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    Terahertz Technology: An Introduction

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    Terahertz Technology: An Introduction

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    Terahertz Technology: An Introduction

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    Terahertz Technology: An Introduction

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    Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, 2016, 3(4):1-3

    ISSN: 2394-2630
    Review Article CODEN(USA): JSERBR

    Terahertz Technology: An Introduction

    Matthew N O Sadiku1, Sarhan M Musa1, Sudarshan R Nelatury2


    1
    College of Engineering Prairie View A&M University
    2
    School of Engineering Pennsylvania State University
    Abstract Terahertz technology is an exciting area of research for those interested in high frequency
    electromagnetic systems and related disciplines. This paper presents an introduction to terahertz technology and
    its applications. The goal of the paper is to acquaint engineers and scientists to this emerging field.

    Keywords terahertz technology


    Introduction
    The new field of terahertz technology is attracting much attention. The terahertz region (from 100 GHz to 10
    THz) of the spectrum lies on the border of where electronics and optics meet, i.e. between microwaves and
    infrared bands (light). Until about two decades ago, the terahertz region has been unexplored and unutilized [1].
    The term “THz gap” was coined to indicate the underdevelopment of this portion of the electromagnetic
    spectrum; there were no efficient sources and detectors available, in contrast to the neighboring microwave and
    optical domains.
    Terahertz radiation, also known as submillimeter radiation or T-rays, consists of electromagnetic waves in band
    of frequencies from 0.3 to 3 THz (1 THz = 10 12 Hz). The corresponding wavelengths of radiation range from
    1mm to 0.1mm in vacuum. The terahertz is growing rapidly into several independent fields: THz waves, THz
    electronics, and THz photonics.
    Sources and Detectors
    Although there are many ways of generating THz signals, THz sources can be classified as pulse and
    continuous-wave (CW) sources. The pulse sources generate THz signals using femtosecond lasers. Two
    common methods are used for broadband terahertz pulse generation: (1) transient photocurrent excitations, (2)
    optical rectification in a nonlinear crystal. Both methods utilize femtosecond lasers. A backward wave oscillator
    is used in generating CW waves. The aim is to generate a continuous wave having constant amplitude. A CW
    terahertz system can be developed by heterodyning two lasers in a photomixer. Compared with THz pulse
    imaging, CW THz imaging techniques allow fast scanning.
    Field detectors respond to the THz electric field and usually generate an output voltage or current through a
    quadratic term in the current-voltage characteristic. A more recent THz detection mechanism is based on
    plasma-wave propagation and rectification [2]. All THz detectors can be described by two performance metrics:
    noise-equivalent power (NEP) and noise-equivalent temperature difference (NETD). Compact THz sources and
    detectors have been developed to generate, detect, and manipulate THz signals.
    Applications
    The terahertz technology is relatively new area both in research and applications. This is due to the fact that it
    provides unprecedented bandwidth and opportunities for completely new applications. Each time a new band in
    the electromagnetic spectrum opens up, a whole new set of applications and research opportunities develop
    around that band. Terahertz technology has applications in short-range communication, explosives detection,
    quality control of food and agricultural products, drug analysis, global environmental monitoring, medical
    diagnosis, security, sensors, etc. [1,3,4].
    (1) Space Applications: Astronomy and remote sensing of the earth’s atmosphere have provided an incentive
    for the development of THz technology. Prior to the boom in communications, the major interest in

    Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research

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    Sadiku MNO et al Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, 2016, 3(4):1-3

    terahertz technology lay almost exclusively with radio astronomy. This mainly involves the detection of
    terahertz signals.
    (2) Spectroscopy: Terahertz technology has enabled the creation of specialist equipment such as the terahertz
    time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS), which has been shown to be able to obtain images of samples that
    are opaque in visible region of the spectrum. THz time-domain spectroscopy has been constructed with
    optical THz source and detector. This unique spectrometer utilizes powerful laser sources. It is a new
    powerful tool for measuring in the terahertz region. It can be used to investigate multilayer specimens [5].
    An example of a THz-TDS is shown in Figure 1.

    Figure 1: A typical example of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) [5].

    (3) Biomedical Applications: The fact that THz radiation does not damage materials makes THz imaging useful
    in the biology/medical field. In other words, THz radiation is non-ionizing and therefore safe for biomedical
    sensing and imaging. As a promising detection technology, THz technology provides a reliable means of
    diagnosing breast cancer and skin cancer. The attenuation of THz radiation for the human body and the
    signal-to-noise ratio of the radiation are important factors used in determining the penetration depths of
    THz radiation. It is hoped that THz medical equipment will be operated in hospitals in the near future.
    (4) Semiconductor devices: Terahertz technology has demonstrated viable device and circuit technology for
    communication applications. An interesting aspect of the terahertz research is the development of transistor
    technology for this region. Electrical properties of semiconductor devices, such as mobility, conductivity,
    and carrier density, can be precisely characterized by transmitting THz imaging configuration.
    (5) Communication Systems: The rapid demand for higher bandwidth and data rates in wireless communication.
    THz wireless communication involves using THz waves as the free-space carrier of data. The major
    advantage of THz communication systems compared to microwave systems is that of higher bandwidth [6].
    THz radiation can penetrate dielectric materials, including plastics, ceramics, crystals, and colorants,
    allowing it to be applied in tomographic imaging.

    Conclusion
    Difficulty in generating and detecting terahertz radiation continues to plague most applications. This restricts
    terahertz applications to exploratory and scientific investigation. Efforts geared toward the implementation of
    terahertz applications are unbounded. Terahertz sources and detectors have been developed to generate and
    detect terahertz signals. Terahertz sensing and imaging systems are now commercially available.

    References
    1. J. H. Son, Terahertz Biomedical Science & Technology. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2014, p. 1.
    2. G. Carpintero et al, Semiconductor Terahertz Technology. West Susex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, 2015,
    p.213.

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    3. P.H. Siegel, “Terahertz technology,” IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol.
    50, no. 3, March 2002, pp. 910-928.
    4. P.H. Siegel, “Terahertz technology in biology and medicine,” IEEE Transactions on Microwave
    Theory and Techniques, vol. 52, no. 10, Oct. 2004, pp. 2438-2447.
    5. I. Hosako et al., “At the dawn of a new era in terahertz technology,” Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 59,
    no.8, Aug. 2007, pp. 1611-1623.
    6. D. Saeedkia (ed.), Handbook of terahertz technology for imaging, sensing and communications.
    Cambridge, UK: Woodhead Publishing, 2013.

    About the authors


    Mathew N.O. Sadiku is a professor at Prairie View A&M University, Texas. He is the author of several books
    and papers. He is an IEEE fellow.
    Sarhan M. Musa is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Technology at Prairie View A&M
    University, Texas. He has been the director of Prairie View Networking Academy, Texas, since 2004. He is an
    LTD Spring and Boeing Welliver Fellow.
    Sudarshan R. Nelatury is an associate professor at Penn State University, The Behrend College, Erie,
    Pennsylvania. His teaching and research interests lie in electromagnetics and signal processing.

    Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research

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