Fiber-coupled, photoconductive receiver for heterodyne detection up to 1 THz stabilized by an optical frequency comb

An optoelectronic terahertz (THz) receiver for heterodyne detection of THz signals as low as 3 μW is demonstrated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most sensitive optoelectronic heterodyne THz receiver to date. The intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidth of the detector is only limited by the used amplifier. The InGaAs-based photoconductor operating at 1.5 μm allows for a fully fiber-coupled receiver unit. This simplifies its use for spectroscopy and THz communication.