A highly frequency-selective 3D printed dielectric structure for the terahertz range

Abstract

In this paper, we present a terahertz transmission frequency-selective quasi surface (FSQS) showing strong absorption lines and a periodic band-pass characteristic. The structure is created by the lateral combination of Fabry-Pérot resonators with different thicknesses. The transfer function of the FSQS can be used as a broadband reference for testing the signal integrity of the transmission path for broadband terahertz systems. This is realized by the transfer function which shows a combination of band-pass characteristics and sharp resonances with a theoretical attenuation of more than 80 dB and with quality factors of more than 40,000 for a combination of 36 resonators. One FSQS consisting of a combination of four resonators is 3D printed by fused deposition modeling of a low-loss cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) filament. Finally, we perform a characterization of the 3D printed FSQS with a frequency-domain and a time-domain terahertz spectroscopy system showing an attenuation of more than 42 dB and a quality factor above 100.