Monolithic Resonant TeraHertz Detectors

单片谐振太赫兹探测器

基本信息

批准号：
EP/I017461/1
负责人：
David Cumming
金额：
$ 75.08万
依托单位：
University of Glasgow
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2011
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2011 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FI017461%2F1
关键词：
Monolithic Resonant TeraHertz Detectors

项目摘要

Visible light is only a very small part of the whole electromagnetic spectrum. The radio spectrum is also very familiar to most people, but less well known is the range of wavelengths in between. In this project we are particularly interested in a part of the spectrum that has come to be known as the terahertz band, so called because the frequency is around 1 THz. Light in the terahertz band can pass through materials that are opaque to visible light, but yet, the wavelength is still small enough to resolve features smaller than 1 mm. Because of this terahertz has attracted a great deal of interest for applications where we need to see through materials, but also take good sharp pictures. Applications include medical and security imaging, particularly because terahertz is non-ionising so can be safely used with humans.Unfortunately terahertz technology suffers from some significant difficulties that requires research to overcome. Bright terahertz sources are difficult to make, so considerable effort is needed to improve what we have at the moment. Terahertz is energetically similar to ambient radiated heat, so sensors have to be both sensitive and highly descriminating. In a complete terhertz imaging system all aspects of the technology and its components are important in determining the overall performance. This project is therefore dedicated to improving sensor performance.There are a number of attributes that we would like for a good sensor. It should be small, consume little power, be very sensitive, and ideally, if it it to be used in an camera, fast enough to allow video rate imaging. We propose to use the optical properties of semiconducting materials and carefully designed metallic structures to capture terahertz radiation. We will demonstrate that these structures can be used to make an array of sensors, just as you would find in a normal camera, and that the sensors are sensitive and selective to terahertz. In the same way that mainstream photography has benefited from microelectronics to make digital cameras possible, we will also be able to make use of integrated circuit technology so that many sensors can be cheaply and efficiently put on to a single chip.Our project has attracted support from leading UK companies including Teraview and Selex-Galileo that have immediate routes to market for successful technology. Our aim is to complete the research that will demonstrate new technologies to the point where further investment will enable the creation of new products that can be used by scientists, clinicians and the security services in the not to distant future.

可见光仅占整个电磁频谱的很小一部分。大多数人也非常熟悉无线电频谱，但不太为人所知的是其间的波长范围。在这个项目中，我们对被称为太赫兹频段的频谱部分特别感兴趣，之所以这么称呼是因为频率约为 1 THz。太赫兹波段的光可以穿过对可见光不透明的材料，但波长仍然足够小，足以解析小于 1 毫米的特征。正因为如此，太赫兹在我们需要透视材料的同时也需要拍摄清晰的照片的应用引起了极大的兴趣。应用包括医疗和安全成像，特别是因为太赫兹是非电离的，因此可以安全地用于人类。不幸的是，太赫兹技术遇到了一些重大困难，需要研究来克服。明亮的太赫兹源很难制造，因此需要付出相当大的努力来改进我们目前所拥有的。太赫兹在能量上与环境辐射热相似，因此传感器必须既灵敏又具有高度辨别力。在完整的太赫兹成像系统中，技术及其组件的所有方面对于确定整体性能都很重要。因此，该项目致力于提高传感器性能。我们希望好的传感器具有许多属性。它应该很小，消耗很少的功率，非常敏感，并且理想的是，如果它用于相机，则足够快以允许视频速率成像。我们建议利用半导体材料的光学特性和精心设计的金属结构来捕获太赫兹辐射。我们将证明这些结构可用于制造传感器阵列，就像您在普通相机中看到的那样，并且传感器对太赫兹敏感且具有选择性。就像主流摄影受益于微电子技术使数码相机成为可能一样，我们也将能够利用集成电路技术，使许多传感器可以廉价而高效地安装在单个芯片上。我们的项目已经吸引了支持来自包括 Teraview 和 Selex-Galileo 在内的英国领先公司，这些公司可以将成功的技术直接推向市场。我们的目标是完成研究，展示新技术，以便进一步投资能够创造出可供科学家、临床医生和安全部门在不久的将来使用的新产品。