Application of Terahertz Technology in Biomedicine Why is it good?
THz Astronomy
In the universe, a significant amount of matter emits THz electromagnetic waves. Numerous molecules such as carbon (C), water (H2O), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen (N2), and oxygen (O2) can be detected in the THz frequency band. Prior to the application of THz technology, some of these substances were completely undetectable, while others could only be detected at very high altitudes or on the surface of the moon.
THz Communication Technology
THz technology, when applied to communication, can achieve wireless transmission speeds of 10GB/s, particularly in satellite communication. In the near-vacuum state of outer space, where the influence of moisture is not a concern, this is several hundred to over a thousand times faster than current ultra-broadband technologies. This allows THz communication to conduct high-bandwidth and highly secure satellite communications. Although the lack of efficient THz transmitting antennas and sources currently prevents its commercialization in the communication sector, this challenge is bound to be addressed by the development of novel emitting devices and sources.
Terahertz radiation
German researchers, using supercomputers, have discovered that intense terahertz radiation can instantaneously boil a microscopic amount of water in less than a trillionth of a second.
Terahertz radiation refers to the electromagnetic radiation region with frequencies ranging from 0.1 terahertz to 10 terahertz, and wavelengths between millimeter waves and infrared rays. One terahertz is equal to one trillion hertz.
The Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) research center in Germany reported that intense terahertz radiation can cause water molecules to vibrate violently, breaking the hydrogen bonds between them. This method can heat approximately one nanoliter (one billionth of a liter) of water to 600 degrees Celsius within half a picosecond (one picosecond is one trillionth of a second).
The report points out that although one nanoliter of water may sound insignificant, it is sufficient for many experiments. A picosecond is much faster than the blink of an eye, so this method of boiling water can be considered the fastest to date.
Although this "water boiling" method has not yet been put into practice, researchers suggest that water plays a crucial role in many chemical and biological processes, and this new discovery may provide more experimental possibilities for the fields of chemistry and biology.
