Terahertz meta-chip switch based on C-ring coupling.

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Physics

Background:

• Terahertz (THz) switches are crucial for advanced communication, radar, and imaging.
• Traditional THz switches face limitations due to strong electromagnetic coupling at subwavelength scales.
• Meeting increasing application demands requires innovative THz switch designs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a parallel topology terahertz meta-chip switch.
• To overcome the limitations of traditional THz switches by leveraging electromagnetic coupling.
• To improve the performance of terahertz switches for future applications.

Main Methods:

• A novel meta-chip switch design combining equivalent circuit theory and electromagnetic coupling.
• Fabrication of the meta-chip using a 90 nm gate length Indium Phosphide High Electron Mobility Transistor (InP-HEMT) process.
• Tuning the density of two-dimensional electron gas in InP-HEMT to control electromagnetic coupling.

Main Results:

• The fabricated C-ring loaded meta-chip switch achieved an insertion loss below 1 dB.
• A switching ratio of 10 dB was demonstrated.
• Performance showed a 20% improvement compared to devices without a C-ring, maintaining low insertion loss.

Conclusions:

• The proposed parallel topology terahertz meta-chip switch offers significant advantages.
• The design demonstrates positive implications for developing advanced terahertz band functional devices.
• This work paves the way for improved terahertz switch performance in communication and imaging systems.