T-Ray Science Licenses MIT THz Patents

Vancouver-based TeraHertz radiation researcher T-Ray Science Inc. today announced it has signed an exclusive patent license agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., to produce spectroscopy and imaging systems that use dual-mode, pulsed and continuous terahertz (THz) waves. Noninvasive THz radiation lies between the infrared and microwave range of the electromagnetic spectrum. The new system is the first to integrate both pulsed and continuous wave spectroscopic analysis and imaging, allowing the user to use a pulsed THz radiation generation mode to quickly find the portion of the THz spectrum where the absorption signature of the material being tested is located, T-Ray said. After that, one can switch to the continuous wave THz radiation generation mode to perform a high-resolution scan over a small range of frequency around the absorption frequency determined by the pulsed THz system. The global spectroscopy market, valued at approximately $5.2 billion, is currently dominated by single-mode systems, T-Ray said, but market research has indicated a strong trend towards the use of dual-mode devices that could revolutionize the industry.