California Institute of Technology

Sofia Rahiminejad

Goutam Chattopadhyay

Choonsup Lee

Cecile D Jung-Kubiak

Robert H Lin

Theodore J Reck

Jacob W Kooi

Subash Khanal

Maria A Del Pino

Sven L Van Berkel

A waveguide based variable attenuator device including one or more attenuators each including a porous dielectric material; and a metal coating on the top of the dielectric material; and an actuator coupled to the attenuator. The actuator is configured to position, with nanometer resolution, the one or more attenuators in a waveguide configured and dimensioned to guide an electromagnetic wave having a frequency in a range of 100 gigahertz (GHz) to 1 terahertz (THz). The actuator controls at least one of a position or a volume of the one attenuator inserted in the waveguide to achieve a variable or pre-determined attenuation of the electromagnetic wave transmitted through waveguide.

Waveguide based submillimmeter-wave and terahertz variable attenuator

Low-loss terahertz switches with nanometer resolution positioning and feedback are disclosed. In one embodiment, the switch uses a U-bend waveguide surrounded by an electromagnetic band gap and is implemented in a fully metal-machined fashion in combination with a piezo-electric motor and an optical linear encoder. In another embodiment, the switch comprises a MEMS device.

Terahertz waveguide switches

A phase shifter comprising an actuator coupled to a dielectric. When the dielectric is inserted into the waveguide in response to actuation by the actuator, the phase velocity of the incoming electromagnetic wave is decreased, resulting in a phase shift of the electromagnetic wave. A desired phase shift and a low insertion loss can be controlled by positioning of the dielectric and engineering the permittivity of the dielectric.

Low loss microelectromechanical system (MEMS) phase shifter

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Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Sofia Rahiminejad