个单独的目标都将成为一篇单独的高影响力研究论文的主题。目前，有几种相互竞争的技术可用于太赫兹通信系统的设计，但对于最优的系统设计仍未达成共识。在这方面，分析和了解与替代技术相关的权衡将是我们研究的重要部分。将在这项建议内进行的研究直接属于我们机构战略计划中确定的研究和教育目标之一--多媒体、信息学和电信。在理工学院，电信领域已经存在大量的研究活动，这些活动将与太赫兹通信的新研究完美相辅相成。因此，我们预告了几项广泛的多学科合作，这些合作将培养出一批顶尖的通信技术专家，他们将能够轻松找到工作或创办自己的公司。最后，超高速通信领域正在全球范围内快速发展，加拿大在这一领域的记录令人印象深刻。现代社会的运转在很大程度上取决于获取各种信息的便利程度。此外，在加拿大广袤的土地上提供可靠的高带宽通信，提高了所有公民的生活质量。

We propose a comprehensive study of the enabling technologies and fundamental limitations associated with the ultra-fast wireless THz communications, which is a new frontier both for the microwave and optical communication specialists. Commercial interest in the THz communications is manifested by the establishment of several working groups within the IEEE P802.15 intended to develop related industrial standards and promote consortium activities. As THz communications is still in its infancy, understanding of its potentials, limitations and implementation strategies is currently an active research field in the rapid development around the world.The main goal of this proposal is to develop and characterize a practical wireless THz communication system that is capable of short-range transmission (up to several hundred meters) of high bit-rate data streams (of up to several 10s Gb/s). In order to be of practical importance, the system has to be inherently robust, of moderate cost, and well understood. For robustness, high power THz sources have to be used. Additionally, the transmission beam has to be self-healing and resist to the obstacles that move in an out of the beam path. Alternatively, the system has to feature active steering. For moderate costs, fabrication of the THz system components has to profit from low-cost rapid prototyping techniques such as 3D printing or CNC milling. For reliable communications, the system has to be well understood. This means that the system has to be tested in a realistic environment over a prolonged period of time (at least 1 year), with system performance results and environmental parameters correlated over the whole test period.We will achieve our goal by pursuing several short, medium and long-term objectives. Individual objectives pursue development of various novel technologies and subcomponents that will be then used for assembly of several THz communication systems. It is expected that each individual objective will make a subject of a separate high-impact research paper. At the moment, there are several competing technique that can be employed in the design of a THz communication system, while there still no consensus as for the most optimal system design. In this respect, analysis and understanding of the trade-offs associated with alternative techniques will constitute an important part of our research.Research that will be conducted within this proposal falls directly into one of the research and educational targets (pôles sectoriels) identified in the strategic plan of our institution – multimedia, informatics and telecommunications. At Polytechnique, a large number of research activities already exist in the domain of telecommunications, and these activities will be perfectly supplemented with the novel research in THz communications. We therefore, preview several extensive multidisciplinary collaborations within the CRÉER collaboration (Centre de Recherche en Électronique Radiofréquence) that will produce a number of top-notch specialists in communication technologies that will be able to easily find employment or start their own companies. Finally, the domain of ultra fast communication is in rapid development all over the world, and Canada has an impressive track record in this field. Functioning of the modern society depends critically on the ease of access to various information. Moreover, reliable high bandwidth communication made available throughout a vast Canadian land promotes high quality of life for all of its citizens.