UK university in groundbreaking terahertz development

The students from the University of Leeds have collaborated with the researchers from Harvard University and recorded the highest operating temperature for a terahertz quantum cascade laser.

The availability of cheap, compact systems would open up a wide range of opportunities in fields including industrial process monitoring, atmospheric science and medicine.

Edmund Linfield

Professor

Leeds Research Team

Professor Edmund Linfield, who co-led the Leeds research team, explained that the terahertz technology has potential across many sectors but at the moment, due to the size and expense of the equipment, it is limited to niche applications.

"The availability of cheap, compact systems would open up a wide range of opportunities in fields including industrial process monitoring, atmospheric science and medicine," he noted.

Professor Linfield admitted that the portable device still needs large amounts of work, but hopes that the University of Leeds research will lead to significant improvements in the way lasers are fabricated.

Currently, terahertz technology is deployed by the pharmaceutical industry, where it is used to aid product design and safety.