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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/K86480/01
Title: SEMICONDUCTOR LASER TERAHERTZ FREQUENCY CONVERTERS
Principal Investigator: Marsh, Professor JH
Other Investigators:
Arnold, Professor J Ironside, Professor CN Thayne, Dr I
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Electronics and Electrical Engineering
Organisation: University of Glasgow
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 December 1996 Ends: 31 May 2000 Value (£): 331,276
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Optoelect. Devices & Circuits
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Signal generation and frequency conversion (mixing), along with amplification and detection are basic functions of electronics. In this application, we propose to develop mode-locked semiconductor laser based sources and frequency converters with THz bandwidth capability. The key to utilising such ultra-high frequencies is firstly being able to generate Hz frequency local oscillator (LO) and to then use the LO signal in a mixer. Two types of mixer will be studied; optoelectronic mixing within the laser diode itself, and GaAs schottky diode mixers, the latter in collaboration with Professor Gordon Peckham at Herriot-Watt University whose group has a need for local oscillators foe use in satellite radiometers in the frequency range 700ghz to 2.5 Hz. In both types of mixer the LO will supplied by a mode-locked, or harmonically mode-locked, semiconductor laser. To be truly practical, a Hz frequency source must generate a stable output with a narrow linewidth (<100kHz). To produce such semiconductor laser based sources, we intend to study linewidth narrowing techniques using both sub-harmonic locking to an electrical microwave signal and harmonic locking to an injected optical signal. In addition, devices will be supplied to St Andrews University where they will be st7udied using a sub-millimetre wave spectrometer. The programme will be driven by establishing the use of mm-wave laser diodes in radiometers for atmospheric sensing. Understanding the environment has an impact on the entire population. The devices would also have many other applications in the microwave field including the aerospace industry, the defence industry and the automotive industry. At the lower frequency range ( around 60 Ghz) the devices could be used in fibre-radio and microwave interfaces for communications. Another major group of beneficiaries, at the high frequency end of the proposed programme, would be radio astronomers.
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Organisation Website: http://www.gla.ac.uk