Low Power Terahertz Optoelectronic Switch

In spite of the promise of terahertz frequency range, the maturity of terahertz technologies, such as sources or detectors, remains relatively weak In particular, ultrafast optoelectronic switches are a key component to both sources and detectors, but current versions of them require too much power to be commercially viable, particularly for applications involving detector arrays The overall objective of this Phase I program is to develop a photoconductive optoelectronic switch, leveraging advances in materials development, metamaterials, and nanophotonics to reduce the operating power to below 01 milliwatts without sacrificing bandwidth or signal to noise ratio in a commercially scalable, cost effective process In the program we plan to design, fabricate, and characterize a proof of concept low-power ultrafast photo-conductive optoelectronic switch A design study will be performed to evaluate trade-offs in the choice of materials and design with performance and scalability Fabrication will include epitaxial growth, lithographic definition of the terahertz antennas, and growth of the nanophotonic components to enhance the overall performance of the switch Terahertz time domain spectroscopy will be used to characterize the proof of concept system The terahertz frequency range has long held promise as the future home for a wide variety of wireless technologies, chemical sensors and medical diagnostic equipment Low power optoelectronic switches could enable new bands for ultra-high bandwidth wireless communication, improve surveillance and security at high-importance sites like airports, improve stand-off detection of chemical compounds for threat identification, enable less-invasive alternatives to x-ray and CT scans in the field of medical imaging, and provide improved quality control methods in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and food processing industries