ABSTRACT
This chapter describes electronic circuit techniques for THz-frequency signal generation and utilization. It presents a traveling wave-based frequency multiplication method. The chapter discusses some reflection sensing microwave front-end topologies. It describes the high-level system integration and calibration. THz sensing technologies, though, provide unique opportunities for a variety of emerging medical and consumer applications, such as cancer detection, detection of biological and chemical hazardous agents, security, wideband high-speed communications, and radioastronomy. Most existing systems employ laser-based bulky optical THz signal generation techniques as well as large-scale high-accuracy focusing lenses that may not lend themselves to low-cost products. The digital data represent the amount of reflection through the sensing surface. The gain in the programmable gain amplifier (PGA) stage can be adjusted to yield the best dynamic range for a particular sensing surface. The traveling wave-based frequency multiplication method was introduced as an alternative way of generating THz signals using silicon-based standard IC production technologies.
