High-efficiency terahertz chip and terahertz wave generator

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of optoelectronic technology, and more particularly to a high-efficiency terahertz chip and a terahertz wave generator. The chip comprises a substrate, the substrate material is one of sapphire, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride or silicon carbide; a waveguide groove is formed on the substrate in a specific shape, and an inert metal layer is arranged on the inner surface of the waveguide groove. The chip can be controlled by an acousto-optic device and a mechanical piezoelectric device, further capable of changing the density of the crystal on the chip substrate, and at the same time, the metal layer in the waveguide groove can form a channel electrode to increase the terahertz formation, thereby forming a closed-loop terahertz emission and receiving chip, so that the chip can be miniaturized, and the density of the crystal can be changed by the acousto-optic and mechanical piezoelectric methods, thereby being capable of modulating the terahertz energy to a special wavelength for emission.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optoelectronic technology, and in particular to a high-efficiency terahertz chip and a terahertz wave generator. Background Technology

[0002] In the 1980s, terahertz (THz) technology, based on ultrafast electronics methods, emerged and attracted widespread interest from scientists. Especially after the development of terahertz spectroscopy and imaging techniques, terahertz science and technology have shown great promise for applications. However, terahertz waves have only received widespread attention in the last decade or so, resulting in a significant lack of various photonic devices in the terahertz band, particularly miniaturized, chip-scale THz emitters.

[0003] Existing terahertz transmitters mainly include quantum cascade THz lasers, THz photoconductive antennas, nonlinear mixers, and vacuum electronic oscillators. Among these, photoconductive antennas can generate milliwatt-level terahertz wave radiation, but their external auxiliary equipment is bulky, making miniaturization of terahertz transmitters difficult. Similarly, nonlinear mixers and vacuum electronic oscillators are also difficult to miniaturize. Quantum cascade lasers can overcome these shortcomings to achieve terahertz wave tuning, but their emission efficiency is low and they need to operate at extremely low temperatures. Therefore, improving the emission efficiency of terahertz waves while reducing the size of the transmitting device has become a pressing problem to be solved in the development of THz radiation chips. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a high-efficiency terahertz chip and a terahertz wave generator to solve the problem of miniaturization of terahertz chips in the prior art.

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a high-efficiency terahertz chip, comprising:

[0006] The substrate is made of one of sapphire, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, or silicon carbide.

[0007] A waveguide groove, which is formed in a specific shape on the substrate, has an inert metal layer disposed on its inner surface.

[0008] According to the first aspect, in one possible implementation, preferably, the particular shape is a rotating spiral shape.

[0009] According to the first aspect, in one possible implementation, preferably, the particular shape is a sine wave shape.

[0010] According to the first aspect, in one possible implementation, preferably, the inert metal layer is one of Au, Pd, Cr, Ta, W, Pt, and Ru.

[0011] According to the first aspect, in one possible implementation, preferably, the chip further includes a first substrate and a second substrate, the substrate being disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the first substrate and the second substrate having the same structure.

[0012] According to the first aspect, in one possible implementation, preferably, the material of the first substrate is one of a high-resistivity silicon wafer, a quartz wafer, or magnesium oxide.

[0013] Secondly, the present invention provides a terahertz wave generator, including a high-efficiency terahertz chip as described in any of the above schemes, and also including an acousto-optic device, wherein the acousto-optic device is configured corresponding to the high-efficiency terahertz chip.

[0014] According to the second aspect, the terahertz wave generator further includes a mechanical piezoelectric device, which is configured to correspond to the high-efficiency terahertz chip.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention proposes a high-efficiency terahertz chip, which includes a substrate and a waveguide groove. The waveguide groove is formed on the substrate, which is made of one of the following materials: sapphire, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, or silicon carbide. An inert metal layer is provided on the inner wall of the waveguide groove. This chip can modulate the terahertz energy of a specific wavelength for emission through acousto-optic or mechanical piezoelectric methods. It can not only control the density of the terahertz waves emitted by the chip, but also miniaturize the chip, thereby effectively solving the problems of difficulty in miniaturization and low efficiency of terahertz chips. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the terahertz chip is shown.

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a terahertz chip in another embodiment is shown;

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the terahertz chip in another embodiment is shown.

[0020] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a waveguide groove formed on a substrate is shown;

[0021] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the assembled structure of the substrate, the first substrate, and the second substrate is shown.

[0022] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the terahertz wave generator is shown.

[0023] Explanation of key component symbols:

[0024] 100 - Substrate; 110 - First substrate; 120 - Second substrate; 200 - Waveguide groove; 210 - Inert metal layer; 300 - Terahertz wave generator; 310 - Acousto-optic device; 320 - Mechanical piezoelectric device. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0028] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0029] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 4 The present invention provides a high-efficiency terahertz chip (hereinafter referred to as the chip), which includes a substrate 100 and a waveguide groove 200 formed on the substrate 100, and an inert metal layer 210 is provided on the inner wall surface of the waveguide groove 200.

[0032] Specifically, the substrate 100 is made of one of the following materials: sapphire, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, or silicon carbide. The waveguide groove 200 on the substrate 100 is formed in a specific shape. The inert metal layer 210 on the inner wall of the waveguide groove 200 is made of one of the following inert metal materials: Au, Pd, Cr, Ta, W, Pt, or Ru.

[0033] The chip can adjust the crystal density of the substrate 100 through acousto-optic devices and mechanical piezoelectric devices, thereby modulating terahertz energy to a specific wavelength for emission. At the same time, the inert metal layer in the waveguide groove 200 can form a channel electrode gain terahertz wave, which enables the chip to be miniaturized and also enhances the output energy of the terahertz wave.

[0034] It needs to be explained that when ultrasound passes through a medium, it causes local compression and elongation of the medium, resulting in elastic strain. This strain changes periodically with time and space, causing the medium to exhibit alternating periods of density and sparsity, much like a phase grating. When light passes through this medium disturbed by ultrasound, diffraction occurs. This phenomenon allows adjustment of the density of the crystal in the substrate 100, enabling the generation of terahertz waves of specific wavelengths as needed. Furthermore, a channel electrode gain terahertz generation can be formed through a waveguide groove 200 of a specific shape, greatly enhancing the output energy of the terahertz wave and generating terahertz waves in the required frequency band more efficiently.

[0035] Of course, the technology of how acousto-optic, mechanical, and piezoelectric effects affect the substrate 100 crystal is a mature existing technology, so we will not go into too much detail about it.

[0036] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 3 In the above scheme, the substrate 100 is arranged in a circular structure, and the waveguide groove 200 is opened in a rotating spiral shape. The waveguide groove 200 can also be opened in a reciprocating back-and-forth structure.

[0037] The rotating spiral shape can be either clockwise or counterclockwise. The initial point of the rotating spiral structure is the waveguide injection end, and the final point is the waveguide output end. When light waves are input from the injection end, a special band of terahertz waves is generated by adjusting the density of the crystal in the substrate 100. After further enhancement by the metal layer in the waveguide groove 200, the waves can be output efficiently, effectively increasing the terahertz wave output of the chip. The chip can also be miniaturized according to requirements, effectively solving the problem of difficulty in miniaturizing chips using traditional methods.

[0038] Example 2

[0039] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 4 Based on Embodiment 1, the present invention can also set the shape of the waveguide groove 200 into a sine wave structure. The sine wave structure can be a sine wave structure or a cosine wave structure. At the same time, an inert metal layer 210 is provided in the waveguide groove 200. The inert metal layer 210 is made of one of the following materials: Au, Pd, Cr, Ta, W, Pt, and Ru.

[0040] Please see Figure 4 In the above scheme, the chip also includes a first substrate 110 and a second substrate 120. The substrate 100 is disposed between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120. The first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 have the same structure and are made of the same material.

[0041] The first substrate 110 is made of one of the following materials: high-resistivity silicon wafer, quartz wafer, or magnesium oxide.

[0042] Please see Figure 5 Based on Embodiments 1 and 2, the present invention provides a terahertz wave generator 300 (hereinafter referred to as generator 300). The generator 300 includes any one of the chips in the above schemes, and also includes an acousto-optic device 310 and a mechanical piezoelectric device 320. The acousto-optic device 310 and the mechanical piezoelectric device 320 are both disposed corresponding to the substrate 100. The acousto-optic device 310 and the mechanical piezoelectric device 320 are used to control the crystal density of the substrate 100, and can further modulate terahertz waves of special bands for output according to needs. At the same time, by utilizing the electrode gain of the waveguide groove 200, not only can the chip be miniaturized, but the output energy of the terahertz wave can also be enhanced.

[0043] Based on the above scheme, the generator 300 also includes a light wave generator and a silicon phosphor mirror. The silicon phosphor mirror is located at the end of the chip away from the light wave input, and the light wave generator is used to input light waves into the chip.

[0044] In the above scheme, the principle is based on the special covalent bond crystal of the substrate 100 itself, which is doped with inert metal atoms on the inert metal layer 210 to form a photo-piezoelectric material with a certain flexibility. At the same time, the optical four-wave mixing is combined with the piezoelectric material to first form phonon accumulation and then form terahertz emission by compression emission of phonons.

[0045] By sharing electrons in the crystal layer to induce forced excitation and accumulate as many phonons as possible, mechanical deformation is used to forcefully emit the accumulated phonons. The energy storage of a single phonon is controlled by adjusting the magnitude and direction of the deformation. Furthermore, by adjusting and controlling the acousto-optic device and the mechanical piezoelectric device, the emission wavelength and emission direction of the terahertz wave can be continuously adjusted.

[0046] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0047] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-efficiency terahertz chip, characterized in that, include: The substrate is made of one of sapphire, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, or silicon carbide. A waveguide groove is formed on the substrate in a specific shape, and an inert metal layer is disposed on the inner surface of the waveguide groove. The inert metal layer can form a channel electrode gain terahertz wave. The specific shape is either a rotating spiral or a sine wave; The inert metal layer is one of Au, Pd, Cr, Ta, W, Pt, and Ru.

2. The high-efficiency terahertz chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The chip also includes a first substrate and a second substrate, with the substrate disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the first substrate and the second substrate having the same structure.

3. The high-efficiency terahertz chip according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first substrate is made of one of the following materials: high-resistivity silicon wafer, quartz wafer, or magnesium oxide.

4. A terahertz wave generator, characterized in that, The device includes the high-efficiency terahertz chip according to any one of claims 1-3, and the terahertz wave generator further includes an acousto-optic device, which is configured corresponding to the high-efficiency terahertz chip.

5. The terahertz wave generator according to claim 4, characterized in that, The terahertz wave generator also includes a mechanical piezoelectric device, which is configured to correspond to the high-efficiency terahertz chip.

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