Objectives: While development in photomixers has progressed in the last 20 years, one of the key remaining problem has been to optimise the out-coupling of the THz wave for a given application. The work will concentrate on Earth observation and will look at optimising antenna designs for the given bands of interest. This research work will contribute to answering TERAOPTICS’ research Challenge IV and Challenge V. Expected Results: The work will first concentrate in design of optimised antenna for the set of bands used in Earth observation that are accessible with UTC-PD photomixers. Great care will be taken in matching the impedance of the UTC -PD with the antenna over the band of interest. Further we envisage looking at antennas not emitting through the substrate to enable the possibility to easily fabricate phased arrays with a minimum risk of on-chip interference. The ESR will be expected to investigate all the different solutions to couple the signal out and possibly in for detection (Conventional metalized bow ties, slot antennas, plasmonic based antennas, metamaterials…). The research and development work will mainly contribute to the targeted THz key application “space”. Planned secondment(s): to ULIL (Dr. Guillaume Ducournau), ~M20 for ~ 1.5 months, for antenna measurement and emission patterns to RAL (Prof. Peter Huggard), M28 for 3 months, for testing devices with THz receivers

Objectives: This project will look at the possibility to create a highly sensitive room temperature operating THz receiver that can be pumped optically. This research work will contribute to answering TERAOPTICS’ Challenges III, IV & V. Expected Results: For this work the ESR will be expected to develop a fully integrated receiver for THz signal. This will include the study to develop a novel InP based Schottky Barrier Diode that could be easily integrated within the standard growth of a UTC-PD, while also looking at hybrid integration with GaAs based SBD. The design work will also look at optimising the coupling of the UTC-PD signal with the SBD on chip for THz frequencies, in particular looking at different on-chip waveguides solutions (Dielectric rectangular, Plasmonic, metamaterial…). Ultimately the output will be an integrated device demonstrating state of the art sensitivity in the THz range, with tuneability beyond the state of the art. This will benefit the targeted key application THz communications but will also be applicable for coherent THz spectroscopy systems used in Earth observation and radio-astronomy. Planned secondment(s): to AIRBUS (Dr. Ralf Green), ~M10 for 1.5 months, for key metrics and requirements for satellite receivers to UDE (Prof. Andreas Stöhr), M16 for 1 months, for round-robin optically mediated THz signal generation to RAL (Prof. Peter Huggard), ~M24 for 2 months, packaged SBD fabrication and experiments on hybrid integrated systems.