UCLA Engineers Integrate Terahertz Systems onto Single Semiconductor Chip

UCLA researchers have developed a method to integrate terahertz optoelectronic functions onto one semiconductor chip, addressing longstanding challenges with bulky systems.

Terahertz waves occupy the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared light and microwaves. They hold potential for ultrafast wireless communication, imaging, security screening, and remote sensing but remain underused due to complex and bulky systems. Current terahertz optoelectronic systems typically rely on multiple separate components, including lasers, amplifiers, modulators, sources, and detectors. These must be individually made, aligned, and interconnected, which limits their use beyond specialized laboratory settings.

Photonics-based terahertz systems have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional electronic technologies because of superior bandwidth and power efficiency. A UCLA-led team has now demonstrated integration of these functions onto a single semiconductor chip compatible with modern photonic technologies. The work was published in Nature Communications.

The breakthrough centers on quantum well semiconductor structures—ultrathin layers engineered to control light—that can generate, detect, modulate, and amplify terahertz signals on a single chip. The researchers adapted terahertz generation and detection for compatibility with photonic integrated...