Abstract
Terahertz frequency range offers unique functionalities for remote sensing, communication, and imaging.
Radar systems operating in this range significantly enhance the surveillance resolution on small aperture sizes required for mobile applications like self-driving cars and drone avionics.
Signal carriers can enable high-data-rate communication at high-frequency bands and the rotational and vibrational frequencies in this range allow for remote identification of chemicals.
The terahertz regime contains 98% of all photons existing in the universe, displaying phenomena like the formation of stars, planetary systems, and galaxy evolution as well as the dynamics of planets and comets that happen in dust cloud regions.
Another benefit of a terahertz frequency range is that opaque materials become much more transparent meaning there is a great potential for quality control across various industries as the visual inaccessibility is removed.
For example, opaque materials provide high image contrasts in healthcare, assisting with distinguishing between benign/malignant tissue, inflammation, and blood vessels without posing a health risk to humans.
Although the unique potential of the terahertz frequency range has been known for a long time, the low performance, high-cost and bulky nature of conventional terahertz systems delay their deployment in many applications.
To address the performance limitations of terahertz devices, Professor Jarrahi and her team have developed a hybrid optoelectronic design methodology and introduced a plasmonic optoelectronics concept, which is transforming the capabilities for high-power generation, high-sensitivity detection, and spectral/spatial manipulation of terahertz signals.
We have witnessed the revolution of integrated circuit technology being transformed from enormous power-hungry computers to high-performing microprocessors in our homes and cars, phones, and health monitoring systems.
The A F Harvey Prize will help Professor Jarrahi to enable a similar revolution in the terahertz field; developing a monolithically integrated terahertz optoelectronics platform to transform terahertz systems from bulky and expensive to compact and low-cost microchips used in our everyday lives.
