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An ultrawide-bandwidth single-sideband modulator for terahertz frequencies

Nature Photonics volume 10, pages 740–744 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

Wireless high-speed data communication using terahertz (THz) carrier frequencies is becoming reality with data rates beyond 100 Gbit s–1. Many of the mobile applications use internet access and require that THz wireless base stations are connected to a global network, such as the radio-over-fibre network. We present the realization of an ultrawide bandwidth THz optical single-sideband (OSSB) modulator for converting (free-space) THz signals to THz optical modulations with an increased spectral efficiency. THz OSSB will mitigate chromatic dispersion-induced propagation losses in optical fibres and support digital modulation schemes. We demonstrate THz OSSB for free-space radiation between 0.3 and 1.0 THz using a specially designed dichroic beamsplitter for signal and carrier, and a planar light-wave circuit with multimode interference structures. This arrangement of optical elements mimics the Hartley single-sideband modulator for electronics signals and accomplishes the required Hilbert transform without any frequency-dependent tuning element over an ultrawide THz spectrum.

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Figure 1: Experimental scheme for SSB generation.
Figure 2: Single-shot sideband spectra at 0.69 THz.
Figure 3: Visibility measurements.
Figure 4: The maximum observed visibility for OSSB generation at different THz frequencies.

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Acknowledgements

This work is part of the research programme of the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), which is part of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). FLARE is funded via the ‘Big Facilities’ programme of NWO. The authors gratefully thank the FELIX laboratory staff for their skilled support and A. Kimel for fruitful discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 7c, Nijmegen, 6525 ED, The Netherlands

    A. S. Meijer, G. Berden, D. D. Arslanov, M. Ozerov, R. T. Jongma & W. J. van der Zande

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  1. A. S. Meijer
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Contributions

A.S.M., G.B. and W.J.Z. conceived and designed the experiments. A.S.M. built the experimental set-up and performed all the measurements. D.D.A., M.O. and R.T.J. operated the THz free-electron laser (FLARE), the FLARE diagnostic tools and the upconversion spectrometer. A.S.M., R.T.J. and W.J.Z. analysed the experimental data. A.S.M. and W.J.Z. wrote the manuscript with contributions from G.B. and R.T.J.

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Correspondence to G. Berden.

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Meijer, A., Berden, G., Arslanov, D. et al. An ultrawide-bandwidth single-sideband modulator for terahertz frequencies. Nature Photon 10, 740–744 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2016.182

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