SUBMILLIMETER (TERAHERTZ) RECEIVER TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE - PROCEEDINGS INTRODUCTION

The author discusses the submillimeter wavelength region spanning the octave from 1mm to 0. 1mm (300 to 3000 GHz) and the technology that is currently being developed. At radio wavelengths, heterodyne receivers provide the best sensitivity, while at visible wavelengths direct detection yields better signal to noise ratios. At radio wavelengths, heterodyne receivers provide the best sensitivity, while at visible wavelengths direct detection yields better signal to noise ratios. A heterodyne receiver downconverts the submillimeter signal from a remote source by mixing it with a local ioscillator source. The elements of the heterodyne receivers considered include the submillimeter mixer, local oscillator and coupling components and microwave amplifiers and spectrometers. Mixers currently available for the submillimeter band are discussed. The least developed technology for submillimeter heterodyne spectroscopy is the local oscillator source.