A recent study in Nano Letters depicts a device that overcomes the several disadvantages related to current terahertz detectors.
The detection of light at terahertz (THz) frequencies is important for a large range of applications, such as airport scanners or wireless data communication. However, current detectors typically have several disadvantages in terms of sensitivity, speed, operating temperature and spectral range.
In a recent article published in Nano Letters, BIST centre researchers Sebastián Castilla and Bernat Terrés (ICFO), led by ICREA Prof. Frank Koppens (ICFO) and former ICFO scientist Dr Klaas-Jan Tielrooij (now Junior Group Leader at the Ultrafast Dynamics in Nanoscale Systems Group in ICN2, also a BIST centre) have been able to overcome these challenges. The work was performed in collaboration with scientists from CIC NanoGUNE, NEST (CNR), Nanjing University, Donostia International Physics Center, University of Ioannina and the National Institute for Material Sciences. They have developed a new graphene-enabled photodetector that operates at room temperature, and is highly sensitive, very fast, has a wide dynamic range and covers a broad range of THz frequencies. In summary, it is better than what is now commercially available.
To know more about this research you can visit ICFO’s webpage here and ICN2’s here.
