LAU Collaborative Research Unlocks Potential of Molecular THz Switches and Detectors
In collaboration with the University of Lille and the University of Angers in France, as well as the University of Mons in Belgium, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Sciences at LAU’s School of Arts and Sciences Ali Yassin published his latest work, titled “Molecular Junctions for Terahertz Switches and Detectors”, in Nano Letters, a leading nanoscience and nanotechnology journal of the American Chemical Society. The research investigates the first experimental molecular devices that function as THz (terahertz) switches at room temperature, showing unique electrical behaviors and the potential to surpass current THz detectors in performance.
The combined efforts of the researchers resulted in the design of a new type of semiconducting material that shows reversible conductance behaviors under THz illumination when carefully attached to tiny gold electrodes. The group is benchmarking that these molecular devices would outperform actual THz detectors present in the market today.
Effectively, the THz realm is the last stretch of the full electromagnetic spectrum which has not been technologically and commercially developed yet. These characteristic waves can penetrate clothing and other types of covers but are selectively absorbed by water or metal. The radiation is completely harmless for biological bodies and is safe for humans and animals.
With applications ranging from high-speed information transmission with entirely secured channels of wireless communication, to THz tomography in medicine for analyzing the upper layers of a body, and security systems for people screening and luggage scanning.