Enhanced enabling technologies for improved 'THz-Torch' applications
File(s)
Published online version
Author(s)
Du, Xinhao
Komies, Saleh
Al Saleem, Hussian
Lucyszyn, Stepan
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
This work demonstrates enabling technologies that enhance low-cost thermal infrared ‘THz-Torch’ (THz-T) applications; from component-level to spectroscopy and secure free-space wireless communications links. First, a polymer resin for high resolution and low-cost masked stereolithography apparatus (MSLA) 3-D printers was sourced for thermal infrared applications. We then developed a new workflow for our MSLA printer that suppresses print-induced striations and geometric defects that would otherwise degrade thermal infrared performance. With planar samples we show an approximately two-orders-of-magnitude reduction in surface roughness, relative to traditional MSLA 3-D printing workflows. Next, broadband bandpass filtering hyperbolic aspherical Fresnel lenses are 3-D printed using our MSLA process for thermal infrared applications. Focal-length measurements verify the predicted performance of our lens. We then demonstrated thermal emitter arrays with integrated commercial lenses, to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio for our THz-T applications. In addition, using our improved THz-T spectrometer, we accurately measured the broadband bandpass filter (BPF) characteristics for our MSLA 3-D printed planar samples. These measured results show excellent power transmittance within the THz-T spectral range of interest. Our electronically-modulated thermal infrared source arrays were employed in an improved THz-T wireless communications link. Here, we demonstrated end-to-end operation with a four-fold improvement in its performance ‘figure of merit’, extending the previously recorded operating range of 2 m to our new limit of 5 m. Moreover, our MSLA 3-D printed BPF hyperbolic aspherical Fresnel lens was also used to give improved results. Our low-cost THz-T technology continues to advance with both improved spectroscopy and wireless communications link applications.
Date Issued
2026-09-08
Date Acceptance
2026-09-02
Citation
IEEE Access, 2026
ISSN
2169-3536
Publisher
IEEE
Journal / Book Title
IEEE Access
Copyright Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. For more information, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
License URL
Publication Status
Published online
Date Publish Online
2026-09-08