You Wu;Yifei Jin;Yongli Ren;Fan Yang;Shenheng Xu;Maokun Li
{"title":"A 285–310 GHz CMOS Switch Using Inductive Matching and Floating-Body Techniques for Metasurfaces: Design and Equivalent Circuit Model","authors":"You Wu;Yifei Jin;Yongli Ren;Fan Yang;Shenheng Xu;Maokun Li","doi":"10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3570057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3570057","url":null,"abstract":"This article presents a compact-size switch operating in the frequency range of 285–310 GHz, employing the standard 65-nm CMOS process. The terahertz performance of the switch is enhanced through a custom-designed inductive loop that resonates with the parasitic capacitance of the switch. In addition, the floating-body technique is employed to mitigate leakage. The probe tests and the thru-reflect-line calibration tests are conducted to extract the equivalent impedance of the switch within the operating frequency range. Comparative experiments are conducted to evaluate the impact of using the two techniques on the switch's performance. Furthermore, a comparison between simulation and measurement results of the proposed switch is performed. Equivalent circuit models are introduced based on the physical structure of the proposed switch, and the fitted parameters are presented. The fabricated switch, with a compact footprint of merely 30 μm × 40 μm, achieves a measured insertion loss of 1.5 dB in the <sc>on</small> state and more than 6.0 dB of isolation in the <sc>off</small> state within the operating frequency range and can be effectively employed as a tunable component in metasurface applications.","PeriodicalId":13258,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology","volume":"15 4","pages":"672-678"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144550457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Phat T. Nguyen;Natalie S. Wagner;Alexander Stameroff;Anh-Vu Pham
{"title":"An InP Distributed Active Isolator With >30-dB Isolation Over 215-GHz Bandwidth for Sub-THz Wideband Transceivers","authors":"Phat T. Nguyen;Natalie S. Wagner;Alexander Stameroff;Anh-Vu Pham","doi":"10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3550802","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3550802","url":null,"abstract":"This article presents a 5–220-GHz active isolator with >50 to >30 dB reverse isolation to protect local oscillators in sub-THz wideband transceivers. The isolator design adopts a Darlington distributed amplifier topology comprised of five high-isolation stages to achieve a flat forward transmission and wideband input/output matchings. To achieve a high isolation across the wide bandwidth, the isolator codesigns stacked heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) topology and high-isolation layout structures, building high-isolation stages for the complete isolator. A new layout arrangement using low-crosstalk transmission lines, high-isolation cell shielding, and coplanar waveguides with continuous ground planes is presented and implemented to mitigate couplings that severely degrade isolation at sub-THz frequencies. The indium phosphide active isolator is fabricated and characterized. The prototype exhibits a forward gain of 10 dB and a reverse isolation of >50, >37, and >30 dB up to 40, 190, and 220 GHz, respectively. The maximum saturated power and the output 1-dB compression point are 15.8 and 12.2 dBm, respectively. From 120 to 170 GHz, the output third-order intercept point is from 21.4 to 16.1 dBm. The isolator consumes 45 mA of current with an active area size of 0.176 mm<sup>2</sup>.","PeriodicalId":13258,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology","volume":"15 3","pages":"440-455"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143904603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Steven Hailey-Dunsheath;Sven van Berkel;Andrew D. Beyer;Logan Foote;Reinier M. J. Janssen;Henry G. LeDuc;Pierre M. Echternach;Charles M. Bradford;Jochem J. A. Baselmans;Shahab Dabironezare;Peter K. Day;Nicholas F. Cothard;Jason Glenn
{"title":"Characterization of a Far-Infrared Kinetic Inductance Detector Prototype for PRIMA","authors":"Steven Hailey-Dunsheath;Sven van Berkel;Andrew D. Beyer;Logan Foote;Reinier M. J. Janssen;Henry G. LeDuc;Pierre M. Echternach;Charles M. Bradford;Jochem J. A. Baselmans;Shahab Dabironezare;Peter K. Day;Nicholas F. Cothard;Jason Glenn","doi":"10.1109/TTHZ.2024.3454436","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TTHZ.2024.3454436","url":null,"abstract":"The PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA) is under study as a potential far-IR space mission, featuring actively cooled optics, and both imaging and spectroscopic instrumentation. To fully take advantage of the low background afforded by a cold telescope, spectroscopy with PRIMA requires detectors with a noise equivalent power (NEP) better than <inline-formula><tex-math>$1 times 10^{-19}$</tex-math></inline-formula> W Hz<inline-formula><tex-math>$^{-1/2}$</tex-math></inline-formula>. To meet this goal, we are developing large format arrays of kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) to work across the 25–250 <inline-formula><tex-math>$mu$</tex-math></inline-formula>m range. Here, we present the design and characterization of a single pixel prototype detector optimized for 210 <inline-formula><tex-math>$mu$</tex-math></inline-formula>m. The KID consists of a lens-coupled aluminum inductor-absorber connected to a niobium interdigitated capacitor to form a 2 GHz resonator. We have fabricated a small array with 28 KIDs, and we measure the performance of one of these detectors with an optical loading in the 0.01–300 aW range. At low loading, the detector achieves an NEP of <inline-formula><tex-math>$9times 10^{-20}$</tex-math></inline-formula> W Hz<inline-formula><tex-math>$^{-1/2}$</tex-math></inline-formula> at a 10 Hz readout frequency. An extrapolation of these measurements suggests this detector may remain photon noise limited at up to 20 fW of loading, offering a high dynamic range for PRIMA observations of bright astronomical sources.","PeriodicalId":13258,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology","volume":"15 4","pages":"546-557"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144550386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Terahertz Characterization of Cable Terminal: A Debye-PSO Modeling and Inversion Approach","authors":"Shuaibing Li;Jiahao Dan;Tao Geng;Jinbo Xue;Yongqiang Kang;Haiying Dong","doi":"10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3569133","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3569133","url":null,"abstract":"Terahertz (THz) wave propagation in insulation materials of cable terminal is governed by their optical and dielectric properties. This study investigated these properties in cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) and ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) cable terminal materials using THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) in the 0.2–1.5 THz range. We measured and analyzed four key parameters: refractive index n<sub>1</sub>(ω), absorption coefficient α<sub>1</sub>(ω), and the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant [ϵ<sub>1</sub>′(<italic>ω</i>) and <italic>ϵ</i><sub>1</sub>′′(<italic>ω</i>)] across six insulation materials, including XLPE, EPR, stress tube, and umbrella skirt. The Debye model was employed to theoretically analyze dipole relaxation processes, with particle swarm optimization (PSO) applied to overcome the limitations of traditional nonlinear fitting methods in the dispersion model. Our comprehensive approach combined experimental measurements, theoretical modeling, and optimization techniques to establish the fundamental THz band parameters for these materials. The results revealed distinct correlations between the materials' microstructure and their electromagnetic properties. This article provides essential theoretical foundations and reference data for THz-based detection of internal defects in cable terminals. Additionally, the microstructural-level analysis of electromagnetic property variations offers new insights into evaluating cable terminal aging states using THz technology.","PeriodicalId":13258,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology","volume":"15 4","pages":"596-605"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144550455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jon Gorecki;Keir N. Murphy;Daniel Markl;Andrew D. Burnett;Mira Naftaly
{"title":"Unveiling the Origin of Spurious Features in THz-TDS of Powder Compacts","authors":"Jon Gorecki;Keir N. Murphy;Daniel Markl;Andrew D. Burnett;Mira Naftaly","doi":"10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3549944","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3549944","url":null,"abstract":"Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is a vital tool for scientific and industrial analysis, however, many commonly analyzed products, such as those found in pharmaceutical, agriculture, and mining sectors, are produced as powders or granular materials, and these sample morphologies have been reported to produce anomalous spectral features which can often obscure known material resonances. The cause of these anomalous features has been poorly understood, making it difficult to predict their presence and limiting the applicability of THz–TDS for such materials. Here, we systematically study how the sample morphology of granular compacts produces anomalous spectral features by performing extensive experimental measurements on two-part powder compacts with varying microsphere size and concentration. Further, we employ ray-tracing simulations to identify the physical mechanism whereby these spectral features arise owing to variations in optical path length within the heterogeneous sample. We believe this is the first time that the physical cause of spurious spectral features within powder samples has been adequately explained and that a robust method has been presented for modeling this effect. By understanding these features, we propose that instead of being seen as a parasitic effect, their presence can be utilised to extract morphological properties of the samples, thereby enhancing the utility of THz-TDS for granular materials.","PeriodicalId":13258,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology","volume":"15 3","pages":"418-430"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143904604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A 200–280 GHz InP HBT Power Amplifier Using Double-Stacked Common-Base Core With Design Analysis and Modulation Measurements","authors":"Gunwoo Park;Hyunjoon Kim;Sanggeun Jeon","doi":"10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3568610","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3568610","url":null,"abstract":"We present a WR-3.4 power amplifier (PA) using a 250-nm InP heterojunction bipolar transistor process, which exhibits a broad 3-dB bandwidth of output power. A capacitive base degeneration is applied to common-base (CB) transistors for optimizing the power performance in the terahertz frequency range. The CB transistors are stacked through analytical design guidelines, building a high-power double-stacked common-base (DS-CB) unit cell. Subsequently, two differential DS-CB unit cells are combined at the output by a broadband and low-loss four-way slotline-based power combiner. The combiner is as compact as 120 × 200 <italic>μ</i>m². Thus, the chip size is significantly reduced, occupying only 0.12 mm² for the PA core. The measurement shows that the PA has a peak gain of 18.9 dB at 243 GHz and a small-signal 3-dB bandwidth of 17.8 GHz from 228.5 to 246.3 GHz. The saturated output power (<italic>P</i><sub>sat</sub>) is 11.5 dBm at 235 GHz and a 3-dB bandwidth of <italic>P</i><sub>sat</sub> is as wide as 80 GHz from 200 to 280 GHz. The PA was also tested with various modulation signals of quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), and 32-QAM. The rms error vector magnitude values of −14.8, −19.5, and −23.2 dB were measured with corresponding average output powers (<italic>P</i><sub>avg</sub>) of 5.4, 2.3, and 1.6 dBm for the QPSK, 16-QAM, and 32-QAM signals, respectively, at a carrier frequency of 242 GHz.","PeriodicalId":13258,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology","volume":"15 4","pages":"650-659"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144550717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xue Li;Jingye Sun;Fangjing Hu;Qing You;Yuning Li;Tao Deng
{"title":"Terahertz Metamaterial Sensor With Embedded Microfluidic Channels for Real-Time Liquid Analytes Sensing","authors":"Xue Li;Jingye Sun;Fangjing Hu;Qing You;Yuning Li;Tao Deng","doi":"10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3548847","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3548847","url":null,"abstract":"The vibrational and rotational energy levels of numerous biological macromolecules fall within the terahertz (THz) range, making THz spectroscopy a viable method for identifying biological samples. However, most biomolecular activities can only be observed in a liquid environment. Being a polar substance, water exhibits strong absorption characteristics toward THz waves. In this study, we proposed a novel THz metamaterial sensor with embedded microfluidic channels fabricated in the PDMS substrate that operates in reflective modes. This approach not only enables the reduction of THz wave absorptions by water by decreasing the volume of the liquid sample but also realizes the real-time detection of liquid samples. Simulated results reveal that the double splits ring resonators (DSRRs) metal structure exhibits two resonant dips below 1 THz, with a maximum figure of merit of 0.77 RIU<sup>-1</sup>. Meanwhile, the sensors show significant resonant frequencies red-shifts as the refractive index for the analytes varies in the microchannels. Moreover, the split ring resonators with two gaps (SRRsTG) and DSRRs sensors were fabricated and demonstrated using a THz time-domain spectroscopy system. It has been found that the experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation results when the microchannels are empty (air). The sensors are capable of distinguishing various liquid analytes (e.g., water, acetone, and alcohol) by observing the shifts and amplitude variations for two resonant frequencies under different electric field polarizations. In addition, the DSRRs sensors show higher sensitivities in comparison to those of SRRsTG sensors, giving frequency shifts up to 92.1 GHz in TE mode and 192.3 GHz in TM mode for alcohol (99.7%) detections. The presented approach has been easily realized by standard lithography methods and could be applied to other metamaterial structures, as well as for biological sample detections.","PeriodicalId":13258,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology","volume":"15 3","pages":"379-388"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143904665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ultra-Thin Film Sensing With Terahertz Subwavelength Thin Disc Microresonators","authors":"Kane H.J. Hill;Dominik Walter Vogt","doi":"10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3548856","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3548856","url":null,"abstract":"Subwavelength thin disc terahertz microresonators have been proven to exhibit unprecedented quality factors, exceptionally low losses and extensive evanescent fields. We investigate the microresonators' potential for ultra-thin film sensing using poly(methyl methacrylate) films for a compelling proof-of-concept. Highly subwavelength thin films (<inline-formula><tex-math>$lambda$</tex-math></inline-formula>/10 000) with thicknesses of tens of nanometers were deposited atop the thin disc microresonator, each causing a pronounced frequency shift and a marked reduction in the intrinsic quality factor; these differences were measurable using a standard continuous-wave terahertz spectrometer with an added terahertz microresonator frequency reference. This demonstration benchmarks the exceptional sensitivity of thin disc terahertz microresonators, and, to our knowledge, marks the first recorded use of a whispering-gallery mode resonator for ultra-thin film sensing in the THz domain. Our findings create exciting possibilities for future applications, such as detecting ultra-thin films of sophisticated analytes.","PeriodicalId":13258,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology","volume":"15 3","pages":"412-417"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=10916966","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143904617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pilar Castillo-Tapia;Shiyi Yang;Angel Palomares-Caballero;Jean-Paul Guillet;N. J. G. Fonseca;Oscar Quevedo-Teruel
{"title":"SubTHz Fully-Metallic Geodesic Luneburg Lens Antenna","authors":"Pilar Castillo-Tapia;Shiyi Yang;Angel Palomares-Caballero;Jean-Paul Guillet;N. J. G. Fonseca;Oscar Quevedo-Teruel","doi":"10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3548452","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3548452","url":null,"abstract":"We propose and validate experimentally a fully metallic geodesic Luneburg lens antenna operating in the subTHz band. The antenna produces three beams pointing at 0<inline-formula><tex-math>$^circ$</tex-math></inline-formula>, 40<inline-formula><tex-math>$^circ$</tex-math></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula><tex-math>$-$</tex-math></inline-formula>40<inline-formula><tex-math>$^circ$</tex-math></inline-formula>. To facilitate the integration, the geodesic lens is folded to reduce its height to approximately 38.7% of the original Rinehart–Luneburg lens. To reduce potential leakage resulting from manufacturing and assembly tolerances at subTHz frequencies, the waveguide feeding structure has a deliberate small air gap alongside electromagnetic bandgap structures. This enhancement aims to bolster the robustness of the antenna, ensuring stable performance even in the presence of misalignments. The results demonstrate the robustness of geodesic lenses in the subTHz regime; showing their suitability for applications that require multibeam antennas at these high frequencies. The successful performance of geodesic lenses in the subTHz regime confirms its potential for operation at higher frequencies above 300 GHz.","PeriodicalId":13258,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology","volume":"15 3","pages":"514-518"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=10914556","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143904630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society Information","authors":"","doi":"10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3544854","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/TTHZ.2025.3544854","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13258,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology","volume":"15 2","pages":"C2-C2"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=10910275","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143553172","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}