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Low-cost ultra-thin broadband terahertz beam-splitter
Benjamin S-Y Ung1, Christophe Fumeaux, Hungyen Lin
1School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, The University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia. bung@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au
Optics Express
|March 16, 2012
Summary
This study introduces a low-cost terahertz beam-splitter made from plastic wrap and silver. This novel device offers tunable splitting ratios and advantages over traditional silicon beam-splitters for terahertz applications.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Materials Science
- Terahertz Technology
Background:
- Traditional terahertz beam-splitters often utilize silicon wafers, which can be costly and cumbersome.
- Existing beam-splitters may suffer from Fabry-Pérot effects and frequency-dependent performance.
- There is a need for cost-effective, versatile, and high-performance beam-splitting solutions in the terahertz spectrum.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize a novel, low-cost terahertz beam-splitter.
- To demonstrate the tunability of the beam-splitting ratio based on fabrication parameters.
- To evaluate the performance of the proposed beam-splitter in terms of cost, handling, and optical properties.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of beam-splitters using ultra-thin low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic sheeting coated with a conducting silver layer.
- Characterization of beam splitting ratio as a function of silver layer thickness.
- Measurement of performance for both P and S polarizations across the terahertz frequency range.
- Comparison of experimental results with a theoretical model.
Main Results:
- A functional low-cost terahertz beam-splitter was successfully fabricated using readily available materials (plastic wrap and silver).
- The beam splitting ratio was precisely controlled by adjusting the thickness of the silver layer, enabling on-demand fabrication.
- The fabricated beam-splitters exhibited low loss, were ultra-thin, and did not suffer from Fabry-Pérot effects.
- Experimental measurements showed excellent agreement with the theoretical model for various splitting ratios and polarizations, with nearly frequency-independent performance.
Conclusions:
- The developed LDPE-based terahertz beam-splitter offers a significant low-cost alternative to conventional silicon devices.
- The ease of fabrication and tunable splitting ratios make this technology highly adaptable for diverse terahertz applications.
- The ultra-thin nature and low loss characteristics present substantial advantages for terahertz system design and performance.
