Plastic ribbon THz waveguides

Abstract

We report an experimental and theoretical study of single mode, guided wave propagation in plastic ribbons. Using cylindrical THz optics, we obtain excellent quasioptic coupling between freely propagating THz waves and a single ${\mathrm{TM}}_0$ waveguide mode. Dispersive, low-loss propagation is observed within the experimental bandwidth of 0.1–3.5 THz for 2-cm-wide, high-density polyethylene ribbon waveguides with dimensions of 150 μm thick by 10 mm long, and 120 μm thick by 20 mm long. Such ribbons show promise as a flexible THz interconnect with a controllable group velocity dispersion.