A 0.1 THz low-loss 3D printed hollow waveguide

Bottlenecks in the application of terahertz (THz) technology are high transmission loss and expensive functional devices. Therefore, the paper proposes a novel low-loss THz hollow waveguide and demonstrates its design, fabrication, and characterization. Firstly, the waveguide's material is characterized by a THz time domain spectrometer. Secondly, the influences of five different design parameters on the transmission loss coefficient are simulated and analyzed. Combined with anti-resonant waveguide theory, an optimal low-loss hollow waveguide (theoretical loss is 0.009 cm−1 at 0.1 THz) is proposed. Thirdly, the waveguide is fabricated by 3D printing technology. Its transmission loss (=0.015 cm−1) and beam divergence angle (=6.8°) are measured respectively. These results prove the effectiveness of the waveguide and will bring potential applications in THz remote transmission and imaging.