Graphene sheds light on terahertz waves

Terahertz waves allow for the detection of materials that are undetectable at other frequencies, but the use of these waves is limited by the absence of suitable devices and materials that control them.

Now, researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), working with the Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich (ETHZ) and two Spanish research teams, have overcome this limitation with a technique that paves the way for a practical use of terahertz waves, in particular for imaging and telecommunications. The work is described in Nature Communications.

"The interaction between terahertz radiation and the electrons in graphene is very strong and we have therefore come to the hypothesis that it should be possible to use graphene to manage terahertz waves,” said Alexey Kuzmenko from the Department of Quantum Matter Physics of UNIGE’s Faculty of Sciences.

Working within the framework of the European project Graphene Flagship, the scientists have made a graphene-based transistor adapted to terahertz waves.