Low-energy terahertz radiation could potentially enable
doctors to see deep into tissues without the damaging effects of X-rays, or
allow security guards to identify chemicals in a package without opening it.
But it's been difficult for engineers to make powerful enough systems to
accomplish these promising applications.
Now an electrical engineering research team at the
University of Michigan has developed a laser-powered terahertz source and
detector system that transmits with 50 times more power and receives with 30
times more sensitivity than existing technologies. This offers 1,500 times more
powerful systems for imaging and sensing applications.