Photonic generation of continuous terahertz waves and its application to sensing and communications

Abstract

We show that phohtonic technologies developed for conventional fiber-optic communications have potential for use in contemporary terahertz-wave applications, such as remote sensing and wireless communications. Advanced unitravelling photodiodes (UTC-PDs) can produce output power of 0.5 mW at 350 GHz and 10 μW at 1 THz. Using the UTC-PD and other optical devices, we demonstrate a time-continuous terahertz-wave signal generator that can tune the output signal over a wide frequency range with very narrow spectral linewidth and gas-sensing with the terahertz-wave source. We also show some preliminary results for terahertz-wave wireless communications using photonic technologies. © 2010 SPIE.