David A. Sweigart, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Physics, UMBC
L. Michael Hayden, Professor, Department of Physics, UMBC
We designed and simulated a waveguide device at terahertz (THz) frequencies using a finite element method implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics. By applying the governing physical equations, THz generation was simulated for a laser pulse travelling through the nonlinear core of a five-layer structure. The effect of multiple device properties on the efficiency and bandwidth of the THz radiation was investigated to find the optimal configuration. This research was designed to optimize the structural and material properties of a THz waveguide device before it is built in the laboratory. Currently, conventional metal and dielectric waveguides are not able to transport THz radiation over long distances due to high losses in this frequency regime. Therefore, our results attempt to determine how to construct an effective THz waveguide for a broad range of applications such as security imaging.