FLASH · Project

Cheaper, Smaller Terahertz Lasers on Silicon Chips for Security and Medical Imaging

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Imagine a type of light that can see through clothes to spot hidden weapons, look under skin to detect cancer, or identify chemicals from a distance — that's terahertz radiation. The problem is, the devices that produce this light today are bulky and expensive, like mainframe computers before the PC revolution. FLASH worked on building a terahertz laser directly onto a standard silicon chip — the same kind used in your phone — which could dramatically shrink the size and slash the cost. They used a clever combination of silicon and germanium layers to make this work at room temperature, aiming for over 1 milliwatt of power across a wide frequency range.

By the numbers

1-10 THz

Frequency range of the laser emission

≥1 mW

Target output power of the THz laser

<20 cm⁻¹

Target optical losses for optimised waveguide design

<25 cm⁻¹

Target optical losses for single/double plasmon waveguide designs

≤10 µm

Active material thickness for optimised waveguide

5 partners, 4 countries

Consortium size and geographic spread

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Current terahertz radiation sources are too large, too expensive, and too limited in frequency range to be deployed at scale in security screening, medical diagnostics, and wireless communications. This blocks entire markets from opening up — imagine if every airport checkpoint, every dermatology clinic, and every telecom tower could have a cheap, compact THz source.

The solution

What was built

The project demonstrated a terahertz quantum cascade laser built on silicon-germanium heterostructures using CMOS-compatible processes. Key deliverables included a THz laser emitting between 2 and 10 THz with power of at least 1 mW, and optimised waveguide designs achieving optical losses below 20-25 cm⁻¹.

Audience

Who needs this

Airport and border security scanner manufacturersMedical imaging device companies (dermatology, oncology, ophthalmology)Telecom equipment makers developing high-bandwidth wireless linksPharmaceutical companies needing production-line quality monitoringDefense and law enforcement technology suppliers

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Security and Screening Equipment

enterprise

Target: Manufacturers of airport security scanners and checkpoint screening systems

If you are a security equipment manufacturer dealing with the high cost and bulkiness of current terahertz screening systems — this project developed a silicon-based terahertz laser emitting over 1 mW in the 1-10 THz range using CMOS-compatible processes. This could enable you to build far smaller, cheaper screening devices that identify hidden weapons AND chemically identify explosives using spectroscopy up to 10 THz, opening markets beyond airports.

Medical Imaging Devices

mid-size

Target: Companies developing non-invasive diagnostic equipment for dermatology and oncology

If you are a medical device company looking for better non-invasive imaging tools for skin and breast cancer diagnosis or ophthalmology — this project built a compact terahertz source on a silicon chip that could integrate with existing CMOS electronics. A lower-cost, smaller THz source means diagnostic tools that clinics and hospitals can actually afford, rather than only research labs.

Telecommunications Equipment

enterprise

Target: Companies developing next-generation wireless communication hardware

If you are a telecom equipment maker seeking higher bandwidth for wireless links — this project demonstrated terahertz laser technology in the 1-10 THz range built on standard silicon. Terahertz frequencies offer massive bandwidth for short-range wireless communications, and a CMOS-compatible source means potential mass production at semiconductor-industry scale.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would a terahertz source based on this technology cost compared to current solutions?

The core value proposition is cost reduction through CMOS-compatible manufacturing on silicon. Current THz sources are expensive because they use exotic materials and complex assembly. By using standard silicon fabrication processes, production costs could drop significantly at scale. However, no specific price points were published in the project data.

Can this be manufactured at industrial scale?

The technology is specifically designed around CMOS-compatible processes and silicon-germanium materials used in existing semiconductor fabs. This is a deliberate design choice to enable mass production using existing chip manufacturing infrastructure. However, the project was at the demonstration stage, not yet at volume manufacturing.

What is the intellectual property situation and how can I license this?

The project was funded under FET Open (frontier research), coordinated by Universita degli Studi Roma Tre in Italy with 5 partners across 4 countries. IP would be held by the consortium members. Licensing discussions would need to go through the coordinator. Based on available project data, no specific licensing terms were published.

What performance levels were actually demonstrated?

The project set out to demonstrate a THz quantum cascade laser emitting between 2 and 10 THz with power of at least 1 mW. They also targeted waveguide designs with optical losses below 20 cm⁻¹ for active material of 10 µm or less, and single/double plasmon designs with losses below 25 cm⁻¹. These were formal deliverable milestones.

How far is this from a product I can buy?

This is still at the research demonstration stage. The project ran from 2017 to 2021 under FET Open, which funds high-risk frontier science. While the demonstrations prove the concept works, significant engineering and industrialization work remains before a commercial product. A realistic timeline to market would be several more years.

Does this work at room temperature or does it need cooling?

A key goal of the project was to achieve room-temperature operation by leveraging the non-polar nature of silicon and germanium crystal lattices. This would be a major advantage over existing III-V semiconductor THz lasers that typically require cryogenic cooling. Based on available project data, room-temperature operation was a target rather than a confirmed achievement.

Consortium

Who built it

The FLASH consortium is a compact, research-heavy team of 5 partners across 4 countries (Italy, Germany, UK, Switzerland), led by Universita degli Studi Roma Tre. With 3 universities, 1 research organization, and just 1 industry partner (which is also the sole SME), the 20% industry ratio signals this is fundamentally a science-driven project. For a business buyer, this means the technology is credible academically but would need additional industrial partners for productization. The cross-border expertise — spanning silicon chip manufacturing, epitaxial growth, laser modeling, and THz spectroscopy — covers the full value chain from materials to measurement, which is promising for future technology transfer.

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI ROMA TRECoordinator · IT
IHP GMBH - LEIBNIZ INSTITUTE FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE MICROELECTRONICSparticipant · DE
EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICHparticipant · CH
UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOWparticipant · UK
NEXTNANO GMBHparticipant · DE

How to reach the team

Coordinator is Universita degli Studi Roma Tre in Italy. Contact through SciTransfer for a warm introduction.

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI ROMA TRE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing this silicon-based THz laser technology for your security, medical, or telecom products? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the research team and help structure a technology transfer discussion.

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