Efficient, Tunable Terahertz Source

Future battlefield systems will require new levels of performance from optical components. In particular, there is a strong need for efficient, high-power terahertz (THz) sources and detectors. The lack of sufficiently powerful, compact sources and detectors in the 0.3 to 30 THz range has so far drastically limited development in defense imaging, homeland security and medical imaging applications, among others. In this STTR program we propose to develop and demonstrate a novel tunable THz source with unprecedented efficiency. The new technology is based on an engineered material currently under development at Structured Materials Industries (SMI) and the University of Wisconsin (UW). Detailed modeling indicates an improvement of several orders of magnitude in power conversion efficiency over current state-of-the-art designs, with estimated average power in the mW range or higher. In this STTR, this unique material will be combined with a rotatable photonic crystal to enable broad tunability. In Phase I we will fabricate a laboratory prototype of the tunable THz source and test its properties to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach. In Phase II the material and device design will be refined and developed for practical THz sources and detectors, which will be manufactured in Phase III.