All-silicon integrated THz harmonic source and receiver components for future active imaging modalities

Two different types of innovative all-silicon integrated THz harmonic source and receiver components potentially enabling new THz active imaging modalities are introduced. The first consists of a multiplier-chain based power source and a harmonic heterodyne 2×2 receiver array; both operating simultaneously at multiple harmonics in the 160-1000 GHz band and therefore enabling the multi-color imaging principle with a single TX/RX chip-set. The other is a programmable single-chip 4×4 source module operating at 519-536 GHz that addresses the global illumination concept with the spatially-extended source components. All are implemented in a SiGe HBT technology and integrated with silicon optics.