Chip-based System for Terahertz Waves could Enable more Efficient, Sensitive Electronics

February 20, 2025

The use of terahertz waves, which have shorter wavelengths and higher frequencies than radio waves, could enable faster data transmission, more precise medical imaging, and higher-resolution radar.

But effectively generating terahertz waves using a semiconductor chip, which is essential for incorporation into electronic devices, is notoriously difficult.

Many current techniques can’t generate waves with enough radiating power for useful applications unless they utilize bulky and expensive silicon lenses. Higher radiating power allows terahertz signals to travel farther. Such lenses, which are often larger than the chip itself, make it hard to integrate the terahertz source into an electronic device.

To overcome these limitations, MIT researchers developed a terahertz amplifier-multiplier system that achieves higher radiating power than existing devices without the need for silicon lenses.