Summary
An efficient source of terahertz radiation has the potential to improve characterization methods for drugs, proteins and bacteria, enable ultra-fast wireless data transfer over short distances for use in “smart factories”, and offer enhanced detection capabilities with the ability to see through packaging. However, terahertz light is particularly difficult to produce, and existing sources remain too bulky and power-hungry for widespread application.
We are working to develop more compact and efficient terahertz light sources using polaritons – hybrid particles consisting of a photon coupled strongly with a material excitation. This approach utilizes a plethora of quantum phenomena, from trapped photons, to quasiparticles, to Bose-Einstein condensation. By exploiting these unconventional effects we hope to pave the way towards a long-awaited practical source of terahertz light.
Related Content
Carbon Nanotube Monolayer Josephson Junction Superconducting Qubit
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a promising material for use in Josephson-Junctions (JJs) given their unique properties, such as high electrical conductivity, pristine surface, inherent nanoscale dimension, and silicon-compatible processing
June 1, 2017
Folk Understanding of Quantum Physics
Summary It is often said that quantum concepts are counterintuitive. However, quantum concepts may not be equally counterintuitive to people from all cultural backgrounds. As cultural psychologists have discovered, culture fundamentally shapes the way people make sense of the world. In particular, the last few decades of research have documented cultural differences in appreciation of […]
March 24, 2021
Free-space Polarization-selective Microcavity based on Chiral Metasurfaces
Summary Developing a new type of Fabry-Pérot cavity that allows improved control of the atoms’ emission into the cavity mode will result in enhancement of the efficiency and fidelity of quantum state transfer from photons to atoms and back. This in turn can be used to improve the performance of quantum networks and repeaters, as […]
September 19, 2019
Quantum Sensing Applications using Quantum Communication Technology
Summary The Quantum Encryption and Science Satellite provides a platform to develop and deploy quantum sensing and metrology via photonic channels. This project will build upon ‘free-space’ quantum communication technology and explore new approaches and methods to advance two primary applications: quantum-enhanced telescopes, and spectroscopic sensing for methane detection in the atmosphere. For the […]
December 8, 2018