title: Kinetic inductance driven nanoscale 2D and 3D THz transmission lines.
abstract: We examine the unusual dispersion and attenuation of transverse electromagnetic waves in the few-THz regime on nanoscale graphene and copper transmission lines. Conventionally, such propagation has been considered to be highly dispersive, due to the RC time constant-driven voltage diffusion below 1 THz and plasmonic effects at higher optical frequencies. Our numerical modeling across the microwave, THz, and optical frequency ranges reveals that the conductor kinetic inductance creates an ultra-broadband linear-dispersion and constant-attenuation region in the THz regime. This so-called LC region is an ideal characteristic that is known to be absent in macro-scale transmission lines. The kinetic-LC frequency range is dictated by the structural dimensionality and the free-carrier scattering rate of the conductor material. Moreover, up to 40x wavelength reduction is observed in graphene transmission lines.
authors.affiliation: Microelectronics Research Center, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78758 USA.
authors.forename: S Hossein
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.affiliation: Microelectronics Research Center, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78758 USA.
authors.forename: Ian A D
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.affiliation: Microelectronics Research Center, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78758 USA.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang