Experimental characterization of extremely broadband THz impulse radio communication systems

Abstract

We experimentally characterize a ultrabroadband terahertz (THz) impulse radio system with up to 10 GHz repetition rate. THz generation and radiation are realized in an antenna-integrated uni-traveling-carrier photodiode (UTC-PD), and THz reception is implemented based on photoconductive sampling by using a photoconductive antenna (PCA). We analyze the performance in terms of bandwidth and the features of the THz pulses. A 15 dB bandwidth of 1 THz confirms that this THz impulse system has a great potential of supporting ultrafast data rates, eventually for Terabit wireless communication era.