DRESDEN, Germany - The Landau-level laser is an exciting concept for an unusual radiation source. It could efficiently generate so-called terahertz waves, which can be used to penetrate materials, with possible applications in data transmission. So far, however, nearly all attempts to make such a laser have failed. An international team of researchers has now taken an important step in the right direction: In the journal Nature Photonics, they describe a material that generates terahertz waves by simply applying an electric current. Physicists from the German research center Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) played a significant role in this project, says Phys.org. Continue reading original article
The Intelligent Aerospace take:
August 19,2019- The Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres describe a material that generates terahertz waves by applying an electric current. Currently, teraherz waves are used in detecting objects under clothing in airports, but the high-frequency waves could drive innovation in data transmission. Fiber optic cables use light to transfer data at much faster rates compared to traditional copper connectors, but a tunable laser capable of transmitting the high frequency has not yet been developed. However, with terahertz waves transmitting at frequencies at 1000 times higher than current WLAN technologies, the technology could prove useful in moving large amounts of data across short distances should some very difficult tech hurdles be cleared.
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Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace
