Teraphysics receives SBIR contract to prototype terahertz source for Army threat detection system

Contact Jerry Pignolet, Power Marketing/Public Relations, at 440-527-0446.

CLEVELAND September 22, 2006 Teraphysics Corporation has received a $730,000 Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract from the Army Research Office for the development of innovative technology to enable new capabilities in threat detection systems.

Teraphysics is developing compact and efficient devices that operate in the terahertz band, the only commercially untapped portion of the electro-magnetic spectrum. The company has engineered the worlds first palm-sized signal source operating in this valuable frequency range capable of broad application.

The technology developed in this contract will enable a new class of systems for detection of hidden weapons, explosives and contraband for military and homeland security applications, said Doctor Jim Dayton, Chief Technology Officer for Teraphysics and principal investigator on the contract.

Teraphysics has received 12 development contracts from seven government agencies for total federal funding of $4 million since August 2002. Four are SBIR Phase II contracts.

The Army wants to develop a handheld terahertz source as part of an imaging system that can be deployed to protect sensitive installations, Dayton said. To meet the Armys specifications for a 0.65 terahertz prototype producing at least 100 milliwatts within two years, Dayton and his team will develop backward wave oscillators and traveling wave tubes using the companys proprietary application of nanotechnology for laboratory-grown diamond.

The result, based on state-of-the-art computer modeling techniques, is an electronic oscillator with a breakthrough combination of portability, power, efficiency and tunability. Following completion of the contract, the company intends to commercialize its terahertz signal technology for military and commercial security applications.

Terahertz radiation is non-ionizing and safe for humans. It can identify the unique molecular signatures of substances. It offers significant advantages in medical imaging, homeland security, high-speed wireless networks, space exploration and other applications. For example, it can penetrate clothing to detect hidden items and be used to image skin cancers.