Tunable multi-channel terahertz wave power splitter

The combination of terahertz technology and photonic crystal provides a new approach to realize compact terahertz wave devices. Relying on a conventional photonic crystal waveguide and photonic crystal surface-mode waveguides, a tunable multi-channel terahertz-wave power splitter is proposed. The mechanism of such a power splitter is further theoretically analyzed and numerically investigated with the aid of the plane-wave-expansion method and the finite-difference time-domain method. With an appropriate design, the proposed device can split the input terahertz wave energy equally into six output ports at the frequency of 0.6 THz. When changing the external magnetic field, the input terahertz wave can be equally divided into four output ports with the aid of a magnetic-sensitive material. Furthermore, the present device is very compact and the total size is of 4.4 x 6.0 mm(2). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.