Electron emission device having an electrodes' arrangement and an antenna circuit with operational frequency in THz-range
US8487234B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 21, 2012 |
| Grant date | Jul 16, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 21, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/0623
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An electric device operable with a THz-range frequency of the device output is presented. The device comprises a photocathode installed in either one of a diode, triode and tetrode configuration, and is exposed to illumination. In some embodiments of the invention, the device is configured as a diode and photomixing is used for illumination of the photocathode with light in the THz range, the diode converting this input light signal into an electrical output in the THz range, which operates a signal transmitter/receiver. In some other embodiments of the invention, the device is configured as a triode or tetrode, where the electrodes have small dimensions (about 1 micron or less) and are spaced from one another a distance not exceeding 1 micron. The photocathode is kept under certain illumination, and electrical signal applied to one of the electrodes results in the THz output at one of the other electrodes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.