The device, said to be the first of its kind, has the potential to extend the use of terahertz technology to applications that will require flexible electronics, such as wireless sensor networks and wearable technology. At room temperature, the device can detect frequencies ranging from 330 to 500GHz.
One challenge has been the need to develop a process that enables the creation of low weight and cheap applications. While advances in polymer technology have promoted the development of flexible electronics and enabled the production of high frequency units on flexible substrates, Chalmers researchers Xinxin Yang, Andrei Vorobiev, Andrey Generalov, Michael Andersson and Jan Stake have now developed a mechanically flexible graphene-based terahertz detector.
Translucent and flexible, the process is said to be suitable for a variety of applications, including THz imaging and a sensor for identifying different substances.