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New Terahertz Device Created

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A device for manipulating terahertz (THz) radiation created at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) could be the basis for novel electronics and photonics applications such as new imaging methods and communication technologies.

In research published in the journal Nature, Los Alamos scientist Hou-Tong Chen and his colleagues explain how metamaterials (artificial materials with properties derived from their subwavelength structures instead of their compositions) can be designed to efficiently control THz waves. The THz range of the electromagnetic spectrum lies between the infrared and microwave wavelengths.

According to Chen, "Devices that generate and detect THz radiation are already in development, but techniques to actually control the waves are lagging behind. This is the next logical step in the development of terahertz technologies for wider electronics and photonics applications."

Like microwaves, terahertz radiation has the ability to penetrate a wide variety of nonconducting materials like paper, plastics, wood and ceramics. Because it can "see" through plastics and cardboard, it might also be used in manufacturing to inspect packaged objects for quality control or process monitoring. THz radiation is sensitive to water content, which means it might be used to detect differences in body tissue density. Because terahertz radiation is nonionizing, it does not damage DNA like x-rays and might someday be used as a safer alternative for certain types of medical and dental imaging. Nonionizing means the radiation does not have enough energy to convert electrically neutral atoms into ions by knocking an atom's electron from its orbit.

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To create their device, Chen and his colleagues used microfabrication processes to lay down an array of gold metamaterial structures over a semiconductor substrate. An applied voltage between the substrate and the metamaterial enables the device to modulate the intensity of THz waves by up to 50 percent. The experimental demonstration of the device exceeds the performance of existing electrical THz modulators, Chen said, and the team hopes to further improve the device's performance in coming months.

In addition to Chen, other members of the THz device development team include Willie Padilla, formerly of Los Alamos and now with Boston College; Richard Averitt, formerly of Los Alamos and now with Boston University; Antoinette Taylor from Los Alamos; and Joshua Zide and Arthur Gossard from the University of California, Santa Barbara. The research was supported by Laboratory Directed Research and Development funds and the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a DOE/Office of Science Nanoscale Research Center.

For more information, visit: www.lanl.gov

Published: March 2007
Glossary
infrared
Infrared (IR) refers to the region of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths longer than those of visible light, but shorter than those of microwaves. The infrared spectrum spans wavelengths roughly between 700 nanometers (nm) and 1 millimeter (mm). It is divided into three main subcategories: Near-infrared (NIR): Wavelengths from approximately 700 nm to 1.4 micrometers (µm). Near-infrared light is often used in telecommunications, as well as in various imaging and sensing...
microwave
An electromagnetic wave lying within the region of the frequency spectrum that is between about 1000 MHz (1 GHz) and 100,000 MHz (100 GHz). This is equivalent to the wavelength spectrum that is between one millimeter and one meter, and is also referred to as the infrared and short wave spectrum.
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
terahertz
Terahertz (THz) refers to a unit of frequency in the electromagnetic spectrum, denoting waves with frequencies between 0.1 and 10 terahertz. One terahertz is equivalent to one trillion hertz, or cycles per second. The terahertz frequency range falls between the microwave and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Key points about terahertz include: Frequency range: The terahertz range spans from approximately 0.1 terahertz (100 gigahertz) to 10 terahertz. This corresponds to...
terahertz radiation
Electromagnetic radiation with frequencies between 300 GHz and 10 THz, and existing between regions of the electromagnetic spectrum that are typically classified as the far-infrared and microwave regions. Because terahertz waves have the ability to penetrate some solid materials, they have the potential for applications in medicine and surveillance.
Biophotonicsfiber opticsindustrialinfraredLANLLos Alamos National LaboratorymetamaterialsmicrowaveNews & Featuresphotonicsterahertzterahertz radiationTHzwavelengths

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