Tiny, Powerful Terahertz Laser

Feb-26-14 Researcher have developed the world’s most powerful terahertz laser chip, which could open the door to more portable, non-invasive methods of examining tumors or detecting explosives.

Terahertz waves have a variety of useful applications, including security scanners, chemical analysis and medical imaging. However, until now these laser devices have been much too large to be useful outside limited applications.

The new chip, developed by a team from the University of Leeds, is able to achieve an output of more than 1 Watt from just a single laser facet, doubling the recent technology. They created the laser by building up layers of different semiconductors, such a gallium arsenide, one atomic monolayer at a time and carefully controlling the thickness and composition of each layer.

According to Professor Edmund Linfield, Professor of Terahertz Electronics: "The record power of our new laser is due to the expertise that we have developed at Leeds in fabricating these layered semiconductors, together with our ability to engineer these materials subsequently into suitable and powerful laser devices."

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