Integrated THz time-domain spectrometer for space applications - Phase 2 (ITISA2)

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Michael Gensch; Professor Dr. Tobias Kampfrath; Professor Dr.-Ing. Dirk Plettemeier
• Subject Area: Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering ; Communication Technology and Networks, High-Frequency Technology and Photonic Systems, Signal Processing and Machine Learning for Information Technology ; Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 468511389

The ultimate goal of the ITISA project is to develop the first integrated terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) system for space applications. Our project will employ and further advance the following three very recent photonic developments. First, driven by their key role in frequency-comb technologies, appropriate femtosecond lasers are becoming space-ready, and have already been employed on satellites and sounding rockets. Second, one of the project partners has recently pioneered broadband spintronic THz emitters. These sources cover the entire range from 0.3 to 30 THz, which is a highly interesting frequency range for space missions. The polarization plane of the emitted THz waves can be rotated at kilohertz frequencies. Third, the fundamental building blocks of a THz-TDS system are meanwhile in principle all chip-integrable. In the first period of the priority program, we have, as proven by 9 publications and 1 patent arising from the project, very successfully developed and tested all building blocks for a THz system with a bandwidth ranging from 0.3 to 30 THz. Thereby, we have laid the foundations for the second period: We aim to develop a demonstrator for a specific use case, rover-based analytics of regolith on the Moon, up to a TRL of 6. The device will be operable without any moving parts. All building blocks and their underlying concepts fulfill the following features: (i) Photon-efficiency and compatibility with those femtosecond lasers that are currently developed for operation in space, (ii) matching of the requirements of space applications such as compactness, minimal weight, minimal power consumption, radiation hardness, robustness against temperature and vibrations, and (iii) integrability of all key components on a chip. We emphasize that the potential applications of our developments will significantly go beyond space applications. First, they will generally meet the requirements to operate on compact mobile devices (e.g., rovers or drones) under harsh conditions. Second, our advancement of most recent THz generation and detection concepts is beneficial for the whole field of THz TDS. The project team consists of three ideally suited groups with a complementary background in physics and engineering sciences. They have an excellent track record in the development of THz instrumentation and join their specific expertise to reach the goals of the ITISA project. Two of the groups have a heritage in instrumentation development for space applications. A cooperating commercial enterprise develops compact, femtosecond fiber lasers for application under particularly harsh conditions on middle-earth orbit satellites and will provide fiber lasers on loan to the project. The developers of two rover platforms support the project and are strongly interested to test our demonstrator device. Our interdisciplinary consortium, thus, possesses all the expertise required to make this project a success.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 2314: INtegrated TERahErtz sySTems Enabling Novel Functionality (INTEREST)