Dynamic terahertz switching device comprising sub-wavelength corrugated waveguides and cavity that utilizes resonance and absorption for attaining on and off states

Abstract

A terahertz (THz) switch consisting of perfect conductor metamaterials is discussed in this invention. Specifically, we have built a THz logic block by combining two double-sided corrugated waveguides capable of slowing down the electromagnetic waves in the THz regime with a sub-wavelength cavity, having one or more grooves with shorter height than the grooves of the periodic corrugated waveguide. This new type of THz structure is called as the waveguide-cavity-waveguide (WCW). The new invention is based on our mathematical modeling and experimentation that confirms a strong electromagnetic field accumulation inside the tiny cavity which can confine EM field for a long time within a very small effective volume (V) to provide high quality (Q) factor. Therefore, an efficient THz switch can be designed to achieve ON-OFF switching functionality by modulating the refractive index n or extinction coefficient α inside the switching junction. The dimensions of the periodic structure and cavity can be optimized to apply the invention to slow-EM wave devices working at other frequencies in the EM spectrum including the microwave and outside the THz domain which is generally accepted as from 0.3 THz to 3 THz.