Hyper Terahertz facility
The Hyper Terahertz Facility is a joint facility enabling the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Surrey to drive research in quantum technology, it brings together the NPL's Time, Quantum and Electromagnetics (TQEM) division’s expert knowledge in terahertz (THz) generation and our knowledge of research in silicon single atom quantum technology.
About the facility
This facility enables experiments in the terahertz spectrum (a part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is currently underused) which researchers believe holds the key to a number of breakthroughs in quantum technology.
The primary focus of research will be to investigate how the short, high-power pulses of the terahertz spectrum can be used to control the ability of electrons to be in two places at once, which is a crucial requirement in the advance of quantum computing.
The facility will thus help to enable researchers to develop new kinds of transistors at the ultimate limits of nanotechnology, where a single atom controls the signal flow.
Quantum computers will be able to make calculations much more rapidly than standard computers and therefore have the potential for huge improvements across many industries, for example, by helping researchers to understand how receptors within the body open up to receive drugs.