Tiny Antenna Capable of Transmitting and Receiving Terahertz Signals

Researchers from Moscow's Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) have designed a small, flat antenna capable of transmitting and receiving terahertz signals. Terahertz waves (or THz radiation) are made up of electromagnetic waves in the ITU band of frequencies that range from 0.3 to 3 THz, which lie in the boundary between microwave and far infrared. The breakthrough could pave the way for portable biomedical, food analysis, cancer screening and other devices that can take advantage of THz waves.

The problem with terahertz technology is it tends to be on a large scale, limiting devices to laboratories, airports, hospitals and industrial settings. "Almost 90 percent of THz devices use the bulky silicon lenses that are about 10 millimeters in diameter and 6 millimeters thick," Skoltech professor Shihab Al-Daffaie explains. "There's no way you can have a fingertip-sized device with that thing. So we found a way to get rid of it."

To get around those issues, the researchers developed a flat antenna that's just 0.3mm thick using a two-step lithography process, resulting in a platform around 20x smaller than current silicon lenses. What's more, they were able to plant a THz device directly onto the antenna, allowing it to be integrated into a system. That integration also reduces power requirements without sacrificing performance.

"We can plant our THz device directly on the flat antenna, seamlessly integrating it into the system," Al-Daffaie adds. "Previously, you would put the device over the lens, sort of like a device within a device — but now we have it on the same platform."