Terahertz generation by optically injected semiconductor laser for radar and communication applications

Abstract

A frequency-tunable terahertz (THz) wave generation scheme based on an optically injected semiconductor laser is proposed for radar and communication applications. The THz generator has a very simple structure, and it is demonstrated to have a broad tuning range of 0.1–3.257 THz, which is realised by adjusting the detuning frequency and injection strength of the semiconductor laser. Feasibility of the proposed THz generator is verified by a THz wireless communication experiment, in which error-free transmission of 150 Mbit/s on–off keying pseudorandom bit sequence signals with a 115-GHz carrier is achieved over a 1-meter free-space link.

Keywords

• optical fibre communication
• microwave photonics
• semiconductor lasers
• laser tuning
• optical modulation
• random sequences
• optically injected semiconductor laser
• radar
• communication applications
• thz generator
• detuning frequency
• injection strength
• thz wireless communication experiment
• terahertz generation
• frequency-tunable terahertz
• wave generation scheme
• bit rate 150.0 mbit/s
• frequency 0.1 thz to 3.257 thz