Broadband terahertz polarizers with ideal performance based on aligned carbon nanotube stacks

Lei Ren; Cary L Pint; Takashi Arikawa; Kei Takeya; Iwao Kawayama; Masayoshi Tonouchi; Robert H Hauge; Junichiro Kono

doi:10.1021/nl203783q

Broadband terahertz polarizers with ideal performance based on aligned carbon nanotube stacks

Nano Lett. 2012 Feb 8;12(2):787-90. doi: 10.1021/nl203783q. Epub 2012 Jan 30.

Authors

Lei Ren¹, Cary L Pint, Takashi Arikawa, Kei Takeya, Iwao Kawayama, Masayoshi Tonouchi, Robert H Hauge, Junichiro Kono

Affiliation

¹ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA.

PMID: 22268490
DOI: 10.1021/nl203783q

Abstract

We demonstrate a terahertz polarizer built with stacks of aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) exhibiting ideal broadband terahertz properties: 99.9% degree of polarization and extinction ratios of 10(-3) (or 30 dB) from ~0.4 to 2.2 THz. Compared to structurally tuned and fragile wire-grid systems, the performance in these polarizers is driven by the inherent anistropic absorption of SWCNTs that enables a physically robust structure. Supported by a scalable dry contact-transfer approach, these SWCNT-based polarizers are ideal for emerging terahertz applications.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Anisotropy
Membranes, Artificial
Nanotubes, Carbon / chemistry*
Optical Devices*
Particle Size
Surface Properties
Terahertz Spectroscopy

Substances

Membranes, Artificial
Nanotubes, Carbon