Improved-efficiency fibre-coupled terahertz system

US8975584B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Bernd Sartorius · Berlin, DE
• Helmut Roehle · Berlin, DE
• Dennis Stanze · Berlin, DE
• Roman Dietz · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 25, 2011
• Grant date: Mar 10, 2015
• Expiry date: Feb 27, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N21/3581
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A terahertz system can be configured for producing and coherently detecting terahertz radiation. The system can comprise a laser light source and two THz antennas, a first of which is used as a transmission antenna and a second of which is used as a receiver antenna, which are each optically coupled to the laser light source by an optical fiber and can be activated by light from this laser light source, wherein the THz antennas each have a semiconductor chip to which antenna conductors have been contact-connected and which comprises at least one photosensitive active layer with a band edge wavelength which is longer than a wavelength of the laser light source and at least one layer, adjoining the active layer, with a band edge wavelength which is shorter than the wavelength of the laser light source, wherein the band edge wavelength of the active layer of at least one of the THz antennas is at least 200 nm longer than the wavelength of the laser light source.