Broadband frequency-chirped terahertz-wave signal generation using periodically-poled lithium niobate for frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar application

We have proposed a method by using a nonlinear optical technique to generate frequency-modulated (FM) signals in the terahertz (THz) band with much broader bandwidth. Periodically-poled lithium niobates (PPLNs) are excited by ultrashort pulses, and linearly frequency-chirped THz pulses are obtained by changing the periodicity of the PPLN gradually. The bandwidth achieved is approximately 1 THz at a center frequency of 1.5 THz. Using this wave in a FM continuous (CW) radar system is expected to result in a range resolution of ~150 μm. This FM-THz signal generation technique will thus be useful in or future civil safety applications requiring high-resolution ranging or imaging.