THz activities organized in a dedicated center
CTSTe is an interdisciplinary research center at TU/e developing THz technology and applying THz radiation in novel applications and for fundamental research.
The Center for Terahertz Science & Technology Eindhoven has initiated its activities in 2021 at the departments of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, and has the ambition to grow transversally towards research activities relevant for different fields. CTSTe will be a unique center in the Netherlands covering fundamental terahertz (THz) science, technology, and catalyzing collaborations with industry.
The ambitions are also to establish state-of-the-art teaching laboratories, include THz science in courses and seminars at BSc, MSc, PDEng and PhD level and introduce Challenge Based Learning (CBL) to optimally prepare future engineers in the flourishing field of THz technology. CTSTe will gather THz activities at TU/e and will operate at the interfaces of the Center for Wireless Technology (CWTe) and the Integrated Photonics area on the development of THz technology. It will connect to the TU/e institutes where THz science and technology will open unforeseen opportunities for the investigation and optimization of materials, processes and systems for sensing, communication, energy conversion and storage, and spectroscopy of (bio-)molecular systems.
Terahertz (THz) radiation is electromagnetic radiation in the frequency range spanning from 100 GHz to 10 THz. This range, comprised between high-frequency electronics and low-frequency photonics, has remained relatively unexplored for decades due to the lack of efficient sources and compact THz systems. The CTSTe performs research in this exciting field, unveiling new applications and developing THz technology. “Similar to Astronomy, where scientists use the full electromagnetic spectrum to investigate the universe, we need the full spectrum to understand and describe matter. The THz range has remained widely unexplored so far. CTSTe will open this range and a large number of possibilities for fundamental and applied research”, says Jaime Gómez Rivas.
Affordable THz technology
The ambition is to create a flagship THz laboratory for characterization, tests and measurements. At present, such a laboratory does not exist in the Netherlands. Currently, terahertz measurement equipment is very costly and only in reach for large companies and university groups. Through the planned activities, CTSTe will enable access for a much larger group of potential adopters, by developing affordable THz technology. The industrial/scientific ecosystem that will develop will be an important ingredient for future growth of THz applications and scientific research. “To unlock the potential of THz science and technology CTSTe is a timely initiative to accelerate the transformation from research in devices and systems to applications and market opportunities”, says Idelfonso Tafur Monroy. “There is a great potential for sensing at THz frequencies, which despite its advantages has not yet led to a THz killer app. CTSTe, with its diverse expertise and novel collaborations, will be a prosperous setting of bringing this societal goal closer by”, adds Dook van Mechelen.
Dedicated educational program
The new generation of scientists and engineers in the Terahertz field requires experimental skills. The educational program of CTSTe will develop a unique teaching laboratory and dedicated courses, where bachelor, master, PDEng and PhD students will be able to gain experimental/theoretical skills. “Education in the THz field will be multi-disciplinary from electronics and physics to applications in science and industry – our ongoing research and the THz laboratory itself will play a central role”, says Marion Matters-Kammerer.
The Center for Terahertz Science & Technology Eindhoven will be officially launched on July 14th at Eindhoven University of Technology. More info and link to register: https://www.tue.nl/ctste