The THz region is a burgeoning field of research with applications in spectroscopy, integrated circuit fabrication, bio-medicine, and communications. Until recently, the THz region was largely unexplored, mainly due to the technical difficulties involved in making efficient and compact sources and detectors. As these challenges are addressed, the focus of research has shifted to practical applications, such as sensing and imaging. The focus of this thesis is to investigate the characterization of parallel plate waveguide multimode propagation and periodically notched resonant structures for use in sensing and material parameter extraction applications. Broadband and narrowband measurements are presented and analyzed. Measurements are compared to finite difference time domain simulations and analytic solutions that use a Fourier transform mode-matching technique. Agreement is observed between simulation and measurement of radiation patterns. Weighted estimates of individual mode analytic solutions produce equivalent radiation patterns, which allows insight into the energy coupled into each respective mode. Results show that higher order modes contribute both a greater conductive attenuation and higher coupling loss. Agreement is also observed between measurements and simulated single and periodically notched resonant structures. Results demonstrate shifting of the resonant peak with respect to changes in plate separation for the periodically notched structure. For the single notch resonator, simulations indicate the resonant peak is dependent on notch depth until the depth-to-width ratio is greater than two. This work demonstrates that multimode propagation can be identified and the amount of energy coupled into each mode may be estimated using radiation patterns. Experiments using quasi-optical time domain spectroscopic and continuous wave vector network analyzer systems in the THz region have been demonstrated. Finite difference time domain simulations have validated measurements on both systems. The results presented will advance the field of THz research by aiding in the design and analysis of sensing and material parameter extraction systems
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:pdx.edu/oai:pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu:open_access_etds-1866 |
| Date | 01 January 2012 |
| Creators | Higgins, James Alexander |
| Publisher | PDXScholar |
| Source Sets | Portland State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Dissertations and Theses |
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