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Optically tunable millimeter‐wave attenuator based on layered structures
Author(s) -
Lee Sangil,
Kuga Yasuo,
Mullen Ruth Ann
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
microwave and optical technology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.304
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1098-2760
pISSN - 0895-2477
DOI - 10.1002/1098-2760(20001005)27:1<9::aid-mop4>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - attenuator (electronics) , wafer , materials science , microwave , optoelectronics , extremely high frequency , attenuation , dielectric , optics , telecommunications , engineering , physics
A new type of optically controllable, millimeter‐wave (MMW) attenuator based on high‐resistivity (high‐R) silicon (Si) wafers and a layered structure is developed. A high‐R float‐zone Si wafer is a lossless dielectric material at microwave frequency without optical excitation. When an Si wafer is optically excited, free carriers are generated, and the Si wafer becomes a lossy dielectric. This property is combined with a layered structure to develop a simple optically tunable MMW attenuator. A more than 20 dB attenuation with a 10% bandwidth of the center frequency is obtained at W‐band. The proposed structure is useful for developing low‐cost attenuators and switches in the MMW region. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 27: 9–13, 2000.