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

我们建议对与超高速无线太赫兹通信相关的使能技术和基本限制进行全面研究，这是微波和光通信专家的新前沿。太赫兹通信的商业利益体现在IEEE P802.15中建立了几个工作组，旨在制定相关的工业标准并促进联盟活动。由于太赫兹通信仍处于起步阶段，对其潜力、局限性和实施策略的了解是目前世界范围内快速发展的一个活跃的研究领域。**本提案的主要目标是开发和表征一种实用的无线太赫兹通信系统，该系统能够短距离传输（高达几百米）高比特率数据流（高达10s Gb/s）。为了具有实际重要性，系统必须具有固有的健壮性、适度的成本，并且易于理解。为了鲁棒性，必须使用高功率太赫兹源。此外，传输光束必须具有自我修复能力，并能抵抗光束路径内外移动的障碍物。或者，该系统必须具有主动转向功能。对于中等成本，太赫兹系统组件的制造必须从低成本的快速原型技术（如3D打印或CNC铣削）中获利。为了实现可靠的通信，系统必须被很好地理解。这意味着系统必须在长时间（至少1年）的真实环境中进行测试，系统性能结果和环境参数在整个测试期间相互关联。**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。个别目标追求各种新技术和子组件的发展，然后将用于组装几个太赫兹通信系统。预计每个单独的目标将成为一个单独的高影响力研究论文的主题。目前，在太赫兹通信系统的设计中，有几种相互竞争的技术，但对于最优的系统设计仍未达成共识。在这方面，分析和理解与替代技术相关的权衡将构成我们研究的重要组成部分。**在本建议范围内进行的研究，将直接属于本校策略计划所确定的其中一个研究及教育目标（pôles界别）-多媒体、资讯及电讯。在理工学院，大量的研究活动已经存在于电信领域，这些活动将与太赫兹通信的新研究完美地补充。因此，我们预计在CRÉER合作（Électronique radiofr2013.qence研究中心）范围内开展几项广泛的多学科合作，这些合作将培养一些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，超高速通信领域在世界各地都在迅速发展，加拿大在这一领域有着令人印象深刻的记录。现代社会的运转主要取决于获取各种信息的便利性。此外，在加拿大广阔的土地上提供的可靠的高带宽通信促进了其所有公民的高质量生活。

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.