Posted by Mike on November 29th, 2007 in display, optic

I have been a follower of the work in Terahertz radiation for a long time. Terahertz radiation lies in a range of frequencies from about 500 Gigahertz (above the highest cell phone range) to far infrared, or about 1700 Gigahertz. The significance of the terahertz frequency range is that you can get a great amount of data about an object by ‘looking’ at an object in this light range. The radiation passes through pretty much anything, so a picture of you through a bolometer (weird name for a sensor that sees at the lower end of the infrared spectrum) will probably show you in little more than your birthday suit. This proves especially useful in all kinds of advanced imaging applications to learn more about the properties of an object without being able to touch it or break it apart.

The relevance of the article referenced here suggests something even more fundamental: THZ radiation can cause changes in the crystalline structure of some solid materials, which change them from an electrical insulator to a conductor. Apparently, the vibrational coupling of the radiation seems to produce a distortion in the lattice which produces a “phase change” in the material, allowing the free flow of electrons- and hence becoming a conductor.

I can easily imagine a superconductor that is switched on by pulse of THZ radiation alone. The quest for the room temperature superconductor may be a bit closer because of this research, and once that hits, all kinds of new electronics will be possible. By the way, I urge you to look into “phase change” materials. I know that for me personally, a lot of lights went on when I finally understood that concept better.

http://www.physorg.com/news110471926.html

Technorati : phase change, radiation, superconductor, terahertz