title: Modulated scattering technique in the terahertz domain enabled by current actuated vanadium dioxide switches.
abstract: The modulated scattering technique is based on the use of reconfigurable electromagnetic scatterers, structures able to scatter and modulate an impinging electromagnetic field in function of a control signal. The modulated scattering technique is used in a wide range of frequencies up to millimeter waves for various applications, such as field mapping of circuits or antennas, radio-frequency identification devices and imaging applications. However, its implementation in the terahertz domain remains challenging. Here, we describe the design and experimental demonstration of the modulated scattering technique at terahertz frequencies. We characterize a modulated scatterer consisting in a bowtie antenna loaded with a vanadium dioxide switch, actuated using a continuous current. The modulated scatterer behavior is demonstrated using a time domain terahertz spectroscopy setup and shows significant signal strength well above 0.5 THz, which makes this device a promising candidate for the development of fast and energy-efficient THz communication devices and imaging systems. Moreover, our experiments allowed us to verify the operation of a single micro-meter sized VO2switch at terahertz frequencies, thanks to the coupling provided by the antenna.
authors.affiliation: EPFL, Nanoelectronic Devices Laboratory (NanoLab), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.affiliation: EPFL, Laboratory of Electromagnetics and Antennas (LEMA), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamagnone
authors.affiliation: INRS-Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, 1650 Boulevard Lionel Boulet, Varennes, Québec J3X 1S2, Canada.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Émond
authors.affiliation: INRS-Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, 1650 Boulevard Lionel Boulet, Varennes, Québec J3X 1S2, Canada.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Le Drogoff
authors.affiliation: EPFL, Laboratory of Electromagnetics and Antennas (LEMA), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Capdevila
authors.affiliation: EPFL, Laboratory of Electromagnetics and Antennas (LEMA), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skrivervik
authors.affiliation: INRS-Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, 1650 Boulevard Lionel Boulet, Varennes, Québec J3X 1S2, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaker
authors.affiliation: EPFL, Laboratory of Electromagnetics and Antennas (LEMA), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mosig
authors.affiliation: EPFL, Nanoelectronic Devices Laboratory (NanoLab), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ionescu