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THz Propagation and Related Topics

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Introduction to Terahertz Electronics

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Abstract

THz waves generated by signal sources (topic in Chap. 2) will be detected by detectors (topic in Chap. 3) after propagating through a medium. In this chapter, the propagation of THz waves and related topics will be discussed. A popular propagation method in the lower frequency ranges, such as RF and microwave, is through coaxial cables. However, the loss will grow with frequency, and it will reach a point where it become prohibitively large for practical uses. Beyond such a point, various types of waveguides, most notably the metallic rectangular waveguides, will be better suited for the propagation of electromagnetic waves. Nevertheless, they also have their own loss-dominated frequency upper limit. The favorable solution beyond this limit would be the propagation through free space, guided by optical components such as lenses and mirrors. The THz band is situated across the region that prefers the propagation through the waveguides or free space. The two propagation schemes will be the main topics in this chapter and described as individual sections. In the case of propagation through free space, usually in the form of Gaussian beam, a device that converts guided waves (or AC signal) to radiated electromagnetic waves (and vice versa) will be needed. The device, or antenna, will be also treated in this chapter as a separate section with focus on its THz application.

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    Jae-Sung Rieh

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Rieh, JS. (2021). THz Propagation and Related Topics. In: Introduction to Terahertz Electronics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51842-4_4

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