Metal Mesh Filters for Terahertz Receivers, Phase I

The best low-noise receiver solutions for frequencies above about 800 GHz rely on either a low-noise bolometric direct detector or a hot electron bolometric mixer. These receivers yield near quantum limited noise performance and have ultra broad signal bandwidth [ , , ]. However, due to their extreme sensitivity and inherently broad bandwidth the receivers are very sensitive to stray radiation. For direct detectors an input filter is required to define the receiver's frequency band and reject out of band energy. In the case of a heterodyne receiver, the signal band is defined by the back-end electronics, however, input filters are required to eliminate stray radiation that can saturate the mixer or create signal artifacts that degrade performance and prevent accurate calibration. Through this SBIR project VDI proposes to create a new generation of high performance and cost effective metal mesh filters for terahertz receivers based on innovative filter designs and fabrication techniques. These new technologies will allow the development of cost-effective and practical filters with the range of characteristics required for NASA's terahertz frequency space science and Earth science remote sensing programs.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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