Texas Instruments Incorporated
Millimeter wave molecular sensor

Abstract:

A millimeter wave molecular sensor system is provided. The system includes a physics cell configured to contain a sample, a directional coupler configured to receive input millimeter waves, partition the input millimeter waves into a pump signal and a probe signal for transfer to the physics cell, a receiver configured to receive millimeter waves exiting the physics cell, a Faraday rotator coupled between a pump transmitter and the physics cell, and a coupling iris coupled between the Faraday rotator and the physics cell, configured to pass millimeter waves having a first polarization into the physics cell. The Faraday rotator includes a Faraday material, and an electronic device configured to apply a magnetic field to the Faraday material parallel to a propagation direction of the millimeter waves such that when the electronic device is activated, the Faraday material rotates a polarization of the millimeter waves passing through the Faraday rotator.