CELTA — Convergence of Electronics and Photonics Technologies for Enabling Terahertz Applications

Results in brief

Convergence of Electronics and Photonics Technologies for Enabling Terahertz Applications

Societal relevance: securing that the food we consume is free of poisonous substances, securing that medicines are not falsified and being able to early detect diseases such as cancer, are a few examples of applications of Terahertz technologies. The ITN CELTA aims to produce the next generation of researchers who will enable Europe to take a leading role in the multidisciplinary area of utilizing Terahertz technology for applications involving components and complete systems for sensing, instrumentation, imaging, spectroscopy, and wireless communications. Within CELTA, fifteen early stage researchers are working towards the realization of three demonstrators: beam steering technology for communication applications, a photonic vector analyzer for spectroscopy and materials characterization, and a THz imager for sensing applications. The problem tackled. For the three demonstrators in CELTA, a common technological challenge is achieving high enough power level of Terahertz radiation at the transmitter side and performing high sensitivity detection at the receiver side. Another challenge of Terahertz technologies is compact, small size and portable solutions, preferable with user friendly interfaces. Increasing the resolution and reliability of imaging realized by Terahertz cameras is a timely and relevant challenge. All the three above-mentioned challenges are tackled within the ITN CELTA. Overall objectives: To face the challenge of power levels for THz generation and high sensitivity of THz receivers, the following objectives are pursued in CELTA. Firstly, transmitter and receiver configurations including combination of beam steering and beamforming using antenna arrays, phase shifting, envelope detectors, and an optical true time delay network are considered. Furthermore, high power amplification and multiple stages of frequency multiplication are also considered. A free-space THz vector network analyzer (VNA) using optical fiber coupled and compact THz elements is developed as a small size and portable solution. A fine tunable THz transmitter as well as a compact and highly sensitive THz detector are developed serving the objective of compactness and high-resolution for imaging and THz-VNA analysis. Finally, the challenge of increasing resolution and reliability of THz cameras is tackled by a combination of large pixel array THz cameras in combination with advanced signal processing algorithms. Conclusion: the ITN CELTA has achieved all its objectives both the technical goals and the training activities of 15 ESRs are successfully completed.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

CELTA: Convergence of Electronics and Photonics Technologies for Enabling Terahertz Applications aims to produce the next generation of researchers who will enable Europe to take a leading role in the multidisciplinary area of utilizing Terahertz technology for applications involving components and complete systems for sensing, instrumentation, imaging, spectroscopy, and communications. All these technologies are key to tackle important solutions in a large number of focus areas relevant for the societal challenges identified in the Horizon2020 work programme. To achieve this objective, CELTA is comprised of eleven leading research institutions and assembled a comprehensive research training programme for all the fifteen early stage researchers (ESRs). CELTA integrates multidisciplinary scientific expertise, complementary skills, and experience working in academia and industry to empower ESRs to work in interdisciplinary teams, integrate their activities, share expertise, and promote a vision of a converged co-design and common engineering language between electronics and photonics for Terahertz technologies. Therefore, CELTA will introduce the strategy of converged electronics and photonics co-design in its research program and makes a special effort on establishing a common engineering language in its training program across the electronics, photonics and applications disciplines. We believe this common engineering language and converged co-design is mandatory to make the next logical step towards efficient and innovation solutions that can reach the market. The detailed compendium of lectures on state-of-the art technology, soft skills and entrepreneurship is accompanied by a research programme that focuses on THz key technologies. CELTA ESRs will develop three demonstrators: beam steering technology for communication applications, a photonic vector analyser for spectroscopy and materials characterization, and a THz imager for sensing applications.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN · EindhovenCoordinatorNetherlands
AALTO KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SR · EspooFinland
CESKE VYSOKE UCENI TECHNICKE V PRAZE · PRAHACzechia
DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET · Kongens LyngbyDenmark
JOHANN WOLFGANG GOETHE-UNIVERSITAET FRANKFURT AM MAIN · Frankfurt Am MainGermany
KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN · StockholmSweden
POLITECHNIKA WARSZAWSKA · WarszawaPoland
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT DARMSTADT · DarmstadtGermany
UNIVERSIDAD CARLOS III DE MADRID · Getafe (Madrid)Spain
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DELL'AQUILA · L AQUILAItaly
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA TOR VERGATA · RomaItaly
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN · DublinIreland
VYSOKE UCENI TECHNICKE V BRNE · BRNO STREDCzechia

CELTA · Convergence of Electronics and Photonics Technologies for Enabling Terahertz Applications

Results in brief

Convergence of Electronics and Photonics Technologies for Enabling Terahertz Applications

Project objective

Participants

Links