US 12,191,552 B2
Waveguide based submillimmeter-wave and terahertz variable attenuator
Goutam Chattopadhyay, Pasadena, CA (US); Jacob W. Kooi, Pasadena, CA (US); Choonsup Lee, La Palma, CA (US); Sofia Rahiminejad, Pasadena, CA (US); and Subash Khanal, Pasadena, CA (US)
Assigned to CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Pasadena, CA (US)
Filed by California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 22, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/846,971.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/213,430, filed on Jun. 22, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0407200 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. H04B 1/04 (2006.01); H01P 1/22 (2006.01); H01P 11/00 (2006.01); H04B 1/16 (2006.01)
CPC H01P 1/222 (2013.01) [H01P 11/00 (2013.01); H04B 1/04 (2013.01); H04B 1/16 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device, comprising:
one or more attenuators each comprising:
a dielectric material and a pattern of holes in the dielectric material; and
a metal coating on the top of the dielectric material;
an actuator coupled to the attenuator, the actuator comprising:
a motor coupled to a mount mounting the one or more attenuators, the actuator configured to:
position, with nanometer resolution, the one or more attenuators in a waveguide configured and dimensioned to guide an electromagnetic wave having a frequency in a range of 100 gigahertz (GHz) to 1 terahertz (THz); and
control the position or a volume of the one or more attenuators inserted in the waveguide to achieve a variable or pre-determined attenuation of the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the one or more attenuators and the waveguide.