THOR's Vision
The overall objective of THOR is to demonstrate a compact, on-chip, CW-laser-driven THz detector with ultrafast response and excellent NEP using optomechanically-controlled molecular vibrations in a plasmonic cavity.
To this end, the following specific objectives will be pursued:
1. Designing and synthesizing molecules with strongly infrared and Raman-active vibrational resonances in the 1-30 THz range.
2. Building cavities with optical Q factors > 10^3, mode volumes ∼λ^3/10^4, molecular vacuum coupling rate g0/2π >> 1 GHz, integrated with THz antennas.
3. Establishing coherent interactions of both light and THz radiation with molecular vibrations, demonstrating dynamical backaction state conversion with effective cooperativity C > 1.
4. Experimental demonstration and characterization of a room-temperature, low-noise, coherent THz-to-optics converter on a silicon chip.
This section will be completed with project results.