• Journal of Terahertz Science and Electronic Information Technology
  • Vol. 22, Issue 10, 1063 (2024)
ZHANG Jinduo1,2, CHEN Meng2, LIU Ruifeng1,2, and WANG Yingxin1,2,*
Author Affiliations
  • 1Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
  • 2National Engineering Research Center of Dangerous Articles and Explosives Detection Technologies, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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    DOI: 10.11805/tkyda2024379 Cite this Article
    ZHANG Jinduo, CHEN Meng, LIU Ruifeng, WANG Yingxin. Readout method of terahertz photothermoelectric detectors[J]. Journal of Terahertz Science and Electronic Information Technology , 2024, 22(10): 1063 Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    Terahertz photothermoelectric detectors are based on the principle of thermogenerated carriers migrating under the influence of a temperature gradient to achieve terahertz wave detection. They have advantages such as fast response, ultra-wideband, self-powered, room temperature operation, and simple structure, which have attracted widespread attention. Currently, the readout of detectors mainly adopts a modulation-demodulation method, realized by cascading a current amplifier with a lockin amplifier for measurement, which has low integration, high cost, and is difficult to achieve array readout. To meet the application requirements of spectral measurement and imaging perception, this paper studies the readout method of the photothermoelectric array detector unit. Starting from the detector mechanism, the output signal is modeled and analyzed; based on this, a board-level dedicated readout circuit is designed to achieve front-end amplification and lock-in amplification functions. Tests show that this method can achieve high-precision readout of terahertz photothermoelectric detectors in a strong noise background environment, with a gain of 140.7 dB, and the signal-to-noise ratio is improved by 38.3 dB.
    ZHANG Jinduo, CHEN Meng, LIU Ruifeng, WANG Yingxin. Readout method of terahertz photothermoelectric detectors[J]. Journal of Terahertz Science and Electronic Information Technology , 2024, 22(10): 1063
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