Recent Developments of Terahertz Mixers and Analyzers at Virginia Diodes

Speaker:  Dr. Jeffrey L. Hesler (Virginia Diode)

Host: MICS

Date: November 7 (Friday), 2014
Time: 3 PM - 4 PM
Location: Whittemore 654 (6th Floor Conference Room)

Abstract:

Terahertz technology is an emerging field that has a wide range of applications ranging from scientific applications such as astronomy, molecular specroscopy and fusion plasma diagnostics, to newly developing commercial applications including communications and imaging. The talk will focus on two recent THz projects at Virginia Diodes (VDI). First, the talk will describe the development of a 1.46 THz Schottky diode receiver for use in astronomical measurements at the South Pole. The basic technology of the receiver and the system development at VDI will be described. The receiver is now being successfully used at the South Pole for observations by researchers from the University of Arizona. Second, the talk will describe recent developments in THz material-measurements. A 1.1 THz vector network analyzer was used with a quasi-optical setup to characterize dielectric materials. The THz extender hardware, the calibration algorithm and measurement results using the system will be presented.

Speaker:

Jeffrey L. Hesler is the Chief Technology Officer of Virginia Diodes and a Visiting Research Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia. His career is focused on the creation of new technologies that are making possible the full exploitation of the Terahertz frequency band for scientific, defense and industrial applications. He has published over 125 technical papers in refereed international conferences and journals, given talks at THz-focused workshops at conferences such as IMS & EuMW, and serves as a reviewer for a variety of IEEE & IEE journals. Dr. Hesler is also the Secretary of the IEEE P1785 Workgroup on Waveguides for Millimeter and Sub-Millimeter Wavelengths.