Nanophotonics-inspired all-silicon waveguide platforms for terahertz integrated systems

Abstract

Recent advances in silicon (Si) microphotonics have enabled novel devices for the terahertz (THz) range based on dielectric waveguides. In the past couple of years, dielectric waveguides have become commonplace for THz systems to mitigate issues in efficiency, size, and cost of integration and packaging using metal-based waveguides. Therefore, THz systems have progressively evolved from cumbersome collections of discreet components to THz-wave integrated circuits. This gradual transition of THz systems from numerous components to compact integrated circuits has been facilitated at each step by incredible advances in all-Si waveguides allowing low-loss, low dispersion, and single-mode waveguiding operation. As such, all-Si waveguides position themselves as highly efficient interconnects to realize THz integrated circuits and further large-scale integration in the THz range. This review article intends to reevaluate the evolution stages of THz integrated circuits and systems based on all-Si waveguides.