SURA | Technology Commercialization

2004 Terahertz Applications Symposium

Bridging the Gap from R&D to the Marketplace

An inaugural forum for education and discussion between academia and industry regarding emerging terahertz technologies, with a focus on medical imaging, pharmaceutical, and security applications

March 16-17, 2004

SURA Headquarters
1201 New York Ave. NW
Fourth Floor Conf. Room Washington, DC

(click here for directions)

"Terahertz research is one of the most intriguing and challenging fields to emerge in the 21st century. In less than a decade, this previously hidden section of the electromagnetic spectrum has caught the imagination of scientists around the world."
~ Gwo-Ching Wang, Physics Chair, RPI

"Detecting weapons concealed underneath clothing.or even spotting the onset of cancer: these are just some of the exciting prospects that have been turning terahertz wave research into one of the most talked-about topics in photonics."
~ Opto & Laser Europe

The emerging field of terahertz science and technology holds immense promise in fields as diverse as medicine, security, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals. The THz regime lies between microwaves and infrared light in the electromagnetic spectrum. Terahertz waves are readily absorbed by metal but transmit easily through clothing and plastics, enabling the imaging of hidden foreign objects for security screening. Since THz radiation is also extremely sensitive to water, in the medical field this technology is able to distinguish between diseased and normal tissue and measure the hydration properties of skin.

"If terahertz imaging makes good on such a wealth of applications, the market is boundless."
~ Business Week Online, April 2002

The purpose of this symposium is to begin bridging the gap between the growing base of scientific research and the potential marketplace applications. First, leading THz researchers from around the world will present the fundamentals of generating, detecting, and applying terahertz technologies. Second, specific examples of work being done in the commercial sector will be discussed with industry panelists. Finally, an open forum discussion will take place between industry, government, and academia to begin probing for new opportunities to collaborate and bring terahertz research forward into the marketplace.