Powerful terahertz waves generated by a nanodevice at record speed

Researchers from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL; Lausanne, Switzerland) have developed a new nanodevice that functions 100-times faster than the transistors conventionally used in computers today. The device is designed to produce high-power terahertz waves, which can be used for imaging, high-speed wireless communication and medical applications. The compact nanodevice, featured in Nature, could transform current advanced medical techniques such as those involved in cancer therapy. The specialized terahertz waves operate at frequencies of between 100 billion and 30 trillion cycles per second on the electromagnetic spectrum. The waves can penetrate many materials – even as thick as walls...