Subpicosecond photoconducting dipole antennas

• Published in: IEEE journal of quantum electronics Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 255 - 260
• Main Authors: Smith, P.R., Auston, D.H., Nuss, M.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-02-1988; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Antenna measurements; Antennas; Applied sciences; Dipole antennas; Exact sciences and technology; Frequency; Microscopy; Optical pulse generation; Optical pulses; Photoconductivity; Radiocommunications; Receiving antennas; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Transmitting antennas; Ultrafast optics; Frequency characteristic; Photoconducting device; Subpicosecond; Plane antenna; Autocorrelation; Dipole antenna; Impulse; Coherent detection; Antenna
• ISSN: 0018-9197; 1558-1713
• DOI: 10.1109/3.121

Photoconducting antennas have been demonstrated which are capable of generating and coherently detecting subpicosecond electrical pulses. These antennas, when illuminated with femtosecond optical pulses, radiate electrical pulses which have frequency spectra that extend from <100 GHz to >2 THz. Microscope dipoles measuring 50, 100, and 200 mu m have been fabricated and tested. Integrated photoconductors of radiation-damaged silicon-on-sapphire were used both for impulsive current excitation of the transmitting antennas as well as for gating the receiving antennas.< >