Design and characterization of terahertz-absorbing nano-laminates of dielectric and metal thin films

doi:10.1364/OE.18.014488

Design and characterization of terahertz-absorbing nano-laminates of dielectric and metal thin films

C. Bolakis, D. Grbovic, N. V. Lavrik, and G. Karunasiri »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 18, Issue 14, pp. 14488-14495 (2010)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.18.014488

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Abstract

A terahertz-absorbing thin-film stack, containing a dielectric Bragg reflector and a thin chromium metal film, was fabricated on a silicon substrate for applications in bi-material terahertz (THz) sensors. The Bragg reflector is to be used for optical readout of sensor deformation under THz illumination. The THz absorption characteristics of the thin-film composite were measured using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The absorption of the structure was calculated both analytically and by finite element modeling and the two approaches agreed well. Finite element modeling provides a convenient way to extract the amount of power dissipation in each layer and is used to quantify the THz absorption in the multi-layer stack. The calculation and the model were verified by experimentally characterizing the multi-layer stack in the 3-5 THz range. The measured and simulated absorption characteristics show a reasonably good agreement. It was found that the composite film absorbed about 20% of the incident THz power. The model was used to optimize the thickness of the chromium film for achieving high THz absorption and found that about 50% absorption can be achieved when film thickness is around 9 nm.

OCIS Codes
(300.1030) Spectroscopy : Absorption
(310.6860) Thin films : Thin films, optical properties
(040.2235) Detectors : Far infrared or terahertz

ToC Category:
Thin Films

History
Original Manuscript: May 10, 2010
Revised Manuscript: June 8, 2010
Manuscript Accepted: June 9, 2010
Published: June 22, 2010

Citation
C. Bolakis, D. Grbovic, N. V. Lavrik, and G. Karunasiri, "Design and characterization of terahertz-absorbing nano-laminates of dielectric and metal thin films," Opt. Express 18, 14488-14495 (2010)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-18-14-14488

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References

D. M. Mittleman, M. Gupta, R. Neelamani, R. G. Baraniuk, J. V. Rudd, and M. Koch, “Recent advances in terahertz imaging,” Appl. Phys. B 68(6), 1085–1094 (1999). [CrossRef]
R. M. Woodward, B. E. Cole, V. P. Wallace, R. J. Pye, D. D. Arnone, E. H. Linfield, and M. Pepper, “Terahertz pulse imaging in reflection geometry of human skin cancer and skin tissue,” Phys. Med. Biol. 47(21), 3853–3863 (2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
E. E. Orlova, R. C. Zhukavin, S. G. Pavlov, and V. N. Shastin, “Far-infrared active media based on shallow impurity state transitions in silicon,” Phys. Status Solidi, B Basic Res. 210(2), 859–863 (1998). [CrossRef]
Z. D. Taylor, R. S. Singh, E. R. Brown, J. E. Bjarnason, M. P. Hanson, and A. C. Gossard, “Analysis of Pulsed THz Imaging Using Optical Character Recognition,” IEEE Sens. J. 9(1), 3–8 (2009). [CrossRef]
S. Verghese, K. A. McIntosh, S. Calawa, W. F. Dinatale, E. K. Duerr, and K. A. Molvar, “Generation and detection of coherent terahertz waves using two photomixers,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 73(26), 3824 (1998). [CrossRef]
B. N. Behnken, “Real-Time Terahertz Imaging Using a Quantum Cascade Laser and Uncooled Microbolometer Focal Plane Array,” (NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA, 2008).
A. W. M. Lee, B. S. Williams, S. Kumar, Q. Hu, and J. L. Reno, “Real-time imaging using a 4.3-THz quantum cascade laser and a 320 x 240 microbolometer focal-plane array,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 18(13), 1415–1417 (2006). [CrossRef]
D. Grbovic, “Imaging by Detection of Infrared Photons using Arrays of Uncooled Micromechanical Detectors,” in Department of Physics and Astronomy(University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 2008).
D. Grbovic, and G. Karunasiri, “Fabrication of Bi-material MEMS detector arrays for THz imaging,” Proc. SPIE, (2009), p. 731108.
P. Lecaruyer, E. Maillart, M. Canva, and J. Rolland, “Generalization of the Rouard method to an absorbing thin-film stack and application to surface plasmon resonance,” Appl. Opt. 45(33), 8419–8423 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
J. I. Pankove, Optical processes in semiconductors (Dover Publications, 1975).
P. Lorrian, D. R. Corson, Electromagnetic Fields aand Waves, p.470 (W.H. Freeman & Company, 1970).
N. Laman and D. Grischkowsky, “Terahertz conductivity of thin metal films,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 93(5), 051105 (2008). [CrossRef]

Arnone, D. D.
Baraniuk, R. G.
Bjarnason, J. E.
Brown, E. R.
Calawa, S.
Canva, M.
Cole, B. E.
Dinatale, W. F.
Duerr, E. K.
Gossard, A. C.
Grischkowsky, D.
Gupta, M.
Hanson, M. P.
Hu, Q.
Koch, M.
Kumar, S.
Laman, N.
Lecaruyer, P.
Lee, A. W. M.
Linfield, E. H.
Maillart, E.
McIntosh, K. A.
Mittleman, D. M.
Molvar, K. A.
Neelamani, R.
Orlova, E. E.
Pavlov, S. G.
Pepper, M.
Pye, R. J.
Reno, J. L.
Rolland, J.
Rudd, J. V.
Shastin, V. N.
Singh, R. S.
Taylor, Z. D.
Verghese, S.
Wallace, V. P.
Williams, B. S.
Woodward, R. M.
Zhukavin, R. C.

Appl. Opt.

P. Lecaruyer, E. Maillart, M. Canva, and J. Rolland, “Generalization of the Rouard method to an absorbing thin-film stack and application to surface plasmon resonance,” Appl. Opt. 45(33), 8419–8423 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. B

D. M. Mittleman, M. Gupta, R. Neelamani, R. G. Baraniuk, J. V. Rudd, and M. Koch, “Recent advances in terahertz imaging,” Appl. Phys. B 68(6), 1085–1094 (1999). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

S. Verghese, K. A. McIntosh, S. Calawa, W. F. Dinatale, E. K. Duerr, and K. A. Molvar, “Generation and detection of coherent terahertz waves using two photomixers,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 73(26), 3824 (1998). [CrossRef]
N. Laman and D. Grischkowsky, “Terahertz conductivity of thin metal films,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 93(5), 051105 (2008). [CrossRef]

IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.

A. W. M. Lee, B. S. Williams, S. Kumar, Q. Hu, and J. L. Reno, “Real-time imaging using a 4.3-THz quantum cascade laser and a 320 x 240 microbolometer focal-plane array,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 18(13), 1415–1417 (2006). [CrossRef]

IEEE Sens. J.

Z. D. Taylor, R. S. Singh, E. R. Brown, J. E. Bjarnason, M. P. Hanson, and A. C. Gossard, “Analysis of Pulsed THz Imaging Using Optical Character Recognition,” IEEE Sens. J. 9(1), 3–8 (2009). [CrossRef]

Phys. Med. Biol.

R. M. Woodward, B. E. Cole, V. P. Wallace, R. J. Pye, D. D. Arnone, E. H. Linfield, and M. Pepper, “Terahertz pulse imaging in reflection geometry of human skin cancer and skin tissue,” Phys. Med. Biol. 47(21), 3853–3863 (2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Status Solidi, B Basic Res.

E. E. Orlova, R. C. Zhukavin, S. G. Pavlov, and V. N. Shastin, “Far-infrared active media based on shallow impurity state transitions in silicon,” Phys. Status Solidi, B Basic Res. 210(2), 859–863 (1998). [CrossRef]

Other

B. N. Behnken, “Real-Time Terahertz Imaging Using a Quantum Cascade Laser and Uncooled Microbolometer Focal Plane Array,” (NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA, 2008).
D. Grbovic, “Imaging by Detection of Infrared Photons using Arrays of Uncooled Micromechanical Detectors,” in Department of Physics and Astronomy(University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 2008).
D. Grbovic, and G. Karunasiri, “Fabrication of Bi-material MEMS detector arrays for THz imaging,” Proc. SPIE, (2009), p. 731108.
J. I. Pankove, Optical processes in semiconductors (Dover Publications, 1975).
P. Lorrian, D. R. Corson, Electromagnetic Fields aand Waves, p.470 (W.H. Freeman & Company, 1970).

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