T-Ray Science, ULeeds Collaborate

T-Ray Science Inc. has entered into a research collaboration with the University of Leeds in the UK to develop low-cost, pulsed and continuous wave (CW), fiber-coupled terahertz (THz) spectrometers that operate at telecom wavelengths. The commercial advantage to developing a spectrometer at the these wavelengths is the ability to use mass-produced telecom components such as lasers, fibers and couplers, which could reduce the cost of a system by 90 percent compared to available THz systems. Prof. Edmund Linfield, director of the university’s Institute of Microwaves and Photonics, will lead the project.

“The collaboration with the University of Leeds could lead to low-cost, compact and easy-to-use THz diagnostic and imaging systems for applications in medical imaging, explosives detection, airport security and manufacturing quality control,” said Thomas Braun, president and CEO of T-Ray Science. “We are honored to have the opportunity to work with a world-class university in developing this cutting-edge technology.”

According to Braun, the collaboration with the University of Leeds compliments the company’s collaborations with Canadian programs at the University of Victoria, the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec and the University of Manitoba.

The University of Leeds received a grant from the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to fund a project to develop a low-cost, pulsed and continuous wave, fiber-coupled THz spectrometer that operates at wavelengths common in telecom applications. T-Ray Science supported the grant application and will assist in the project through laboratory tests of the newly developed system. The company also will have the opportunity to license any intellectual properties that may result from the project.

T-Ray owns the exclusive license from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the only known CW coherent detection system, which was invented by Simon Verghese and Alex McIntosh. The CW system being developed by Leeds will produce continuous THz waves at a fixed frequency for a very low cost and will be more compact and robust because of the use of mass-produced diode lasers, rather than the large and expensive Ti:sapphire lasers traditionally used by THz researchers.

For more information, visit: www.t-rayscience.com