SUMMARY:
UCLA researchers in the department of Electrical Engineering have developed a method for recording of terahertz waveforms which can be used for both sensing and communication in the terahertz spectrum.
BACKGROUND:
Terahertz waves are part of the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared and microwaves. In optical sensing, infrared waves can induce stretching of bonds and microwaves can induce rotation of bonds. Terahertz waves have the ideal energy to induce torsions and collective vibrations within molecules. For example, large scale molecular structures act as a fingerprint that can be induced and read with these waves. This can be used in analytical chemistry devices but also in surveillance where terahertz waves can be used to detect concealed compounds. They can also be used for wireless communication by expanding the usable wavelengths and improving the communication bandwidth. Terahertz waves, however, are notoriously difficult to measure. While there has been success with measuring repetitive Terahertz waves, the ability to measure a single snapshot of a terahertz signal has proven to be even more difficult. Therefore, there is a need to be vast improvement in the ability to detect and measure terahertz waveforms from single snapshot measurements especially in the case of non-repetitive signals.
INNOVATION:
Researchers at UCLA have developed a method for detecting and recording the waveforms of individual Terahertz signals and does not rely on repetitive signals. The method relies on the Orthogonal Time-Stretch acquisition technique but eliminates the dispersion penalty that often plagues these types of systems. It can achieve simultaneous differential detection for wideband operation with high sensitivity and phase diversity.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:
- Terahertz waveform measurement
- Analytical Chemistry
- Surveillance
- Communication
ADVANTAGES:
- Terahertz waves provide information other wavelengths cannot
- Ability to measure waveform with a snapshot
- Not limited to repetitive waveforms
DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE: A prototype has been successfully demonstrated to accurately measure terahertz waveforms from snapshot measurements.