Submillimeter Devices
Our growing capabilities allow us to peer into the early universe, study comets to discover where Earth’s water came from, keep us secure at airports with fast terahertz scanning, and ensure exciting future missions to Venus and the outer planets.
The Submillimeter-Wave Advanced Technology Group’s focus is developing components and technologies to enable spaceborne instruments based on high-resolution heterodyne spectrometers for Earth remote sensing missions, planetary missions, and astrophysics observatories. The group’s technical expertise is also utilized for ground-based applications spun off from heterodyne receiver technologies. Heterodyne technology allows mapping and detection of unique molecular signatures with very high spectral resolution over a wide range of wavelengths. JPL/NASA has been the traditional leader in this field owing to its wide applicability for astrophysics and Earth remote sensing. Next-generation technology development will allow us to build and deploy compact, submillimeter-wave receivers that are ideally suited for planetary missions.
Current Projects
Compact Submillimeter Spectrometers
MDL is developing devices that could quantitatively determine the presence of water molecules for future missions to the outer planets.
(HEB)-based Mixers
(HEB)–based mixers enable detection of very faint signals, making them a valuable tool for astrophysics research.
Radiometer-On-A-Chip
A concerted effort is underway to develop technology that can allow us to build compact array receivers.
Micromachining of THz Components
Submillimeter heterodyne instruments play a critical role in addressing fundamental questions regarding the evolution of galaxies and interstellar clouds…
Solid-state Coherent Source
We have demonstrated a continuous wave (CW) coherent source covering 2.48–2.75 THz…
670 GHz Integrated Planar Mixers
JPL, in collaboration with Northrop Grumman, is developing planar GaAs-based mixers and multipliers…
Compact Submillimeter-Wave Sources
A two-chip power-combined tripler working across the 260–340-GHz band has been demonstrated…
Schottky Diode Mixers
GaAs planar Schottky diode mixers based on a membrane diode process have been used to make mixer topologies in the 400–600-GHz range…
SIS Receivers
MDL is developing SIS Receivers for the study of Global Atmospheric Chemistry…
DRIE Technology
JPL is using (DRIE)-based silicon micromachining for the fabrication of submillimeter-wave components…