Method and apparatus for providing beam steering of terahertz electromagnetic waves

• US 9,106,344 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Britz, David, Miller, Robert Raymond II
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, DZUNG D
• Application Number:
  US13/970,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20130336648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 398118-119, 398124-129
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/07953 Monitoring or measuring OSNR, BER or Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/60 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/90 Non-optical transmission systems, e.g. transmission systems employing non-photonic corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for establishing a terahertz link using a multi-element lens array that comprises a plurality of active beam steering device are disclosed. For example, the method receives detected terahertz signals from one or more detectors, where an active beam steering device is deployed with each of the one or more detectors, and determines, for each of the detected signals, if the detected signal is out of focus from a focus point. The method applies a corrective signal to each active beam steering device that corresponds to a detected terahertz signal that is out of focus from the focus point, wherein the corrective signal causes the detected signal to be redirected, and measures a signal-to-noise ratio of the detected signals. The method then establishes the terahertz link via at least one of the detected terahertz signals with a highest signal-to-noise ratio.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a terahertz link, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, detected terahertz signals from a plurality of detectors, where a respective beam steering device is deployed with each of the plurality of detectors;

determining, by the processor, that a detected terahertz signal of the detected terahertz signals is out of focus from a focus point;

applying, by the processor, a corrective signal to the respective beam steering device that corresponds to the detected terahertz signal that is out of focus from the focus point, wherein the corrective signal causes the detected terahertz signal that is out of focus from the focus point to be redirected;

measuring, by the processor, a signal-to-noise ratio of each of the detected terahertz signals; and

establishing, by the processor, the terahertz link via one of the detected terahertz signals with a highest signal-to-noise ratio.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected terahertz signals are detected by a cluster of the plurality of detectors having a combined field of view that is hemispherical.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each respective beam steering device is deployed in front of a respective detector of the plurality of detectors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the each respective beam steering device comprises a holographic filter.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the applying of the corrective signal comprises adjusting a pattern of phase variation of the holographic filter of the respective beam steering device that corresponds to the detected terahertz signal that is out of focus from the focus point.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each beam respective steering device comprises a plurality of micro-mirrors.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the applying of the corrective signal comprises adjusting an angle of each of the plurality of mirco-mirrors of the respective beam steering device that corresponds to the detected terahertz signal that is out of focus from the focus point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected terahertz signals are transmitted by a transmitter, with each of the detected terahertz signals being aimed outward from a center of a spherical structure.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected terahertz signals are received by a mobile device comprising the processor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected terahertz signals are received by a base station comprising the processor.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for establishing a terahertz link, the operations comprising:

receiving detected terahertz signals from a plurality of detectors, where a respective beam steering device is deployed with each of the plurality of detectors;

determining that a detected terahertz signal of the detected terahertz signals is out of focus from a focus point;

applying a corrective signal to the respective beam steering device that corresponds to the detected terahertz signal that is out of focus from the focus point, wherein the corrective signal causes the detected terahertz signal that is out of focus from the focus point to be redirected;

measuring a signal-to-noise ratio of each of the detected terahertz signals; and

establishing the terahertz link via one of the detected terahertz signals with a highest signal-to-noise ratio.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the detected terahertz signals are detected by a cluster of the plurality of detectors having a combined field of view that is hemispherical.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein each respective beam steering device is deployed in front of a respective detector of the plurality of detectors.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the each respective beam steering device comprises a holographic filter.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the applying of the corrective signal comprises adjusting a pattern of phase variation of the holographic filter of the respective beam steering device that corresponds to the detected terahertz signal that is out of focus from the focus point.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein each of the respective beam steering device comprises a plurality of micro-mirrors.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the applying of the corrective signal comprises adjusting an angle of each of the plurality of mirco-mirrors of the respective beam steering device that corresponds to the detected terahertz signal that is out of focus from the focus point.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the detected terahertz signals are transmitted by a transmitter, with each of the detected terahertz signals being aimed outward from a center of a spherical structure.

19. A receiver, comprising:

a plurality of beam steering devices;

a plurality of detectors, for receiving a plurality of terahertz signals, wherein one of the plurality of beam steering devices is arranged with a corresponding one of the plurality of detectors to form a respective combination, wherein a terahertz signal of the terahertz signals is received by the respective combination and is out of focus from a focus point, where a controller applies a corrective signal to a corresponding beam steering device that corresponds to the terahertz signal that is out of focus from the focus point, wherein the corrective signal causes the terahertz signal that is out of focus from the focus point to be redirected onto a respective detector of the plurality of detectors; and

a processor for measuring a signal-to-noise ratio of each of the of terahertz signals and for establishing a terahertz link via one of the terahertz signals with a highest signal-to-noise ratio.

20. The receiver of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of beam steering devices comprises a holographic filter.