Patent-PLASMONIC ACTIVATED GRAPHENE TERAHERTZ GENERATING DEVICES AND SYSTEMS

United States Patent Application 20160064110
Schmadel, Donald C. (College Park, MD, US) 
Drew, Howard Dennis (Hyattsville, MD, US) 

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2016/0064110.html

Plasmonic activated graphene terahertz (THz) generating devices and generator systems are described based on the excitation of plasma resonances in a graphene element or structure by mixing two signals with a THz difference frequency. The excitation process is the photo-thermo-electric effect which has been demonstrated to be operative at THz frequencies in graphene. An antenna or other electrical component or device, such as an electrical or antenna lead, couples the THz radiation out of the sub-wavelength graphene element.