LIGHT-OPERATED ADJUSTABLE TERAHERTZ WAVE ATTENUATOR AND USE METHOD THEREOF

Abstract

The present invention discloses a light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator. The attenuator includes a silicon base-silicon base-vanadium oxide thin film, a laser emitter and a spherical collimating lens, wherein the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film is vertical to a terahertz beam direction, the laser emitter is arranged on one side of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film, the laser emitter is connected with the collimator, the laser emitted from the laser emitter is emitted from the collimator and irradiates on a film surface of the silicon based-vanadium oxide thin film, and the spots of the laser irradiating on the film surface of the silicon based-vanadium oxide thin film completely cover the transmitted terahertz wave spots. The present invention further discloses a use method of the light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator.

Claims

1. A light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator, comprising a silicon base-silicon base-vanadium oxide thin film, a laser emitter and a spherical collimating lens, wherein the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film is vertical to a terahertz beam direction, the laser emitter is arranged on one side of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film, the laser emitter is connected with the collimator, the laser emitted from the laser emitter is emitted from the collimator and irradiates on a film surface of the silicon based-vanadium oxide thin film, and the spots of the laser irradiating on the film surface of the silicon based-vanadium oxide thin film completely cover the transmitted terahertz wave spots.

2. The light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 1, wherein an included angle formed by the laser emitter and the normal direction of the film surface of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film is within a range of 20°-35°.

3. The light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 2, wherein the included angle formed by the laser emitter and the normal direction of the film surface of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film is 30°.

4. The light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 1, wherein the substrate of the silicon based-vanadium oxide thin film is high-resistance silicon, and the thickness is 50-800 nm.

5. The light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 1, wherein the laser emitter is a continuous laser or a pulse laser or a laser diode.

6. The light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 5, wherein the working wavelength of the laser emitter is within a range of 400-1550 nm, and the output light power is continuously adjustable between 0-2 W.

7. The light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 1, wherein the collimator is a spherical lens or a self-focusing lens.

8. The light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 1, further comprising a laser absorber, wherein the laser absorber is arranged on a laser reflection path for shielding and absorbing reflected laser.

9. The light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 8, wherein the laser absorber is a black metal plate or a laser attenuation piece.

10. A use method of the light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 1, wherein the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film is adjusted to generate a semiconductor-metal phase transition process by controlling the emission light power of the laser emitter, so that the absorptivity of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film to the terahertz waves changes, and the decrements of the terahertz waves are adjusted.

11. The use method of the light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 2, wherein the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film is adjusted to generate a semiconductor-metal phase transition process by controlling the emission light power of the laser emitter, so that the absorptivity of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film to the terahertz waves changes, and the decrements of the terahertz waves are adjusted.

12. The use method of the light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 3, wherein the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film is adjusted to generate a semiconductor-metal phase transition process by controlling the emission light power of the laser emitter, so that the absorptivity of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film to the terahertz waves changes, and the decrements of the terahertz waves are adjusted.

13. The use method of the light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 4, wherein the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film is adjusted to generate a semiconductor-metal phase transition process by controlling the emission light power of the laser emitter, so that the absorptivity of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film to the terahertz waves changes, and the decrements of the terahertz waves are adjusted.

14. The use method of the light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 5, wherein the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film is adjusted to generate a semiconductor-metal phase transition process by controlling the emission light power of the laser emitter, so that the absorptivity of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film to the terahertz waves changes, and the decrements of the terahertz waves are adjusted.

15. The use method of the light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 6, wherein the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film is adjusted to generate a semiconductor-metal phase transition process by controlling the emission light power of the laser emitter, so that the absorptivity of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film to the terahertz waves changes, and the decrements of the terahertz waves are adjusted.

16. The use method of the light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 7, wherein the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film is adjusted to generate a semiconductor-metal phase transition process by controlling the emission light power of the laser emitter, so that the absorptivity of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film to the terahertz waves changes, and the decrements of the terahertz waves are adjusted.

17. The use method of the light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 8, wherein the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film is adjusted to generate a semiconductor-metal phase transition process by controlling the emission light power of the laser emitter, so that the absorptivity of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film to the terahertz waves changes, and the decrements of the terahertz waves are adjusted.

18. The use method of the light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator of claim 9, wherein the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film is adjusted to generate a semiconductor-metal phase transition process by controlling the emission light power of the laser emitter, so that the absorptivity of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film to the terahertz waves changes, and the decrements of the terahertz waves are adjusted.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 2 is an attenuation-light power response curve of a light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The present invention will be described below in detail in combination with the drawings.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the embodiment of the present invention provides a light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator, including a silicon base-silicon base-vanadium oxide thin film 1, a laser emitter 2, a spherical collimating lens 3 and a laser absorber 4.

[0019] The laser emitter 2 is connected with the collimator 3, the laser emitted from the laser emitter 2 is emitted from the spherical collimating lens 3 and irradiates on the silicon based-vanadium oxide thin film 1, an included angle of a laser emission direction of the laser emitter 2 and the normal direction of a film surface of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film 1 is 30°, moreover the spots of the laser irradiating on the film surface of the silicon based-vanadium dioxide thin film 1 can be guaranteed to completely cover the transmitted terahertz wave spots, and the laser absorber 4 is arranged on a laser reflection light path.

[0020] The use method of the light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator is as follows: the light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator is placed in terahertz waves, the terahertz waves vertically penetrate through the silicon based-vanadium oxide thin film 1, and the projections of the terahertz wave spots on the silicon based-vanadium oxide thin film 1 can be completely covered by the projection spots of laser beams emitted by the laser emitter 2 on the silicon based-vanadium oxide thin film 3. When no laser is emitted from the laser emitter 2, the silicon based-vanadium oxide thin film 1 does not absorb the terahertz waves, which is expressed as fixed insertion loss, when laser is emitted from the laser emitter 2, semiconductor-metal phase transition occurs on an area irradiated by the laser of the silicon based-vanadium oxide thin film 1, free electrons are generated in the thin film to absorb the penetrating terahertz waves so as to achieve an attenuation function of the terahertz waves.

[0021] The higher the output light power of the laser emitter 2 is, the higher the concentration of the free electrons in the silicon based-vanadium oxide thin film 1 is, the stronger the absorption of the terahertz waves is, and the attenuation characteristics of the terahertz waves are adjusted by controlling the output light power of the laser emitter 2. On the laser reflection light path, the laser absorber 4 shields and absorbs the reflected laser so as to avoid harm to human eyes.

[0022] FIG. 2 is an attenuation-light power response curve of the above-mentioned embodiment. As shown in the figure, the attenuation of the terahertz waves can be adjusted within a range of 0-19 dB by controlling the output light power of the laser emitter 2.

[0023] The embodiment is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention, and any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements and the like made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0024] The light-operated adjustable terahertz wave attenuator and the use method thereof can be used in electronic systems or optical systems, and can be specifically used in nondestructive testing, security inspection, medical diagnosis, imaging, radar, communication, astronomy, and any possible technical solutions in accordance with the present invention may be manufactured or used industrially.