Terahertz waves—a vast, untapped slice of the electromagnetic spectrum—could carry data hundreds of times faster than today’s Wi-Fi, but the technology to generate and detect them reliably barely exists. The terahertz region sits between microwaves and infrared light, spanning a frequency range roughly one hundred times wider than all current radio, TV, cellular, and radar bands combined. It has proven uses in molecular spectroscopy, high-resolution medical imaging, and security screening. Yet the hardware for producing and sensing these waves remains primitive—essentially the terahertz equivalent of a spark-gap radio transmitter. No coherent, continuous-wave sources exist across the band, limiting both fundamental science and practical applications. This programme brings together UK teams who have separately demonstrated two key technologies: optical-communications-based chips that generate pure continuous-wave terahertz signals, and quantum cascade lasers that emit terahertz light. By combining these approaches, the researchers aim to create coherent systems that cover the entire terahertz spectrum. If successful, the work could unlock short-range, ultra-high-speed wireless communications, enable three-dimensional imaging for pharmaceuticals and security, and allow fundamental studies of electron behaviour in nanostructures. The project is a mix of curiosity-driven science and applied engineering—neither is dominant, and both are essential.
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The terahertz (THz) frequency region within the electromagnetic spectrum, covers a frequency range of about one hundred times that currently occupied by all radio, television, cellular radio, Wi-Fi, radar and other users and has proven and potential applications ranging from molecular spectroscopy through to communications, high resolution imaging (e.g. in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors) and security screening. Yet, the underpinning technology for the generation and detection of radiation in this spectral range remains severely limited, being based principally on Ti:sapphire (femtosecond) pulsed laser and photoconductive detector technology, the THz equivalent of the spark transmitter and coherer receiver for radio signals. The THz frequency range therefore does not benefit from the coherent techniques routinely used at microwave/optical frequencies. Our programme grant will address this. We have recently demonstrated optical communications technology-based techniques for the generation of high spectral purity continuous wave THz signals at UCL, together with state-of-the-art THz quantum cascade laser (QCL) technology at Cambridge/Leeds. We will bring together these internationally-leading researchers to create coherent systems across the entire THz spectrum. These will be exploited both for fundamental science (e.g. the study of nanostructured and mesoscopic electron systems) and for applications including short-range high-data-rate wireless communications, information processing, materials detection and high resolution imaging in three dimensions.
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