Controlling Terahertz Waves with Patterned Material

Terahertz waves, with their shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies compared to radio waves, hold great potential for various applications such as faster data transmission, precise medical imaging, and high-resolution radar systems. However, the challenge lies in effectively generating these waves using semiconductor chips, a crucial step for their integration into electronic devices.

Current techniques often fall short in producing terahertz waves with sufficient radiating power for practical use without relying on bulky and expensive silicon lenses. These lenses, larger than the chip itself, hinder the seamless integration of terahertz sources into electronic devices and limit the range over which the signals can travel.

To address these limitations, researchers at MIT have developed a novel terahertz amplifier-multiplier system that can achieve higher radiating power without the need for silicon lenses. By incorporating a thin, patterned material at the back of the chip and leveraging high-power Intel transistors, the team has created a more efficient and scalable chip-based terahertz wave generator.

This breakthrough technology opens up possibilities for the development of compact terahertz arrays that could revolutionize applications such as advanced security scanners for detecting concealed objects and environmental monitors for identifying airborne pollutants.

Jinchen Wang, a graduate student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and the lead author of the research paper on the terahertz radiator, emphasizes the importance of scalability in terahertz wave sources. Wang highlights the need for a different packaging approach to accommodate terahertz arrays comprising hundreds of chips, where traditional silicon lenses are impractical due to the high chip density.