Final Report Summary - GEM (Gain-endowed metallic meta-structures and devices: towards a unification of photonics and electronics)
In this context, the project GEM demonstrated (i) THz resonators, based on antenna concepts, whose sized can be reduced independently of the operating wavelength; (ii) ultra-compact THz detectors with ultra-fast response in the GHz range; (iii) THz lasers based on this same principle. The extension of these concepts to the mid-IR has also been explored.
The project GEM also applied these concepts to systems operating in the so called strong-coupling regime between light and matter, where extreme electromagnetic field confinements are important.
The concept of hybrid electronic-photonic devices is now a common concept in THz technology, and the antenna concepts are now commonly applied and employed in this research field.