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Novel Spin-Based Building Blocks for Advanced TeraHertz Applications

Project description

Advanced terahertz radiation technology based on spin building blocks

Lying in the far end of the infrared band, terahertz waves span a steadily growing range of applications including food inspection and quality control, medical diagnostics, drug development, security screening and environmental monitoring. The EU-funded s-NEBULA project will pioneer a new approach to generating and detecting terahertz radiation. At the core of s-NEBULA’s vision is to create a platform of room-temperature spin-based terahertz building blocks based on novel magnetism and optics concepts. Gathering European expertise from different fields, the project will demonstrate cutting-edge solutions: variable-baseline broadband pulsed emitters and voltage-controlled compact detectors for non-destructive testing; tuneable continuous-wave emitters for communications; and polarisation-programmable emitters for ellipsometry. All these applications cannot be realised yet with existing terahertz technologies.

Objective

s-NEBULA explores and develops a revolutionary approach to TeraHertz (THz) technology, both for generation and detection of THz radiation, initiating the new field of spin-based TeraHertz (s-THz) technology, a game changer for the future of THz field. The ambition of s-NEBULA is to provide a platform of room-temperature innovative spin-based THz building blocks, arising from novel combinations of magnetism and optics. s-NEBULA will provide cutting-edge solutions to solve bottleneck scientific issues in the THz field motivated by clear needs in judiciously chosen target applications. These include variable-baseline broadband pulsed emitters and voltage-controlled compact detectors for non-destructive testing (NDT), intrinsically-modulated CW emitters for THz communication and polarization-programmable emitters for ellipsometry. We will demonstrate innovative schemes for THz emission using spin-orbit interfaces targeting optically driven s-THz pulsed emitters with bandwidth > 20 THz, with enormous potential for NDT applications. For THz communication, data traffic densities of several Tbps/km2 are predicted for 5G networks, but not a single THz data link beyond2 THz s-NEBULA will develop high-power tunable CW emitters working beyond 5 THz. Besides, we will investigate a disruptive approach combining antiferromagnetic materials with direct voltage rectification effects, targeting a tunable & compact detector, key element for on-chip THz systems of tomorrow. Furthermore, combining THz radiation with magnetism enables an extra lever to control the emitted wave; intrinsic modulation/demodulation becomes possible, as well as polarization control for innovative schemes in ellipsometry. All these approaches are not possible with existing THz technologies. The consortium gathers leading European expertise in significantly diverse areas (optics, magnetism, materials preparation, advanced theory, industrial integration, THz metrology) that will enable multi-disciplinary work.

Call for proposal

H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2020

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Sub call

H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01

Coordinator

THALES
Net EU contribution
€ 569 245,00
Address
4 RUE DE LA VERRERIE
92190 MEUDON
France

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Region
Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Hauts-de-Seine
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost
€ 569 245,00

Participants (8)