In science and technology, terahertz waves are becoming more and more significant. They allow us to examine the characteristics of potential materials, evaluate the effectiveness of automotive paint, and try envelopes. But producing these surges is still difficult. Researchers have now created a germanium component that produces brief terahertz pulses with an advantageous quality: the pulses have an incredibly wide spectrum. They can thus simultaneously deliver a variety of terahertz frequencies.
The component could be produced using techniques currently employed in the semiconductor industry, which opens up a wide range of potential uses in research and technology.
The established gallium-arsenide approach only allows for terahertz pulses with a bandwidth of 7 terahertz; the new method allows for terahertz pulses with a ten times higher bandwidth of 70 terahertz.
It should make gold-doped germanium a more appealing choice for scientific uses, like the thorough analysis of novel two-dimensional materials like graphene, and for uses in environmental technology and medical applications. Another application involves sensors using the terahertz spectrum to identify specific environmental gases. Terahertz wave sources available today are still too costly for the intended use. These environmental sensors may become much more affordable thanks to novel techniques.
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