Broadband Terahertz Dielectric Rod Antenna Array with Integrated Half-Maxwell Fisheye Lens

Abstract

The terahertz range has significant potential for high data rate wireless communications, due to large, underutilized spectral bandwidth. The exploitation of that potential is being enhanced by novel devices implemented using all-silicon micro-scale photonic techniques. Here, we show the design of a dielectric rod array antenna that employs integrated gradient-index optics to enhance antenna gain in 300-GHz band. The antenna is fed with a monolithically integrated, specialized broadband photonic crystal waveguide. Numerical and experimental characterization demonstrate over 120 GHz bandwidth with ~20 dBi antenna gain. As a practical demonstration, we utilize this antenna in the terahertz wireless transmission. We achieve error-free communication at 16 Gbit/s and uncompressed 4K video transmission.