学术报告:Terahertz Technology and Applications

2018-05-02 12:00:00


时间:2018年5月3日 10:00
地点:信工楼E301会议室
讲座人:Thomas W. Crowe 教授
讲座人简介:
Thomas W. Crowe
     President, CEO and Founder
     Virginia Diodes, Inc.
     Visiting Research Professor
     University of Virginia, Dept. ECE 
 
      Abstract: The terahertz frequency range, spanning from about 100 GHz to 10 THz, has long been of great interest for scientists working in fields ranging from radio astronomy to atmospheric studies, molecular spectroscopy and plasma diagnostics. Today, reliable sources and receivers are available with suitable performance for a wide array of applications. This has led to interest in more advanced scientific systems and new commercial / industrial applications. Many of these new applications require much more compact and reliable systems. For example, CubeSat missions are being considered to replace the large and expensive satellite missions presently used for atmospheric studies and weather monitoring. Also, more compact components are desired for imaging systems for security scanners and industrial imaging, as well as for antenna measurements, especially in the case of on-wafer antennas. For terahertz systems based on Schottky diode frequency multipliers and mixers, the system size has been, to a large degree, dictated by the size of the flanges required to couple the discrete components together without excessive mismatch at the waveguide interfaces. This talk will describe recent efforts to alleviate this problem through the development of more highly integrated sub-systems. This is made possible by i) the improvements in the design and manufacturing processes for the components and ii) the development of a commercial market for sub-systems that has sufficient volume to justify the added expense of developing integrated systems.
This talk will include a brief overview of Virginia Diodes, Inc., and perspectives on the
applications of terahertz technology.
 
      Research Interests: Dr. Crowe has focused his research career on creating the technology necessary to open the terahertz portion of the electromagnetic spectrum for routine scientific and commercial exploitation. He has led the research team that has developed and fabricated many of the best GaAs Schottky barrier diodes for scientific applications including radio astronomy, plasma diagnostics, studies of the chemistry of the upper atmosphere and compact range radar systems. His research team created the diodes used on the highly successful Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (NASA), the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite, as well as a number of DoD and European remote sensing satellites. Whiskered diodes from his group have been used in mixers for radio astronomy to 5 THz and as frequency multipliers as part of the first solid-state sources above 1 THz. Planar diode technology developed by Dr. Crowe and his colleagues at UVa has opened the way for greater levels of system integration and increased reliability, making possible a host of new applications in this critical frequency range. Present research thrusts include novel solid-state devices for high frequencies, submicron fabrication technologies, methods to achieve high levels of terahertz circuit integration, design of nonlinear devices and circuits using advanced simulation tools, development of wideband terahertz mixers and multipliers using integrated diode technology, and the development of test and measurement capabilities for frequencies well beyond 1THz. Dr. Crowe is founder and president of Virginia Diodes, Inc., a small business that is focused on bringing the new terahertz technologies to market. VDI now employees over seventy people, including about ten PhDs, and has supplied terahertz devices, components and subsystems to a growing customer base of several hundreds of companies, research laboratories and universities throughout the world. VDI marketed the first commercial test and measurement equipment operating above 500 GHz. VDI researchers were the first to extend the maximum operating frequency range of test and measurement equipment to 1.5 THz. This includes Signal Generators and Vector Network and Spectrum Analyzers. Custom sources and receivers to over 3 THz are also available. VDI has also supplied the terahertz LO systems used at 1.4, 1.9 and 2.6 THz on the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies, which is deployed on NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy.

 
南昌大学科技处
信息工程学院
2018.5.1