Terahertz reflectarray as a polarizing beam splitter

Opt Express. 2014 Jun 30;22(13):16148-60. doi: 10.1364/OE.22.016148.

Abstract

A reflectarray is designed and demonstrated experimentally for polarization-dependent beam splitting at 1 THz. This reflective component is composed of two sets of orthogonal strip dipoles arranged into interlaced triangular lattices over a ground plane. By varying the length and width of the dipoles a polarization-dependent localized phase change is achieved on reflection, allowing periodic subarrays with a desired progressive phase distribution. Both the simulated field distributions and the measurement results from a fabricated sample verify the validity of the proposed concept. The designed terahertz reflectarray can efficiently separate the two polarization components of a normally incident wave towards different predesigned directions of ±30°. Furthermore, the measured radiation patterns show excellent polarization purity, with a cross-polarization level below -27 dB. The designed reflectarray could be applied as a polarizing beam splitter for polarization-sensitive terahertz imaging or for emerging terahertz communications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't