A New Generation of Room-Temperature Frequency-Multiplied Sources With up to 10× Higher Output Power in the 160-GHz–1.6-THz Range

We report on the design, fabrication, and testing of a new generation of all-solid-state frequency-multiplied terahertz sources providing up to ten times more output power at room temperature than the previous state of the art. These new sources benefit from both a novel “on-chip” power combined topology recently introduced and new devices and circuits thoroughly optimized for high-power operation. Prototypes centered at 180 GHz, 240 GHz, 340 GHz, 530 GHz, 1 THz, and 1.6 THz have been designed, fabricated, and tested. All sources exhibit record performances with conversion efficiencies reaching the theoretical limit predicted by physics-based numerical models. Measured nominal room-temperature output power levels are 500 mW at 180 GHz, 110 mW at 220 GHz, 35 mW at 330 GHz, 30 mW at 550 GHz, 2 mW at 1.03 THz, and 0.7 mW at 1.64 THz.