Chao Zhang

Abstract

Terahertz science is a promising and rapidly developing research area. However, solid state terahertz detectors of high performance are still needed. An antenna within each pixel is needed in these detectors so as to couple more incident radiation into the detector. In this thesis, a software package called Lumerical FDTD Solutions is used to optimize the terahertz antenna design. The ultimate goal is to design broadband antennas that work efficiently over desired frequency bands.

The transmission/absorption characteristics of various bowtie antennas were modeled using the software. For absorption modeling, an equivalent resistor was added to load the antenna and absorb the terahertz energy. The effect of various parameters, including geometrical shape, boundary condition, material index, were considered. Fat bowtie was chosen as the optimum design for a 215GHz antenna. Optimization was carried out to check how the gap, slot, distance between metal contacts would affect the performance of the antenna. A transmission experiment was designed to verify the validity of these simulations using a 188GHz source. Finally, some tests for the angular response of silicon/air interface and dipole antenna were done, in order to ascertain the efficiency of coupling between the optical telescope used to collect the THz radiation and the antenna/detector combination.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Terahertz spectroscopy; Antennas (Electronics)--Computer simulation; Finite differences; Time-domain analysis

Publication Date

12-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Imaging Science (MS)

Department, Program, or Center

Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science (COS)

Advisor

Zoran Ninkov

Advisor/Committee Member

Robert Kremens

Advisor/Committee Member

Alan Raisanen

Comments

Physical copy available from RIT's Wallace Library at QC454.T47 Z43 2014

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

IMGS-MS

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