Coupled THz Waveguide Utilizing Surface Plasmon Polaritons on Thin Dielectric Slab Sandwiched between Two Corrugated Metallic Claddings

We present a comprehensive experimental study of terahertz （THz） wave propagation utilizing surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs） on the interfaces of a thin dielectric core layer sandwiched between two corrugated metallic claddings. THz wave impinges on the structured surfaces at normal incidence. Long-lasting oscillation propagation features are observed in the temporal waveform after traveling through the periodic arrays. The enhanced THz transmission can be achieved due to the coupling between incident waves to SPPs at the bottom and top interfaces. The finite element method is used to simulate the field distribution and the transmission mode in the waveguide. The hybrid waveguide with low absorption has great potential applications in THz integrated devices.     

Propagation properties of the terahertz waveguide using a metallic nanoslit narrower than skin depth

A terahertz(THz) waveguide using a metallic nanoslit whose width is much smaller than the skin depth is analytically investigated. By taking some important physical properties into account, we derive a simple,yet accurate, expression for the effective index. We also study the changes in modal field and the attenuation coefficient in the whole THz region, and find some interesting physical properties. Finally, we verify that these theoretical analyses coincide with the rigorous numerical simulations. This research can be useful for various applications of THz waveguides made of metallic nanoslits.     

THz波段介质涂敷空芯金属圆波导的传输特性

针对THz波段介质涂敷空芯金属圆波导传输特性的精确分析问题,基于波导中场方程及边界条件建立关于传播常数的特征方程,并且采用改进的Muller法求解特征方程得到涂敷圆波导主模HE11模的传播常数。计算中对THz波段的非理想导体电导率采用经典弛豫效应模型。仿真结果表明:内径为1.8 mm的银波导,当聚苯乙烯涂敷层厚度为17 m时,HE11模在1.5~3.0 THz的衰减常数在1 dB/m以下,且具有较好的色散特性;内径为2.2 mm的银波导,在2.5 THz时其衰减常数随涂敷层厚度的增加先增大后减小,且存在最佳介质涂敷层厚度,可实现THz波低损耗传输。     

环状烯烃聚合物基底材料的太赫兹复介电常数和损耗特性研究

太赫兹时域光谱(THz-TDS)已被用于研究包括液体,半导体,爆炸物和气体等多种材料。然而自由空间太赫兹光谱系统存在着一些检测局限性,如微量物质难以被检测、系统尺寸难以实现微型化、空气中水的强烈吸收引起的信号衰减较大等问题。为了解决这些问题,研究人员设计了基于金属波导传输线结构的太赫兹芯片集成器件,通过飞秒红外激光激励传输线上的光电导材料实现太赫兹波的产生和检测。然而,在这些芯片上传输的太赫兹信号的频谱宽度很难达到自由空间太赫兹时域光谱系统的频带宽度,一个重要原因是由于传输信号受到随频率增加的传输线损耗所导致的衰减。通常这些损耗主要由三个部分组成：导体损耗,介电损耗和辐射损耗。研究表明：使用低介电常数材料作为共面传输线的衬底,将减少这种介电常数的失配,从而避免冲击波辐射损失;使用具有低损耗角正切的基底材料可以减少太赫兹传输线的损耗。环烯烃聚合物(COP)是一种具有环状烯烃结构的非晶性透明共聚物的材料,在太赫兹波段具有很高的透射率,为了探究这种材料是否能用于共面传输线的衬底,需要通过太赫兹时域光谱技术和介电函数理论分析它在太赫兹频段的光谱和介电特性,以及对这种材料作为基底时用在太赫兹传输线的传输特性进行仿真计算分析。使用透射式太赫兹时域光谱系统,对三种COP、熔融石英和PMMA进行了光谱测试,提取了它们的透射时域信号,采用Dorney和Duvillaret等提出的物理模型计算复介电函数。实验表明：与其他两种材料相比,COP材料在1 THz处的透过率更高,可以达到94.5%,同时介电损耗和介电常数更低,其中介电损耗在1 THz处达到4.31×10-4,因此将COP作为传输线基底材料时能有效减少基底的介电损耗。同时COP材料的介电常数在0.2～2.8 THz范围内维持在约2.3的水平,也有效减弱了辐射损耗。对实验材料基底组成的共面波导传输线进行了HFSS模拟,获得了它们的正向传输衰减系数(S₂₁ parameter),并对由基底引起的介电损耗和辐射损耗进行了计算分析。模拟和计算结果也表明在同一传输线结构下,与其他材料相比COP作为基底时的损耗更小。通过太赫兹时域光谱法与介电响应分析,表明了在太赫兹波段具有较低介电常数的COP材料更适合作为太赫兹传输线结构的基底材料,它可以有效的降低因基底引起的介电损耗和辐射损耗。这为太赫兹传输线的设计过程中衬底材料的选择与应用提供了实验和理论依据。     

A long-range hybrid THz plasmonic waveguide with low attenuation loss

Numerical solutions are obtained for the proposed novel hybrid terahertz plasmonic waveguide structure, namely the silicon metal silicon (SMS) waveguide. It is shown that the SMS waveguide can overcome the diffraction limit while still maintaining a sizeable propagation length. The geometric dependence of the mode characteristics of this structure is analyzed in detail, showing strong confinement and low loss with propagation lengths exceeding 14 mm at normalized mode areas of 1.72 × 10⁻². By using the FEM method (Comsol), the guiding properties of the hybrid terahertz surface plasmon polariton (HTSPP) waveguide are numerically analyzed at the THz frequency, and a combination of double-structured comparisons of the best features of the terahertz plasmonic waveguide is made. Depending on the height used and how the mode confinement is measured, various modal designs, such as double microwire structures, are developed. The structures indicate that we verified the possibility of low attenuation loss of hybrid THz plasmonics propagation. The effective mode area A_eff, energy distribution, and propagation length L_p versus height for waveguides with Si microwire and SiO₂ are shown. The numerical calculation results reveal a potential for use in applications such as optical force in trapping and transporting biomolecules, and in high-density integrated circuits.     

磁光平面波导的单向传播特性

表面磁等离子体(surfacemagnetoplasmons,SMPs)是一种在电介质和偏置磁场作用下磁光材料界面处传播的近场电磁波.其独特的非互易传播特性引起了大量科研工作的关注,但在具体的波导结构设计上仍存在很多问题.本文研究了一种银-硅-磁光材料的3层平面波导结构,SMPs在磁光材料和硅的界面处传播,发现在特定的频率范围内,SMPs的基模及高阶模式均具有正向或反向的单向传播特性.分别计算了旋磁与旋电材料平面波导的色散方程,研究了硅层厚度与外加磁场对能带结构及SMPs单向传播区域的影响,发现无论是旋磁或旋电材料的结构,硅层厚度的增加使高阶模式使高阶模式出现在更低的频率位置,使单向传输带宽变小甚至消失,外加磁场的变大使磁光材料的能带结构频率增大的同时带隙中也引入了高阶模式.计算了2种磁光材料平面波导的正向和反向的单向传播带宽宽度,发现旋磁材料YIG的单向SMPs模式出现在GHz波段,最大单向带宽可达到2.45 GHz;旋电材料InSb的单向SMPs模式出现在THz波段,最大单向带宽达到3.9 THz.     

Optical terahertz wave generation in a planar GaAs waveguide

We report generation of terahertz (THz) radiation in a planar 61-microm-thick GaAs waveguide with a TM0 propagation mode, achieved by phase-matched difference frequency mixing. The THz output was centered near 2 THz and had 1 microW average power. As a pump source we utilized both the signal and the idler outputs of a near-degenerate type II synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillator operating near 2 microm with the average powers of 250 and 750 mW, correspondingly.     

太赫兹量子级联激光器频率梳的色散

群速度色散会限制太赫兹量子级联激光器频率梳的稳定以及频谱宽度.对于太赫兹量子级联激光器频率梳,其色散主要由器件增益、波导损耗、材料损耗引起.研究基于4.2 THz量子级联激光器双面金属波导结构,通过建立德鲁德模型,利用有限元法计算了激光器的波导损耗;器件未钳制的增益由费米黄金定则计算得到,结合增益钳制效应,计算了器件子带电子跃迁吸收以及镜面损耗,得到了器件钳制后的增益;利用Kramers-Kronig关系得到了器件的增益、波导损耗、材料损耗引起的色散,结果表明器件的激射区域存在非常严重的色散(–8×10~5—8×10~5 fs~2/mm).同时,计算了一种基于Gires-Tournois干涉仪结构的色散,结果表明,该结构的色散具有周期性,可以用于太赫兹量子级联激光器的色散补偿.     

Theoretical analysis of THz Sommerfeld wave propagation on metal wire at normal temperature

In this paper, THz Sommerfeld wave propagation on single bare metal wire and dielectrically coated metal wire waveguide is presented by the numerical calculation from 0.1 THz to 1 THz. The influences of different metal and different dielectric materials on the electric field distribution around the metal wire are analyzed. The characteristics of energy coupling in the coated metal wire with different metal and dimensions are also proposed. The analysis results release a fundamental characteristic for describing the surface wave propagation along the dielectrically coated metal wire at terahertz frequencies, and moreover, the analysis results also suggest that a simple dielectrically coated metal-wire can be used for terahertz applications due to its energy concentration, as compared to the single bare metal wire.     

Real propagation speed of the ultraslow plasmonic THz waveguide

A graded metallic grating structure can not only work as a wave trapping system, but also work as an ultraslow terahertz (THz) waveguide. The depth of the grating waveguide is partial graded and partial fixed. The real propagation speed of such a system is calculated. Different frequencies of THz waves can be propagated at a designed propagation speed, even close to zero.     

Nanofocusing of terahertz wave on conical metal wire waveguides

The nanofocusing of the terahertz (THz) radiation energy is studied. By using a conical metal nanowire waveguide, we focus the energy of the terahertz surface plasmon polaritons (THz SPPs) to several nanometers’ scale. Another interesting property of the THz SPPs propagation on the waveguide is that the peak electric field at the waveguide tip enhances many times. What is more, both the phase velocity and the attenuation coefficient versus the wire radius are obtained. The terahertz energy nanofocusing opens the way to observe terahertz propagating and imaging on the nanoscale.     

Nature of subpicosecond terahertz pulse propagation in practical dielectric-filled parallel-plate waveguides

It is analytically shown that the presence of submicrometer-sized air gaps between the dielectric and metal contact surfaces in a dielectric-filled metallic parallel-plate waveguide can have a dramatic effect on the guided-wave propagation of subpicosecond terahertz pulses. Through the use of metal-evaporated dielectric surfaces to overcome the imperfect contact problem, and a special air-dielectric-air cascaded waveguide geometry to avoid multimode excitation, undistorted subpicosecond terahertz pulse propagation via the single-TEM mode is demonstrated, for what is believed to be the first time, in a silicon-filled PPWG.     

Optical rectification at metal surfaces

The emission of freely propagating terahertz (THz) radiation coming from optical rectification at metallic surfaces has been detected and characterized for the first time to the authors' knowledge. The observed THz transients are induced through nonlinear electronic processes at gold and silver surfaces on intense pulsed optical photoexcitation and exhibit a peak electric field of as much as 200 V/cm. This finding opens a qualitatively new way to investigate nonlinear phenomena at metal surfaces and also can be exploited for the development of new THz emitters.     

Experimental study of air-core dielectric tube at terahertz frequencies

In this paper, an experimental study of air-core dielectric tube waveguide is proposed at terahertz frequencies. By using the THz time domain measure system, the terahertz dispersion characteristics, loss characteristic and energy focusing characteristic of air-core single-layer and dual-layer dielectric tube are obtained. The results show that this type of air-core dielectric tube can realize low dispersion characteristics. Due to the difference of refractive index between two dielectric materials, stronger energy focusing can be achieved in air-core dual-layer dielectric tube. After the coupling of the THz pulse using the dual-layer dielectric tube waveguide, the THz pulse increased 2.4 times compared with the single-layer dielectric tube waveguide at 1.5 THz.     

利用3D打印技术制备太赫兹器件

高性能的太赫兹器件在控制太赫兹波方面起到重要的作用,因此寻求一种简单有效的太赫兹器件加工方案非常必要。本文以太赫兹波导和太赫兹滤波器为例,分别选用Kagome型光子晶体结构的波导和一维光子晶体结构的滤波器,运用商用的3D打印机加工样品,并采用透射式太赫兹时域光谱系统对样品的参数进行测量。实验结果表明:加工的波导在0.2~1.0 THz范围内传输损耗平均值约为0.02 cm~(-1),最小值可达到0.002 cm~(-1),且可运用机械拼接的方式将多个波导进行简单的连接从而获得更长的波导而不引起严重的损耗;滤波器的透射谱在0.1~0.5 THz之间有两个明显高损耗带;这两组实验结果均与理论预计非常接近。本文运用太赫兹波导和滤波器的实例证实了3D打印技术加工太赫兹器件的可行性,将会成为获取性能可控、价格低廉的太赫兹器件的有效途径。     

太赫兹波在有限电导率金属空芯波导中的传输特性

研究了太赫兹波在具有有限电导率的金属镀层空芯波导中的传输特性.从其传输的特性方程出发,利用Newton-Raphson迭代方法数值模拟了传输损耗和相位常数随太赫兹波频率、波导内径以及波导中金属镀层的电导率的变化关系.结果表明,采用大芯径波导和高电导率的金属镀层能有效降低太赫兹波的传输损耗. 关键词： 太赫兹波 空芯波导 特征方程     

Optical control over surface-plasmon-polariton-assisted THz transmission through a slit aperture

We demonstrate optical control over the transmission of terahertz (THz) radiation through a single subwavelength slit in an otherwise opaque silicon wafer. The addition of periodic corrugation on each side of the wafer allows coupling to surface plasmon polaritons, so that light not impinging directly on the slit can contribute to the transmission. A significant enhancement of the THz transmission can be achieved through control of the surface wave propagation length by excitation at optical wavelengths. The observed transmission increase is in distinct contrast to the reduction reported for photoexcitation of arrays of holes in semiconductors.     

Terahertz demonstrations of effectively two-dimensional photonic bandgap structures

We demonstrate effectively two-dimensional (2D) terahertz (THz) photonic bandgap (PBG) structures for transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode propagation within metal parallel plate waveguides (PPWG). The 2D-PBG structures consisting of square arrays of dielectric cylinders were characterized by THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). THz photonic bandgaps were observed, as determined by the 160 mum lattice constant, the 65 mum diameter, and the dielectric constant of the cylinders. The experimental measurements were fitted with excellent agreement to 2D theory, confirming that for TEM mode propagation, effectively 2D propagation experiments can be achieved within the bounded space of the PPWG.     

Transmission and directionality control of light emission from a nanoslit in metallic film flanked by periodic gratings

We investigate the transmission and directional properties of light emission from a nanoslit film flanked by periodic gratings, formed on a silver film, embedded in a high index dielectric medium. Using FDTD calculations it is demonstrated that the transmission has strong dependence on dimension of the dielectric film. The directional property of the emitted beam is controlled by tapering height of output grating elements and this effect is explained by standard theory of antenna array. We propose and examine the potential of such slit grating structure as a Plasmonic antenna in axial injection of light from single mode fiber to photonic crystal waveguide.     

Simulation investigation on channel surface plasmon guiding by terahertz wave through subwavelength metal V-groove

The waveguide propagation properties of terahertz wave through subwavelength metallic triangular groove channels have been simulationally investigated. The effects of groove depth, groove angle and dielectric filling materials on propagation property have been shown and discussed. The results show that with increasing of groove depth and angle degree the propagation constant of channel surface plasmon polariton mode decreases. The propagation constant of poor conductive metal is larger than that of good conductive metal, which may result from the fact that the former has larger skin depth. In addition, the confinement of CSPP mode could be improved by increasing the refractive index of dielectric filling materials.