THE TRUTH OF TERAHERTZ

This slice of the electromagnetic spectrum, whose range spans the frequencies from about 300 gigahertz to 10 terahertz (which is between the microwave and optical frequencies), has some uniquely attractive qualities.

 It can yield extremely high-resolution images and move vast amounts of data quickly. Waves at these frequencies have also been exploited in laboratory demonstrations to identify explosives, reveal hidden weapons, check for defects in tiles on the space shuttle, and screen for skin cancer and tooth decay.

But promising as it is, getting terahertz technology from the lab to consumer products has been vexing. Newer, more robust micro fabricated devices do operate at lower frequencies and don’t require nearly as much cooling, but they are still demanding to produce, control, apply, and otherwise manipulate.  


The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
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