TERASENSE considerably expands its line of tunable THz wave sources
Time flies! Five years have passed since the day TERASENSE proudly announced the release of its first tunable generator.At first there was only one tunable terahertz source (also called 'synthesizer') with a tunable range of 70-77 GHz (300mW), which was served to the general public as “Introducing tunability to Terasense IMPATT based THz generators”.
Later on, when we felt positive trend and increasingly growing interest, we released two more sources: 140-155GHz with an output power 100mW and 280-310GHz with output 30mW. All three are quite popular now.
However, pretty soon it became obvious that even three models were not able to satisfy the growing diversity of interests in various tunable sources mostly required by our scientific clientele. It prompted another round of tedious research & development efforts that were crowned with success.
Voila! We can proudly present again seven more modes of tunable generates ranging from 50-75GHz up to 330-500GHz. Take a look for yourself.
Characteristics of new tunable generators
The latter has output power of only a few milliwatts, but that stands to reason, as with frequency multiplication the output power tends to fade.
Just a quick recap for our fans. A tunable generator consists of two parts: a frequency synthesizer 2 - 20 GHz, connected via USB to a computer or a tablet, and an active frequency multiplier module. The multiplier module is connected to the frequency synthesizer via an SMA cable. The multiplier transfers frequency from the microwave range to the terahertz frequency range with a multiplication factor from x4 to x18.
We’d like to point out that in addition to a conventional optional add-on horn antenna, now we can offer one more stand-alone option to install a Faraday isolator (also known as Faraday valve) at the generator output. A Faraday microwave isolator is a special device used to block reflected waves. When connecting a strongly unmatched load to the generator output, the valve will simply absorb all the power reflected from it, isolating the generator output stages from a possible burnout. Its importance can hardly be overestimated, as we know how many clients simply ‘burned’ their frequency multiplier inside the generators simply due to reflecting an excessive amount of rf power. Now we and our customers can sigh with relief, as our devices have acquired an additional potent protection factor that makes them more durable and robust.
As usually, we expect an avalanche of inquiries after posting this news from our inquisitive admirers. So, don’t hesitate to contact Terasense for more information.
Your curiosity is more than welcome and will be rewarded!