Terahertz Bandpass Research Articles

Terahertz wave narrow bandpass filter based on photonic crystal

We designed a narrow bandpass terahertz wave filter using photonic crystals with a line defect. An inserted linear defect in one-dimensional photonic crystal structures for a channeled filtering in the terahertz range are studied and designed theoretically. By using transfer matrix method, we examined the transmittance spectra for the proposed terahertz wave filter has a 3 dB transmission loss bandwidth of 20 MHz ranging from 0.29998 THz to 0.30001 THz. The simulated results show that a very narrow transmission band and high transmission (higher than 99.99%) centered at λ 0, and very sharp edges can be achieved.

Highly selective terahertz bandpass filters based on trapped mode excitation

We present two types of metamaterial-based spectral bandpass filters for the terahertz (THz) frequency range. The metamaterials are specifically designed to operate for waves at normal incidence and to be independent of the field polarization. The functional structures are embedded in films of benzocyclobutene (BCB) resulting in large-area, free-standing and flexible membranes with low intrinsic loss. The proposed filters are investigated by THz time-domain spectroscopy and show a pronounced transmission peak with over 80% amplitude transmission in the passband and a transmission rejection down to the noise level in the stopbands. The measurements are supported by numerical simulations which evidence that the high transmission response is related to the excitation of trapped modes.

Calculable blackbody radiation as a source for the determination of the spectral responsivity of THz detectors

The spectral responsivity of the detector is important for the layout and quantitative interpretation of spectroscopic experiments. In the terahertz (THz) spectral range the knowledge of the total (integral) responsivity of a detector, as well as its spectral distribution, is often insufficient. PTB determined the spectral irradiance responsivity of two THz detectors, a pyroelectric DLATGS detector working at room temperature and a silicon-composite bolometer working at 4 K, in the wavelength range from 62 µm (4.82 THz) to 1340 µm (0.22 THz) with temperature radiation from blackbody radiators. Our approach is to use two THz cavity radiators in combination with THz bandpass filters to provide calculable spectral irradiances, according to Planck's law of radiation, at several wavelength bands in the THz spectral range. One cavity radiator is working at an adjustable fixed temperature in the range from 15 °C to 90 °C while the other cavity radiator operates at LN2 temperature. The radiation of the two cavity radiators is alternately imaged on the detector via a gold-coated chopper wheel. Hereby the background radiation is cancelled and also the necessary modulation for the lock-in detection is provided. The cavity of the high temperature radiator is coated with a dedicated paint providing high wall emissivity in the FIR and THz spectral range to ensure true blackbody behaviour of the radiator. The bottom of the low temperature radiator consists of THz absorber foam providing hereby also nearly blackbody behaviour. All individual filters and, additionally, the employed filter combinations are characterized for their transmittance in the entire wavelength range from 0.8 µm to 1700 µm to obtain a precise knowledge of the transmitted blackbody spectrum. The very reproducible results indicate that this setup allows a fast, simple and reliable determination of the spectral responsivity of THz detectors. In a next step, the uncertainty of this technique will be further evaluated and investigations will be extended to other types of detectors (e.g. LiTaO3 detectors and Golay cells).

Direct fabrication of terahertz optical devices on low-absorption polymer substrates

We have fabricated terahertz wire grid polarizer and terahertz bandpass filter devices on high-density polyethylene substrates using simple photolithographic fabrication techniques. The performance of the fabricated devices was measured using a Fourier transform IR spectrometer. Both devices showed good performance in the terahertz frequency range up to 5 THz, in agreement with rigorous coupled-wave analysis (polarizer) and finite-difference time-domain (filter) simulations. Our results successfully demonstrate the use of standard fabrication techniques to produce large-aperture free-standing terahertz optical devices on low-absorption polymer materials with the advantage of low cost using a simple fabrication process. The fabricated polarizer had better than 30 dB extinction ratio at 3 THz. Bandpass filters were demonstrated at three different center frequencies (1.5, 1.8, 2.9 THz) with a 3 dB insertion loss and 2<or=Q<or=7.

Terahertz Band-Pass Filter Fabricated by Multilayer Ceramic Technology

We fabricated a terahertz (THz) band-pass filter using multilayer ceramic technology. The filter design is based on an interference multilayer filter composed of three resonant cavities. The filter exhibited insertion loss as low as 1.5 dB at a center frequency of 0.15 THz. The bandwidth of the passband was modified by changing the optical length of the cavity. A demonstrated tuning of the full width at half maximum (FWHM) ranged from 12.5 to 6.9%. No significant change in transmission intensity was observed when the optical length of the cavity was changed. At a frequency of approximately 0.8 THz, filter insertion loss increased from 1.5 to 6 dB. The influence of dielectric losses of the ceramic materials on the filter insertion loss is also discussed.

Spectral transmittance of lossy printed resonant-grid terahertz bandpass filters

In this paper, we present terahertz bandpass filters composed of resonant arrays of crossed slots in lossy metal films deposited on dielectric membranes. The filters exhibit insertion loss as low as 1.9 dB at room temperature and 1.2 dB at 77 K at a center frequency of 2.2 THz. It is found that the dielectric substrate introduces a downward shift in frequency not predicted by standard mean dielectric-constant approximations. This shift is proportional to the permittivity and thickness of the substrate, and is accurately modeled for polyester, fused quartz and silicon substrates using a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) model. It is also found that the insertion loss and Q-factors of the filters vary with the product of the thickness and conductivity of the metal film for lead and gold films, even in cases when the thickness is several skin depths at the center frequency. The FDTD theory presented here accounts for some of the conductor losses.