New Trends in Terahertz Photonics

Dear Colleagues,

Terahertz photonics is a rapidly growing field with significant potential for biomedical detection. This Special Issue, “New Trends in Terahertz Photonics”, aims to highlight the latest advancements and innovative research in the terahertz domain. The scope of this Special Issue encompasses a broad range of topics, including but not limited to optical devices, electric field probes, imaging techniques, non-destructive testing, numerical simulations, metamaterials, biomedicine, spectral databases, nonlinear spectroscopy, and the Rydberg state.

Terahertz spectroscopy is mainly based on the unique terahertz properties of different biomolecules or different binding modes between biomolecules and analyzes the differences in absorption or reflection coefficients to identify the target substances. Terahertz spectroscopy studies cover different biological levels from cells to tissues. The rotational and vibrational energy levels of biomolecules (e.g., proteins, etc.) are mostly within the terahertz band, and different biomolecules have their own distinctive fingerprint spectra. Meanwhile, the photons of terahertz radiation have a low energy, a millionth of that of X-rays, therefore causing no damage to the biological samples. Thus, terahertz technology is highly suitable for spectroscopic and imaging studies of biological samples.

Terahertz technology, as a detection method, can be integrated with metamaterials, Rydberg atoms, near-field imaging, and other techniques to analyze biomedical samples. The integration of terahertz detection technology with metamaterials can enhance the electromagnetic field, thereby enabling molecular detection of higher sensitivity. Rydberg atoms exhibit exceptionally large electric dipole moments in the terahertz frequency bands. Quantum interference effects enable the detection of the electromagnetic field with higher sensitivity within this frequency range, with theoretical sensitivity surpassing that of current detection technologies. Near-field imaging technology can acquire images of biomedical samples at the microscopic level and provide spectral analysis. Additionally, we welcome submissions on other technologies associated with terahertz detection.

All types of contributions, i.e., research papers, reviews, and communications, are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Yan Peng
Guest Editor

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