Research Center for Terahertz and Nano-optical sciences

Terahertz electromagnetic waves have higher frequency than the frequency bands that recent electronic technology uses (up to megahertz or gigahertz regions). They also have smaller photon energy than the infrared and visible photons, and as a result the signal of terahertz waves are often obscured by the thermal noise due to room temperature fluctuations. The terahertz region, therefore, remains to be investigated and to be used for applications until recently. However, recent development of ultrafast spectroscopic techniques and scanning probe microscopes enables us to investigate terahertz frequency region and nanometer spatial scales.Especially, the members of this center have unique experimental techniques such as broadband terahertz spectroscopy, terahertz real-time oscilloscopes, and terahertz scanning tunneling microscopes, which would open new applications of terahertz frequency from our university. This center will further advance the experimental techniques and apply them to the interdisciplinary fields of science and engineering by performing collaborations and sharing experimental setups.