UCLA has achieved a significant breakthrough in semiconductor and photonics research by developing a compact terahertz system integrated onto a single semiconductor chip. The innovation, led by researchers from the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, could accelerate the development of next-generation wireless communication, medical imaging, security screening, and remote sensing technologies by replacing bulky laboratory-scale terahertz systems with scalable, chip-sized solutions.
Terahertz waves occupy the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared light and microwaves and have long been recognized for their potential in high-speed data transmission, advanced imaging, and sensing applications. Despite their promise, widespread adoption has been limited because current terahertz systems require multiple bulky components, including lasers, amplifiers, modulators, detectors, and signal sources that must be individually manufactured and precisely aligned.
To overcome these challenges, the UCLA research team successfully integrated these essential functions onto a single semiconductor chip that is compatible with modern photonic integrated circuit technology. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, represent a major step toward compact, energy-efficient, and mass-producible terahertz devices.
The researchers based their innovation on quantum well semiconductor structures, ultra-thin engineered material layers commonly used in photonic integrated circuits. These structures were designed to simultaneously generate, detect, modulate, and amplify terahertz signals on one shared platform, eliminating the need for separate external components.
A key aspect of the breakthrough was the use of gain-enhanced interband photomixing, a process in which two laser beams interact to generate terahertz-frequency signals. This approach enabled both highly efficient terahertz signal generation and highly sensitive signal detection, outperforming many existing photomixer-based technologies while remaining compatible with industry-standard semiconductor fabrication methods.
According to Professor Mona Jarrahi, who led the study and serves as the Northrop Grumman Chair in Electrical Engineering at UCLA Samueli, integrating multiple terahertz functions onto a single chip addresses longstanding challenges related to the size, cost, power consumption, and scalability of terahertz systems. She noted that the advancement opens the door to practical, real-world deployment of terahertz technologies across numerous industries.
Beyond her research leadership, Jarrahi is also a member of the California NanoSystems Institute and serves as Faculty Director of the Semiconductor Hub at UCLA Samueli, a $125 million industry-backed initiative focused on advancing AI-powered semiconductor technologies and workforce development.
The research team also included UCLA doctoral students Yifan Zhao, Shahid-E-Zumrat, and Szu-An Tsao, all members of the Terahertz Electronics Lab. Their work received funding from the U.S. Office of Naval Research, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology Harvey Prize.
The successful integration of terahertz generation, detection, modulation, and amplification onto a single semiconductor chip marks an important milestone for photonics and semiconductor engineering. As demand continues to grow for faster wireless networks, more advanced imaging systems, and intelligent sensing technologies, UCLA’s breakthrough could help transform terahertz technology from specialized laboratory equipment into commercially viable devices for widespread industrial and consumer applications.
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