OSCILLATION ELEMENT, OSCILLATOR, AND IMAGING APPARATUS USING THE SAME

• US 20160041091A1
• Filed: 10/16/2015
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Knightscope, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sekiguchi, Ryota, Okuda, Masahiro
• Application Number:
  US14/885,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20160041091A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3581 using far infrared light; using Terahertz radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/39 for parametric generation or amplification of light, infrared or ultraviolet waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/08 Helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/18 with frequency-determining element comprising distributed inductance and capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 7/08 being a tunnel diode
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 7/14 active element being semiconductor device
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/00 Automatic control of frequency or phase; Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 39/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive element covered by groups H10N30/00 – H10N35/00

Abstract

An oscillation element includes an antenna for oscillation configured to oscillate electromagnetic waves, and multiple negative resistance elements electrically connected to the antenna in parallel, and the multiple negative resistance elements are disposed in only a place where the phases of electromagnetic waves oscillated therefrom are the common phase or opposite phase.

Claims

1. An oscillation element configured to oscillate electromagnetic waves, the oscillation element comprising:

an antenna including a resonator which resonates with the electromagnetic waves and configured to guide the electromagnetic waves; and

a first negative resistance element electrically serially connected to the antenna, and

a second negative resistance element electrically serially connected to the antenna and being electrically parallel to the first negative resistance element,

wherein the first negative resistance element is disposed in a position of a wave front of the electromagnetic waves with which the resonator resonates, in such a manner that an absolute value of a phase difference between a phase of the wave front of the electromagnetic waves with which the resonator resonates in the position where the first negative resistance element is disposed and a phase of a wave front of the electromagnetic waves with which the resonator resonates in a position where the second negative resistance element is disposed becomes 0 or greater and π

/8 or less, or the absolute value becomes 7π

/8 or greater and 9π

/8 or less.

2. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the antenna includes a conductor and a semiconductor layer, and

wherein each of the first negative resistance element and the second negative resistance element is electrically serially connected to the conductor via the semiconductor layer.

3. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the antenna includes a first conductor and a second conductor, and

wherein each of the first negative resistance element and the second negative resistance element is in contact with the first conductor.

4. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of negative resistance elements including the first negative resistance element and the second negative resistance element is disposed in an arc shape.

5. The oscillation element according to claim 4, wherein the arc forms line symmetry with an axis parallel to a resonance direction of the electromagnetic waves as a boundary.

6. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein an area of a cross section perpendicular to a direction where current of a junction portion forming the first negative resistance element flows is equal to an area of a cross section perpendicular to a direction where current of a junction portion forming the second negative resistance element flows.

7. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of negative resistance elements including the first negative resistance element and the second negative resistance element is linearly disposed.

8. The oscillation element according to claim 7, wherein an area of a cross section perpendicular to a direction where current of a junction portion forming the first negative resistance element flows differs from an area of a cross section perpendicular to a direction where current of a junction portion forming the second negative resistance element flows.

9. The oscillation element according to claim 1, further comprising a third negative resistance element,

wherein the first negative resistance element is disposed in a position of a wave front of the electromagnetic waves with which the resonator resonates, in such a manner that an absolute value of a phase difference between a phase of the wave front of the electromagnetic waves with which the resonator resonates in the position where the first negative resistance element is disposed and the phase of the wave front of the electromagnetic waves with which the resonator resonates in the position where the second negative resistance element is disposed becomes 0 or greater and π

/8 or less, and

wherein the third negative resistance element is disposed in a position of a wave front of the electromagnetic waves with which the resonator resonates, in such a manner that an absolute value of a phase difference between a phase of the wave front of the electromagnetic waves with which the resonator resonates in the position where the third negative resistance element is disposed and the phase of the wave front of the electromagnetic waves with which the resonator resonates in the position where the second negative resistance element is disposed becomes 7π

/8 or greater and 9π

/8 or less.

10. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein each of the first negative resistance element and the second negative resistance element includes silicon.

11. The oscillation element according to claim 10, wherein each of an area of a cross section perpendicular to a direction where current of a junction portion forming the first negative resistance element flows and an area of a cross section perpendicular to a direction where current of a junction portion forming the second negative resistance element flows is 1 μ

m2 or less.

12. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein each of the first negative resistance element and the second negative resistance element includes a compound semiconductor material.

13. The oscillation element according to claim 12, wherein each of the first negative resistance element and the second negative resistance element includes a Group III-V semiconductor material.

14. The oscillation element according to claim 13, wherein each of an area of a cross section perpendicular to a direction where current of a junction portion forming the first negative resistance element flows and an area of a cross section perpendicular to a direction where current of a junction portion forming the second negative resistance element flows is 10 μ

m2 or less.

15. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein each of the first negative resistance element and the second negative resistance element is a resonant tunneling diode.

16. The oscillation element according to claim 1, further comprising a waveguide which is electrically connected to the antenna to transmit electromagnetic waves,

wherein each of the first negative resistance element and the second negative resistance element is connected to the waveguide.

17. The oscillation element according to claim 1, wherein the antenna has a protrusion, and is disposed so that the protrusion is positioned between the first negative resistance element and the second negative resistance element.

18. An oscillator configured to oscillate electromagnetic waves, the oscillator comprising:

the oscillation element according to claim 1; and

a power source unit configured to apply direct-current (DC) voltage to the oscillation element.

19. An imaging apparatus configured to image an object to be measured using electromagnetic waves, the imaging apparatus comprising:

the oscillator according to claim 18 configured to oscillate electromagnetic waves to an object to be measured;

a detector configured to detect electromagnetic waves transmitted through or reflected at the object to be measured, and

an image constructing unit configured to construct an image regarding the object to be measured from information relating to the electromagnetic waves detected by the detector.