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Discrete Terahertz Beam Steering with an Electrically Controlled Liquid Crystal Device

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Abstract

We present an electronic beam switching/steering device for operation at THz frequencies. The propagation direction of the THz beam is switched via electronic manipulation of the refractive index of a liquid crystal. The design of the steering device and the parameters of the liquid crystal are described and angle-dependent THz-TDS measurements of the beam steering are reported. This device is able to deflect the propagation direction of the THz beam by 6.3 °. This particular device approach offers a viable option for beam steering/switching in various THz applications including fiber switches, scanning imagers, and free-space communication systems in which the detector or emitter is in motion.

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Acknowledgments

Benedikt Scherger acknowledges financial support from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. Nico Vieweg likes to express his appreciation to the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fachbereich Physik, Philipps Universität Marburg, Renthof 5, 35032, Marburg, Germany

    Benedikt Scherger, Marco Reuter, Maik Scheller, Kristian Altmann, Nico Vieweg & Martin Koch

  2. Institute of Chemistry, Military University of Technology, 00-908, Warsaw, Poland

    Roman Dabrowski

  3. Department of Physics, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA

    Jason A. Deibel

Authors
  1. Benedikt Scherger
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  2. Marco Reuter
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Correspondence to Benedikt Scherger.

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Scherger, B., Reuter, M., Scheller, M. et al. Discrete Terahertz Beam Steering with an Electrically Controlled Liquid Crystal Device. J Infrared Milli Terahz Waves 33, 1117–1122 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10762-012-9927-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10762-012-9927-5

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