High-Sensitive Broadband Terahertz Detectors for Hyperspectral Imaging
摘要
Hyperspectral imaging is a robust technique combining imaging and spectroscopy with the purpose of identifying objects’ physical nature as well as their material components under illumination simultaneously. It requires broad spectral mapping for the same spatial area. In the terahertz (THz) frequency range, many materials exhibit a distinctive transmissivity, resulting in unique fingerprints. Therefore, hyperspectral terahertz imaging finds a wide range of applications in bio-medical, surveillance, and other industrial applications. To perform hyperspectral imaging, a receiver capable of detecting a broad bandwidth is required. For receivers at terahertz wavelengths, a high sensitivity is essential to compensate for significant path losses and to maintain a large detection range. Here, we report on the development of high-sensitive broadband detectors designed using SiGe BiCMOS 130-nm technology. The antenna-coupled detector exhibits a minimum noise equivalent power (NEP) of 20 pW/√Hz and a corresponding maximum responsivity of 1.2 kV/W at 390 GHz with a broad detection 10-dB bandwidth of 510 GHz from 190 to 690 GHz. An active see-through imaging is demonstrated by raster scanning an object placed 0.5 m away from the detector in a collimated beam path with no external focusing optics.