IET Colloquium on Millimetre-wave and Terahertz Engineering & Technology 2017

The millimetre-wave and terahertz regions of the electromagnetic spectrum have recently attracted new interest with new applications beginning to appear such as communications, non-destructive testing and medical imaging.

The availability of higher power solid state sources, more efficient multipliers and room temperature detectors is pushing the boundary of solid state systems to 1 THz, opening up a raft of commercially driven industrial applications. The emergence of 5G communications and E-band radios is providing a cost-effective entry into the lower millimetre wave part of the spectrum.

Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) operating at ever higher temperatures are becoming a practical alternative to gas lasers for the multi-terahertz region.
New machining and fabrication techniques such as 3D printing coupled with powerful finite element analysis and testing capability offers further reductions in cost and more complicated system architectures.