title: Low-cost ultra-thin broadband terahertz beam-splitter.
abstract: A low-cost terahertz beam-splitter is fabricated using ultra-thin LDPE plastic sheeting coated with a conducting silver layer. The beam splitting ratio is determined as a function of the thickness of the silver layer--thus any required splitting ratio can be printed on demand with a suitable rapid prototyping technology. The low-cost aspect is a consequence of the fact that ultra-thin LDPE sheeting is readily obtainable, known more commonly as domestic plastic wrap or cling wrap. The proposed beam-splitter has numerous advantages over float zone silicon wafers commonly used within the terahertz frequency range. These advantages include low-cost, ease of handling, ultra-thin thickness, and any required beam splitting ratio can be readily fabricated. Furthermore, as the beam-splitter is ultra-thin, it presents low loss and does not suffer from Fabry-Pérot effects. Measurements performed on manufactured prototypes with different splitting ratios demonstrate a good agreement with our theoretical model in both P and S polarizations, exhibiting nearly frequency-independent splitting ratios in the terahertz frequency range.
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, The University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia. bung@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au
authors.forename: Benjamin S-Y
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Ung
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fumeaux
authors.forename: Hungyen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Bernd M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Brian W-H
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abbott
mesh_terms: D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007368:Interferometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D055053:Terahertz Radiation