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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Terahertz lasers could soon have their moment. Emitting radiation that sits somewhere between microwaves and infrared light along the electromagnetic spectrum, terahertz lasers have been the focus of intense study due to their ability to penetrate common packaging materials such as plastics, fabrics, and cardboard and be used for identification and detection of various chemicals and biomolecular species, and even for imaging of some types of biological tissue without causing damage. Fulfilling terahertz lasers' potential for us hinges on improving their intensity and brightness, achieved by enhancing power output and beam quality.
Sushil Kumar, associate professor in Lehigh University's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and his research team are working at the forefront of terahertz semiconductor 'quantum-cascade' laser (QCL) technology. In 2018, Kumar, who is also affiliated with Lehigh's Center for Photonics and Nanoelectronics (CPN) reported on a simple yet effective technique to enhance the power output of single-mode lasers based on a new type of "distributed-feedback" mechanism.
[...] Now, Kumar, Jin and John L. Reno of Sandia are reporting another terahertz technology breakthrough: they have developed a new phase-locking technique for plasmonic lasers and, through its use, achieved a record-high power output for terahertz lasers. Their laser produced the highest radiative efficiency for any single-wavelength semiconductor quantum cascade laser. These results are explained in a paper, "Phase-locked terahertz plasmonic laser array with 2 W output power in a single spectral mode" published yesterday in Optica.
"To the best of our knowledge, the radiative efficiency of our terahertz lasers is the highest demonstrated for any single-wavelength QCL to-date and is the first report of a radiative efficiency of greater than 50% achieved in such QCLs," said Kumar. "Such a high radiative efficiency beat our expectations, and it is also one of the reasons why the output power from our laser is significantly greater than what has been achieved previously."
More information: Yuan Jin et al, Phase-locked terahertz plasmonic laser array with 2 W output power in a single spectral mode, Optica (2020). DOI: 10.1364/OPTICA.390852
(Score: 4, Informative) by Muad'Dave on Friday June 12 2020, @11:21AM (8 children)
This paper [phys.org] indicates that "Terahertz radiation can disrupt proteins in living cells".
Even the NIH says that THz radiation can have Non-thermal effects ... on gene expression in mouse stem cells [nih.gov].
Let's do a little more research into safety before we start nuking people.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by gmby on Friday June 12 2020, @12:14PM
Don't look into Terahertz research with remaining brain cell...
If it damages cells that means it can act on it too. Maybe at the correct power/modulation/phase then maybe it can used to repair/modify cells too.
I've always be interested in LLLT (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-level_laser_therapy.)
The problem with laser therapy is the far red light is only good for the surface of the body. This Terahertz thing just might be the trick; being able to go far into the body.
Some plants grow faster and stronger after a traumatic event... So.....
I'm ready! Zap my heart with this thing so it'll grow stronger!
Like they say; What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger!
Bye
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 12 2020, @02:02PM (2 children)
Maybe it's a one time damage and then your "fine".
>uses laser
"Ow, my sperm!"
>uses lase again
"Didn't hurt that time."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 12 2020, @02:53PM (1 child)
As your new kid is born with 3 arms, 2 heads (one black, one asian) and both sets of gender equipment.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 12 2020, @03:10PM
Jokes on my kid. My sperm is dead and my wife has my balls locked in her purse. My kids will never be born!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 12 2020, @03:05PM (1 child)
"...supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way..."
And what will the shark-tank folks do when they find out about this?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 12 2020, @05:35PM
Don't worry... It'll be "As seen on TV" soon enough. "Made in China - with parts from worldly sources"
(Score: 2) by tizan on Friday June 12 2020, @03:53PM
We are already exposed from THz radiation from the universe (including our sun) as the atmosphere allows some of it through
https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/images/164/16458.png.htm [mcgill.ca]
It's all a question of intensity and dose ...just like light laser ....we can tolerate light from the sun but pointing a laser in your eye can destroy it !
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 12 2020, @04:05PM
Depends if it is worse, better, or same amount of damage as existing imaging solutions.
A single PET scan subjects the patient's bladder to 60mSv. This is not including the radiation from the CT scan that accompanies a PET (full body CT = 12mSv, but the CT with a PET can be lower resolution, if so, then lower exposure).
Normal folks are supposed to limit exposure to less than 1mSv/year (a chest xray is 0.1mSv), and radiation workers are allowed a maximum of 50mSv/year.
Personal experience with 4 PET scans per year for 5 years with quite a few additional CT only scans sprinkled in between (usually one with contrast, one without, for a total of 24mSV each time), and several scans in the years following.
I would have loved to have had a less harmful alternative. Especially, since it looks like I might live long enough for additional cancers from the radiation exposure to be a concern :)
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(Score: 1) by jman on Saturday June 13 2020, @11:27AM
"I used to have a neutrino laser, but it was really hard to focus."