Integrated Terahertz Waveguides and Microcavity Resonators

In the last few years, terahertz (THz) technologies have been extensively explored for applications in chemical and biological sensing, spectroscopy, medicine, and imaging [1, 2]. Integrated THz platforms are highly desirable for chemical and biological detection because they can provide field confinement and enhancement to increase sensitivity [2]. Some such platforms, including one dimensional (1D) parallel-plate waveguides with embedded photonic bandgap structures [3-6] and integrated microstrip resonators [7], have already been experimentally realized. Our research is focused on the development and measurement of integrated THz photonic devices. In particular, we are studying air-core metallic microcavity resonators coupled to rectangular metal waveguides [8] and 1D Bragg gratings embedded in rectangular metal waveguides. Such hollow-core THz microphotonic structures can be ideal for narrow-band sensing applications.