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Rensselaer Opens Terahertz Research Center
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Terahertz Pioneers |
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Click here for more photos of the event by by Kris Qua |
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Rensselaer marked the expansion of its terahertz research facilities with a gathering of pioneers and other experts in the field on Friday, Dec 5. The daylong celebration featured discussions on the history and promise of this emerging technology.
The terahertz (THz) frequency range — or “T-rays” — presents the next frontier in imaging science and technology. T-rays offer enormous potential in medical imaging, global security, agriculture, forensic science, and food safety. Researchers at Rensselaer have already successfully used advanced THz technology to uncover small defects in the foam used for space shuttle insulation.
In a standing-room-only ceremony, President Shirley Ann Jackson, Dean of Science Joseph Flaherty, Physics Chair Gwo-Ching Wang, Professor Xi-Cheng Zhang, and honored guests joined the Rensselaer community in dedicating the new W. M. Keck Laboratory for Terahertz Science in the Center for Terahertz Research. Zhang, along with two other distinguished pioneers in terahertz research – Daniel Grischkowsky, Oklahoma State University; and Yuen-Ron Shen, the University of California at Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory – participated in a “Conversation on Terahertz Research,” moderated by President Jackson. They discussed the history and potential applications of terahertz research, and took questions from the audience.
An afternoon “Technical Symposium on Terahertz Research,” included an overview of terahertz science, its history and promise, a review of recent research results, and a discussion of potential applications. Leading researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, University of California at Berkeley, Rice University, Columbia University, and Brookhaven National Lab also participated in the discussion.
The new Keck Laboratory, on the ninth floor of the Low Center, will expand Rensselaer’s pioneering work in the development of terahertz (THz) science and technology. The new lab is funded by Rensselaer, along with NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the National Science Foundation. Also, with the support of a W. M. Keck Foundation grant, the new world-class lab will be equipped with advanced instrumentation including a three-phase terawatt system, which uses an amplified laser pulse to produce a high-powered terahertz wave. The lab also is outfitted with an infrared spectrometer, optical tables, and a vacuum deposition system.
Rensselaer is also well positioned to train the next generation of terahertz researchers. The Institute was recently awarded a $3.86 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund 15 fellowships to enhance interdisciplinary graduate study in terahertz (THz) science and technology as it relates to imaging, data transfer, and networking systems and electronics.
Photos by Kris Qua
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