The last 15-20 years have witnessed a remarkable growth in the field of terahertz (THz) frequency science and engineering, which has now become a vibrant, international, cross-disciplinary research activity. Yet, despite long-standing efforts by the international community, difficulties remain in accessing and exploiting this central region of the electromagnetic spectrum (300 GHz to 10 THz in frequency) owing to the lack of compact, solid state, sources.
Notwithstanding these difficulties, the range of potential applications for the THz frequency range of the spectrum is enormous, and includes: astronomy; pharmaceutical process monitoring; wireless communications; dermatological imaging; and the study of condensed matter physics and nanostructures. Equally, much progress has been made in developing THz sources, with a specific international focus being on the development of THz quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), which were first demonstrated in 2002. Many exciting challenges face THz researchers. Of particular interest to me are questions such as:
1) How can we measure condensed matter systems (whether semiconducting, superconducting or magnetic), and nanostructures, in the THz frequency range? What new, fundamental, physics will be revealed, especially at cryogenic temperatures and at high magnetic fields?
2) Can one engineer THz QCLs both photonically and electronically to make a source that is as ubiquitous as solid state, semiconductor devices are in other parts of the spectrum? Can THz QCLs meet the stringent requirements of space-borne technology for THz astronomy?
3) Can THz radiation be used to study biological materials, especially at a cellular level?
It is undoubtedly true that to maximise impact across the THz spectral range, there is a requirement for inter-disciplinary collaboration between researchers across science and engineering. This presents many challenges, and it is such challenges that I will explore through this Fellowship.
The Fellowship will free up my time from current University teaching/administrative commitments, and allow me to focus on addressing such key issues, and hence define the international agenda for the next decade and beyond in the field of THz science and engineering. It will allow me to have extended visits to leading international researchers, in a way that it is not normally possible with University commitments. From these visits, I will not only develop new research activities in the THz field, but also understand how some of the world's leading researchers develop creative ideas, assemble successful research teams from academic staff through to graduate students, and undertake cross-disciplinary research outside the traditional boundaries. I will then take these ideas, combine them with the metods that I have used to build research teams and projects to date, and use professional organisations within the UK to bring new approaches for developing creativity to my research.
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