300 GHz Plasmonic Mixer

A wireless receiver concept for the direct conversion of terahertz signals to the optical domain is introduced. The receiver combines two terahertz antenna-coupled phase modulators into a silicon photonics based Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The technology is demonstrated by the direct detection of a 300 GHz wireless signal on an optical fiber. The concept provides an ultra-compact and efficient terahertz to optical conversion particularly useful for next-generation wireless systems.