Faculty of Science and Technology

The terahertz region of the spectrum has unique properties to enable outstanding applications in many different fields ranging from medicine to security, from imaging to telecommunications. At the same time the THz region represents a true challenge for designers, fabrication technologies and measurements systems.

Formidable technological obstacles to realise compact and low cost THz sources have inhibited a widespread of THz applications, already proved in laboratory environment. Many of the applications in the THz frequency range require a level of power not achievable by optoelectronic devices at room temperature or by solid-state technology. The recent introduction of different micro-fabrication techniques has stimulated the realisation of miniature vacuum electron devices operating in the THz regime, to achieve the level of output power to enable applications at these frequencies.

This talk will describe the great challenge of the realisation of vacuum electron tubes for THz applications, the most recent advancements and the activity of the E-MIT group of Engineering Department in the field.