Skip to content

Group challenges

No.ChallengeGeneral description
1THz lab courseHypothesis: The development of the THz technology came to the level, when THz sources and detectors are affordable and accessible. Say, the cost of a THz source and detector came down to ~100 EUR. However, it is still an early stage of the THz-technology development, the technology is not yet widespread in the society.
THz sources are either with a fixed frequency in the range 100 GHz – 1 THz, or they could be slightly tunable by 1-5%. The THz detectors are either broadband, or they could have a high responsivity only in a narrow band.
In this situation, it becomes possible to offer THz lab exercises to BS and MS students. Suggest a set of such lab exercises/experiments for students. Those could be exercises targeting some possible practical THz use cases and applications, experiments clarifying particular properties of THz radiation or electromagnetic waves, or that could be experiments just for fun.
Ideally, some of the exercises/experiments should elucidate certain unique properties of THz radiation.
More detailed description is in PDF file.
2Electronic Systems at MMW/THz frequencies for short-range communicationsIn the past years, the ever increasing demand on the capacity of wireless communication indicates the data rate will reach beyond 100 Gbit/s with the same trend. One solution is to improve the spectrum efficiency by using advanced modulation formats within regulated narrowband in millimetre-wave band, this technique however will consume higher link linearity, larger link dynamic range and more complex transceiver as cost. On the other hand, ultrahigh data rates beyond 100 Gbit/s (eventually Tbit/s) are still very difficult, as the achievable data rate is upper limited according to Shannon’s channel capacity theorem. Alternatively, to overcome the channel congestion in the long run, there have been increasing interests in extending the carrier frequency for ultra-fast wireless communication into higher frequency band.
In the past decade, there has been a significant surge of progress in enabling integrated, compact and efficient chip-scale THz technology, which could close the THz gap in meaningful ways. This progress is a result of a concerted effort stretching across a wide range of areas including solid-state and photonic devices. Therefore, the technology for such systems is gradually becoming available. It would be desirable to have integrated (on-chip) electronic/photonic systems able to generate, transmit and receive the signals required for short-range high-capacity applications with minimum space occupation and at an affordable cost.
More detailed description is in PDF file.
3Integrated Photonic Terahertz Breath AnalyzersSpectroscopic methods for detecting and identifying gases have shown promise because of their inherent non-invasive nature, relative simplicity, and high selectivity. The vast majority of work in this area has relied on “fingerprint” absorption in the mid-infrared (λ ≈ 2–20 μm), where molecular vibrations often provide a unique signature. Both incoherent sources (e.g. Fourier transform infrared, FTIR) [1] and laser-based coherent sources [2] have been commonly used. This has demonstrated the sensitive detection of many gases, including greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide and methane, other chemicals such as hydrochloric acid and HF, and common exhaust pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide and many other gases as shown in Figure 1[3]. Despite these promising results, significant challenges remain, particularly in expanding the range of spectroscopically detectable gases. In contrast to gas sensors in the mid-infrared range, the use of far infrared or terahertz radiation for sensor purposes is still in its infancy. In this frequency range from λ ≈ 3 mm to 50 μm (corresponding to frequencies between 0.1 and 6 THz), many polar molecules show unique spectral signatures arising from transitions between spin quantum levels.
More detailed description is in PDF file.
4Multiple Laser Integrated Photonic for Broadband THz devicesTerahertz radiation is not yet widely used despite its enormous potential for applications in food safety, biomedicine, and communications. The main obstacle for many scientific and commercial applications is the lack of suitable sources and detectors of THz radiation with sufficient power and sensitivity, and small footprint and portability. Currently, available photonic-based THz systems have already demonstrated great potential in terms of high tunability, standard room temperature operation, and signal quality. However, they still suffer from many drawbacks, such as large device size (requires an optical stage), mechanical disturbances (in addition to noise and alignment), high power consumption (electrical and optical), and low system flexibility (each application requires a new setup). Therefore, the researcher proposes a new THz system platform that aims to overcome all the above mentioned drawbacks. It is based on photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and nanotechnology. The target system-on-chip includes a fully integrated THz source such and detector with enhanced emission power and sensitivity. This is achieved by using photonics-based THz sources (such in Figure 1) and detectors with co-integrated electronics and terahertz antenna. The THz system-on-chip will find applications in areas such as communications, food safety and biomedicine, among others.  The integration platform built in this project will represent a technological leap from current bulky devices to an extremely flexible, portable and energy-efficient THz system-on-chip.
More detailed description is in PDF file.
5THz Technology In Security SystemThe terahertz range offers a unique combination of capabilities that enhance various aspects of life security, from medical diagnostics and non-invasive imaging to visualization in difficult environmental conditions, high-bandwidth communication, and environmental monitoring. These attributes make it a valuable tool in ensuring public safety and security.
The proposal for this student project is to explore the potential application scenarios of combining different approaches in electronics, mm and sub-mm engineering, and physics to develop a security system for industrial or everyday life in the terahertz range.
 Potential problems that could be considered:
•            Tracking objects in difficult environmental conditions.
•            Visualization of workers and objects in ranges not available for IR or visible range.
•            Tracking environmental conditions in collaboration with security systems.
More detailed description is in PDF file.
6THz radioastronomy: from the inhomogeneity of Cosmic Background Radiation to the first images of black holes: what will come next?The application of sub-THz millimeter wave technologies in astronomy resulted in many fascinating findings such as the anisotropy of cosmic microwave background radiation or even the first images of the black hole event horizon. Referring to the recent findings, despite their ubiquity and large mass of black holes, these objects are relatively small in size meaning even the best telescopes up to date can’t take images of them — at least when working alone. Therefore, to capture the first-ever image of a Black Hole, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) applied a method known as “very long baseline interferometry” (VLBI) to yoke multiple telescopes together into a single virtual observatory the size of the planet. Moreover, despite that presented findings can be treated as quantum leaps, there are expectations that they only mark the beginning of the understanding of the nature of spacetime and gravity.
More detailed description is in PDF file.
7Miniaturized Terahertz System for Environmental Sensing in Laboratory SettingsThe terahertz (THz) region of the electromagnetic spectrum, which lies between the microwave and infrared regions, has unique properties that make it highly suitable for various sensing applications. A miniaturized terahertz system can offer significant advantages in environmental monitoring, including high sensitivity, non-invasive analysis, and the ability to penetrate various materials. This challenge focuses on designing and developing a compact terahertz system tailored for laboratory environmental sensors. Therefore, you are invited to design and develop a miniaturized terahertz (THz) spectrometer system for environmental sensing applications in laboratory settings. The goal is to create a compact, portable, and sensitive THz system that can be used for real-time analysis to bridge the gap between cutting-edge THz technology and practical environmental sensing applications. You are encouraged to explore the principles of terahertz technology, design miniaturized components, and integrate these into a functional sensor system to monitor environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, and chemical composition in a controlled laboratory environment.
More detailed description is in PDF file.
8THz vs Optics vs MRI Imaging for Obesity Monitoring: Who
is the Winner?
Obesity is a major public health issue globally, contributing to a range of health complications such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Determining the most effective imaging modality for obesity monitoring is essential for improving diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes. Various imaging modalities, including terahertz (THz) imaging, optical imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have been employed to measure body composition and fat distribution. THz imaging emerges as a potential tool due to its sensitivity to water content in tissues, which might differentiate between fat and muscle. Optical Imaging is known for its non-invasive nature and high-resolution surface imaging capabilities, it is widely used in superficial tissue assessment. MRI is renowned for its detailed imaging of both superficial and deep tissues; MRI is a well-established method in clinical settings for assessing fat distribution and organ involvement. The need for accurate, non-invasive methods to monitor body fat and the distribution is necessary. This proposal aims to compare these three imaging techniques to determine the most effective method for obesity monitoring.
More detailed description is in PDF file.
9Medical humidity sensorHypothetical scenario: In the case „Meyers against Angel Health Care, Inc.”, the Central Law Court of the country Humboldtia in the southern hemisphere recently ruled that the company is being fined and has to come up with compensation payments to relatives, following the deaths of three intensive-care patients, subjected to tracheal intubation-based respiration for an extended period of time in the company’s hospitals. The deaths were considered to be a consequence of avoidable inflammations resulting from the dehydration of the patients. The too dry air of the respirators was found to be a decisive factor in promoting the inflammations. As a consequence of the lawsuit, the government has imposed the requirement that humidity in respirators be monitored and actively regulated at all times. The company now calls for bids for improved air humidity sensors (water in the vapor phase, not liquid water) to be installed in the respirators.
Students task description: Your boss in the MM-/THz-Wave company Future Success AG asks you to assess the available humidity sensor technologies and to let her know whether mm-/THz systems could be a viable alternative. She wants you to suggest, if possible, a measurement scheme with a proposition of a set-up which is able to perform in a sterile medical environment (within the tube of the respirator). The sensor element on its own has to cost no more than 50 € if mass-produced. The challenge of water-droplet formation on windows and lenses has to be considered either in the selection of the operational wavelength or in the technical solutions of the sensor module.
More detailed description is in PDF file.