Open AccessTapered transmission lines for terahertz systems
Author(s) -
Robert Smith,
Walid Gomma,
Hadi Esmaeilsabzali,
T.E. Darcie
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.421008
Subject(s) - terahertz radiation , optics , transmission line , attenuation , transmission (telecommunications) , electric power transmission , characteristic impedance , materials science , line (geometry) , pulse shaping , physics , telecommunications , computer science , electrical engineering , laser , geometry , mathematics , engineering
Complex terahertz (THz) System-on-Chip (TSoC) circuits require ultra-wideband low-loss low-dispersion interconnections between building-block components of various dimensions and characteristics. Tapered transmission lines, which enable the gradual transformation of both physical dimensions and characteristic impedance, are a convenient basis for these interconnections. In this paper, we quantify both experimentally and through simulation, the efficacy of transmission-line tapers connecting two different coplanar-strip transmission-line configurations, for frequencies up to 2.0 THz and with 25 GHz spectral resolution. We demonstrate tapers that enable transitioning from a small device-constrained transmission-line dimension (10 μm line width) to a lower-loss (20-40 μm line width) dimension, as a method to reduce the overall attenuation, and outline design constraints for tapered sections that have minimal detrimental impact on THz pulse propagation.