Discovered in 1896, one year after the X-Ray, THz were described as the ‘hidden light’. THz waves are a particular section in the EM spectrum, located between microwaves (RF) and infrared (IR) waves, known as the ‘THz gap’ that have never been successfully utilized or commercialized.

THz wavelengths are longer than IR wavelength allowing them to penetrate deeper than IR. Additionally, THz waves have a higher resolution than RF because they are shorter in length. 

THz technology has made huge strides in the last 30 years and is now an established inter-disciplinary field. In the earlier part of the 20th century, THz was more commonly associated with the far end of IR and was limited to fields such as astronomy. However, the development of the laser-based spectroscopy in the 1980’s and 1990’s transformed THz technology, so it could be applied to every day uses, such as sensing and imaging to name just a few.

The size of THz waves gives it the ability to detect and sense a wide range of biological and chemical components via its analysis of their spectral signatures/fingerprints, thus acting as a molecular radar/scanner. THz wavelengths function at molecular level and while this poses more challenges, its microscopic size enables the creation of new and innovative applications.