Design, modeling, and characterization of innovative terahertz detectors

This PhD thesis aims to establish an electromagnetic modeling of the bolometer at terahertz (THz) range that can facilitate the design of the detector from the uncooled infrared bolometer technology. The envisaged application for the detectors lies in active THz imaging at room temperature. We have studied the optical coupling of a THz antenna-coupled bolometer operating in the range 1 - 5 THz. Simulations in receiving and transmitting modes have been performed to study the optical characteristics of the bolometer. The combination of these two simulation types leads to a powerful toolset to design terahertz bolometers. For the experimental aspect, measurements have been performed by using Fourier-transform technique to study experimentally the electromagnetic behavior of the bolometer. They are measurement of reflectivity of the focal plane array's surface and spectral response measurement. The results of measurement were found to be in good agreement with the simulation. The understanding from the study in this PhD helps us make improvement to the actual detector. Also the design of bolometer for low frequency (850 GHz) has been proposed. This leads to a perspective of using bolometer for terahertz imaging at the frequency where many characteristic of the terahertz radiation are favorable for imaging application.