OPTICAL TERAHERTZ SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Invitation
OPTICAL
TERAHERTZ SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY
- A playground for fundamental and applied science
Invitation to a Danish Academy of Technical
Sciences Conference 2009
5 October 2009
Venue: Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Building 101

Introduction
ATV - Danish Academy of Technical Sciences and DTU
Fotonik - Technical University of Denmark, Department
of Photonics Engineering arrange this conference on the
nascent terahertz technology. The aim is to identify the commercial
possibilities of the so-called terahertz range. The
terahertz range is a broad frequency band between microwaves
and infrared light.
The terahertz range has almost solely been used for scientific
purposes so far - mainly due to a traditional lack of easily accessible
light sources and detectors in this range. The latest
technological breakthroughs have implied that it is necessary
to change this perception.
With this conference we hope to inspire future commercial
initiatives for Danish companies so that they can benefit from
this active technological development. Today terahertz technology
is already utilised as an important tool for non-destructive
testing, for certain safety purposes and in hundreds
of research laboratories all over the world. The applications
will definitely be widespread. Different market analyses independently
indicate that there will be a market of several hundreds
of millions of euros within the next 10-20 years.
One of the important aims of the conference is to invite the
participants to take an active part in the moderated debate
that will follow the presentations during the day. At the end of
the day a panel discussion will focus on future perspectives
on Danish industry within this exciting field.
Conference objective
The overall objective of the conference is to bring together
leading experts working in various directions of THz technology
with a focus on upcoming applications with leading
experts from industry. It is our hope that this opportunity to
meet will serve as inspiration for further development of the
growing commercial opportunities offered by the incorporation
of THz technology in future applications.
In between the cutting-edge presentations, the participants
will have ample time to network with top scientists, policy
makers, and businessmen from a range of companies and
research institutions.
The conference will focus on technology for medical applications,
optical systems for terahertz technology, microscopy,
applications of terahertz technology within European
space programs, wireless terahertz communication and
non-destructive error detection (for instance in composite
materials).
“ATV and DTU Fotonik will bring together the
world’s top technologists from the nascent
terahertz industry, the leading scientists in
the field of terahertz technology and Danish
and foreign companies and scientists”

Conference Program
Conference Program
8:30 Registration and morning coffee
10:45 Coffee/tea break
9:00 Welcome
Address by Chief Scientist Lars Lading, Danish Technological Institute, Chairman of the ATV group on Electrical and Electronic
Engineering and Information Technology
9:15 Terahertz Technology
”Looking forward with optical Terahertz technology”
by Professor Peter Uhd Jepsen, Technical University of Denmark
The THz frequency range contains a wealth of scientific as well as commercial opportunities. Parallel to an impressive
development of science in the THz frequency range, there is a clear trend in THz research and development that new research
becomes more and more oriented towards real-world applications. This can be interpreted as an indication of a maturing field.
Peter Uhd Jepsen will briefly discuss where THz technology may take us in 20-30 years from now, and outline a few of the key
technologies that will need to be developed in order to get there.
“Seeing resonant currents in electric micro-circuits – Terahertz near-field microscopy”
by Dr. Markus Walther, University of Freiburg, Germany
Over the past years many studies have demonstrated the great potential of terahertz imaging for basic research, industry or
security applications. In conventional imaging applications, however, diffration is limiting the achievable spatial resolution to
orders of the wavelength. Only recently, terahertz near-field imaging techniques have been introduced that can overcome this
diffraction limit.
We have developed such a microscopy approach which allows us to measure the amplitude, phase and polarization of electric
near-fields at terahertz frequencies with sub-wavelength spatial resolution. Besides the investigation of various microstructures,
our approach also allows us to trace the electric field vectors close to optically excited metallic structures on sub-ps time scales.
From the measured in-plane electric vector fields we are able to reconstruct the out-of-plane magnetic field vectors. As a result
we obtain a comprehensive microscopic picture of the electromagnetic near-fields and ultimately the resonant currents flowing
in electric micro-circuits.
11.00 Emerging Terahertz Applications I
“Terahertz wave imaging for non-destructive testing”
by Dr. X.-C. Zhang, RPI, Troy, USA
Since the first demonstration of THz wave time-domain spectroscopy in the late 80’s, there has been a series of significant
advances of THz wave sensing and imaging. The development of intense THz sources and more sensitive detectors provide
new opportunities for non-destructive testing in the THz frequency range. As pulsed and continuous THz wave technologies
improve, new THz wave imaging capabilities impact a range of industrial sectors. This is particularly crucial for non-destructive
evaluation (immediate application), national security (three to five years), and medical diagnosis or even clinical treatment in
biomedical applications (five to ten years).
“Terahertz technology for space“
by Dr. Peter de Maagt, ESTEC, The Netherlands
THz systems are finding and will continue to find wide-spread use in both space and terrestrial applications.
The major reason for the interest in THz imaging technologies for terrestrial applications is their inherent spatial resolution, their
ability to penetrate through non-metallic objects, their spectral identification capabilities, and their sensitivity to moisture.
One of the issues that the space and terrestrial systems have in common is that they require state-of-the-art technology
to achieve their ambitious goals; the highest resolution, the highest sensitivity, the highest frequency of operation. Although
technology is advancing at a rapid pace in this frequency range, the requirements for these systems go well beyond what is
currently available, such that there are also no standards or calibration reference sources in this field.
In this talk the design, construction and testing of ESA’s Herschel and Planck observatories will be used as an example
to highlight some of the hurdles that have to be overcome for a space application. Engineers from numerous European
space companies have worked together overcoming many challenges that have pushed terahertz reflector and instrument
technologies to new limits. Consequently significant advances have been achieved despite the lack of internationally agreed
procedures and practices. Systems used in Earth Observation will also be discussed and the drivers identified. Future THz
space systems will also be highlighted.
12:30 Lunch

Conference Program
Conference Program
13:30 Emerging Terahertz Applications II
“Applications of terahertz pulsed technology in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries”
by Dr. Philip Taday, TeraView, Cambridge, UK
The terahertz spectral region extends from the end of the far-IR spectral region (i.e. 133 cm -1 or 4 THz) to the beginning of
the microwave spectral region (i.e. 1.3 cm -1 or 0.02 THz). Absorptions observed in this region are commonly associated with
intermolecular hydrogen-bonding vibrations and crystalline structure lattice vibrations.
TeraView’s terahertz pulsed spectroscopy (TPS) measurements obtained in both transmission and reflectance modes advance
the current state-of-the-art for elucidating solid state crystalline structures such as polymorphs, hydrates, and solvates by
providing fundamental spectra-structure correlations for hydrogen-bonding and other organic moieties.
Terahertz pulsed imaging (TPI) provides a quick and non-destructive 3D mapping technique for determining the composition
and integrity of intact materials. TPI yields unique information about materials.
More recently, TeraView has been on the next generation of time-domain reflectrometers (TDR) for use in semiconductor failure
analysis as a non-destructive method for the location of defects in semiconductor device packages.
In this seminar, Phillp Taday will give an overview of terahertz technology and practical implementation considerations for TPS
and TPI applications in industry.
“Terahertz wireless communications”
by Dr.-ing. Thomas Kleine-Ostmann, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Germany
The increased need of unoccupied and unregulated bandwidth for future wireless short-range communication systems
will require the extension of carrier frequencies to values of 300 GHz and beyond in the lower THz range. The Terahertz
Communications Lab is a joint activity of three research groups at the Technical University of Braunschweig and one at the
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, the German National Metrology Institute, also in Braunschweig. It aims to do research
on system aspects, technology, propagation and channel modelling at sub-mm wavelengths. As part of this cooperation, the
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt covers metrological aspects within this frequency range. A 300 GHz transmission
system designed for THz communication channel modelling and propagation studies has been set up and characterized with
regard to link budget and noise. It consists of autarkic transmitter and detector units based on Schottky diode mixer technology.
For demonstration, analogue and digital video signals have been transmitted over distances of up to 52 m. First channel
measurements have been performed in an office environment. This talk gives an overview of recent and envisaged research
activities within the Terahertz Communications Lab.
15:00 Coffee/tea break
“Industrial application of terahertz systems”
by Professor Martin Koch, University of Marburg, Germany
THz spectroscopy systems will soon find their way from research labs into industry. In the talk Professor Koch will give an
overview of emerging real world applications for THz technology. Applications include the process control in the polymer
industry, the detection of contaminations in food, and the monitoring of the plant water status, the latter being important for
plant breeders. Besides, Professor Koch will review recent attempts to develop low cost THz systems.
15:15 Moderated debate/panel discussion
16:00 Closing remarks
Moderator
To facilitate an active discussion between the speakers of the conference and
the participants, the sessions will be moderated by Professor Søren Rud Keiding,
Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University.

Speakers
Professor Peter Uhd Jepsen, Technical University of Denmark
Peter Uhd Jepsen obtained the Master’s degree in 1994 from Odense University, Denmark, and the PhD degree in 1996 from Aarhus
University, Denmark. He was postdoctoral fellow and later assistant and associate professor at the University of Freiburg, Germany
1996-2004, and has been at the Technical University of Denmark since 2005. Currently he is heading the Terahertz Technologies and
Biophotonics research group at DTU Fotonik - Department of Photonics Engineering, where he specializes in terahertz technologies
for novel sensing applications, spectroscopic measurement techniques, and imaging applications. Peter Uhd Jepsen received
Elektrofondets Elektropris in 2007.
Dr. Philip Taday, TeraView Limited, UK
Dr. Philip F. Taday earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physics (1986), and his PhD in chemistry (1991) from the University of
Reading, England. In August 2000 Dr. Taday began working at Toshiba Research Europe Limited, Cambridge, England, on terahertz
spectroscopy. In April 2001 this terahertz program was spun-out of Toshiba, becoming TeraView Limited. Dr. Taday currently holds
the post of Principal Scientist and head of the Applications at TeraView Limited. He has authored and co-authored 95 published
papers and presented at numerous scientific conferences. He is a co-inventor of 5 patent applications.
Dr. Markus Walther, University of Freiburg, Germany
Markus Walther received the diploma and PhD degrees from the University of Freiburg, Germany, in 1999 and 2003, respectively.
After working as a visiting scientist at Aarhus University, Denmark, and at the University of Toronto, Canada, he spent two years
as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Since 2006 he is head of the Terahertz Research
Group, Department of Molecular and Optical Physics, Albert-Ludwigs University, Freiburg, Germany. Dr. Walther received the Pfizer
Research Award at the University of Freiburg in 2004. His research interests include both spectroscopy and imaging with pulsed
terahertz radiation. Besides the investigation of various systems ranging from biological to semiconducting and metallic structures,
he also works with his group on the development of novel THz near-field imaging systems.
Professor Martin Koch, University of Marburg, Germany
Martin Koch is a professor of semiconductor physics at the physics department of the Philipps University Marburg, Germany. After
Martin Koch completed his degree in physics at the universities of Marburg and Heidelberg he earned his PhD degree in Marburg in
1995 with a thesis in the field of ultra fast spectroscopy of semiconductors. Among other things Martin Koch worked as a scientific
assistant in the Photonics and Optoelectronics group at the University of Munich, Germany, before he became an associate professor
of terahertz systems technology at the electrical engineering department of the Technical University Braunschweig, Germany. In
2003 Martin Koch was awarded the Kaiser Friedrich research price.
Dr.-ing.Thomas Kleine-Ostmann, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Germany
Dr. X.-C. Zhang, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA
Dr. Xi-Cheng Zhang is Eric Jonsson Professor of Science, Professor of Physics and Professor of Electrical Engineering. He is the
director of the Centre for Terahertz Research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Zhang has received 22 US patents, published
14 books and book chapters, and has authored or co-authored over 300 refereed journal papers. He has received several awards
and honours throughout his career. He is a Fellow of IEEE, the Optical Society of America, and the American Physics Society. Xi-
Cheng Zhang’s research interests include ultra fast optics, electronics and optoelectronics; nonlinear photonics and semiconductor
characterization.
Thomas Kleine-Ostmann received the M.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,
Blacksburg, in 1999, and the Dipl.-Ing. degree in radio frequency engineering and the Dr.-Ing. degree, both from Technical University
Braunschweig, Germany, in 2001 and 2005, respectively. He worked as a research assistant in the Ultrafast Optics Group at NIST
and the University of Colorado, Boulder (JILA) and in the Semiconductor Group at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in
Braunschweig, Germany, before he started working on his PhD in the field of THz spectroscopy. Since 2006, he has been working
as a permanent scientist in the Electromagnetic Fields Group at PTB and since 2007 he is head of the group. Currently he is working
on realization and transfer of the electromagnetic field strength, electromagnetic compatibility and THz metrology. He received the
Kaiser-Friedrich-Research Award in 2003 for his work on a continuous-wave THz imaging system.
Dr. Peter de Maagt, European Space Agency, the Netherlands
Peter de Maagt received the M.Sc. and PhD degrees from Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands, in 1988
and 1992, respectively, both in electrical engineering. He is currently with the European Space Research and Technology Centre
(ESTEC), European Space Agency, Noordwijk, the Netherlands. His research interests are millimeter- and submillimeter-wave reflector
and planar integrated antennas, quasioptics, electromagnetic band gap antennas, and millimeter- and submillimeter-wave
components. Dr. de Maagt has received a number of awards and memberships. He is an active member of the IEEE Antennas and
Propagation Society as well as a distinguished lecturer for the IEEE APS.
Professor Søren Rud Keiding, Aarhus University, Denmark
Søren Rud Keiding is Professor in Chemistry at Aarhus University and has throughout his scientific career been dedicated to the interplay
between the academic and industrial world. He has worked at IBM in the U.S. and was among the pioneers when THz technology
was introduced in the late 1980’s. Later he has worked on the development and application of modern light sources in close cooperation
with industry. His research focus in the recent years has primarily been water and the role of water in chemical reactions. Søren
Rud Keiding has also played a key role within the education sector, especially in the construction of the civil engineering educations in
Aarhus and in the cooperation between Aarhus University, the Engineering College of Aarhus and the regional business community.

Organisation
Sponsors
Organiser
The ATV group on Electrical and Electronic Engineering and
Information Technology and DTU Fotonik
Organising Committee
Professor Peter Uhd Jepsen, DTU Fotonik
Chief Scientist Lars Lading, Danish Technological Institute
Director, Professor Anders Bjarklev, DTU Fotonik
Project Manager Søren Elmer Kristensen, ATV
Participants
The conference will bring together a broad panel of Danish and
international scientists, directors and decision makers from
private enterprises, organisations and institutions involved in
setting the national and international agenda on research and
development. Invited speakers will represent state-of-the-art
knowledge on different terahertz technologies.
Participation fee
Includes coffee/tea, lunch and conference whitepaper.
Ordinary participants: DKK 1,400
ATV members: DKK 700
Graduate students: DKK 500
All prices are exclusive of 25 % VAT
Registration is binding. The invoice will be sent upon receipt of
registration. If cancellation is received later than 28 September
the participation fee cannot be reimbursed.
Conference Secretariat
Danish Academy of Technical Sciences, ATV
Lundtoftevej 266
DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby
Att. Søren Elmer Kristensen
Telephone: +45 45 96 08 16
E-mail: sek@atv.dk
www.atv.dk
Venue
Building 101, Technical University of Denmark,
2800 Kongens Lyngby
Registration
Written registration is necessary. Please use the online
registration www.atv.dk/tilmelding
Deadline for registration:
01 October 2009
ATV wishes to thank Siemensfonden and DTU Fotonik
for financial support of the conference
Conference Secretariat
Danish Academy of Technical Sciences
Lundtoftevej 266 • DK-2800 Kongens Lyngby
Att. Søren Elmer Kristensen
Telephone: +45 45 96 08 16 • E-mail: sek@atv.dk • www.atv.dk
Registration
Written registration is necessary.
Please use the registration form
on www.atv.dk.
Illustration: Jesper Kikkenborg

The Danish Academy of Technical Sciences, ATV, is a private,
independent institution with the objective to promote technological
and scientific research and to ensure the application
of research results to enhance the long-term creation of value
and welfare in Danish society.
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