Researchers in the "Terahertz" integrated electronics group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a device that allows the direction of a beam of "Terrazz" electromagnetic energy, and its electronically focused with extreme accuracy.
The new innovation opens the door to high -resolution instant photography devices, its size is less than hundreds of times than other radar systems, and more powerful than other visual systems.
Dr. Nithan Monroe, the main author of the study, said: “There are Terheraz waves, in the so -called (neutral area) on the electromagnetic spectrum between the microscopic waves and infrared light, as classic electronics or optical devices can effectively process their energy.”.
He added: “But these high -frequency radio waves have unique properties, such as the ability to pass through certain solid materials without the harmful health effects of X -rays, and they can also help provide high -speed connections, or vision systems that can see through fog or dirty environments.”;According to the "Tech Explorer" website.
The research group, led by assistant professor Rawanan Han, seeks to take advantage of the "Terrazz" energy, and the result was the most accurate group of antennas and vivicControl it via the computer.
This reflective matrix, made of semiconductor chips and innovative manufacturing technologies, and about 10,000 antennas on a wallet size device, can focus accurately a beam of “Terrazz” energy on and controls a small area.
The researchers showed the capabilities of the device by generating three -dimensional images of scenes in which the images are similar to those created by a detector and range of light..
And because the reflective matrix uses the "teraseroz" waves instead of light, they are able to work effectively in rain, fog or snow, as that small reflective matrix was also able to generate radar images with poor accuracy of the angular accuracy of those produced by the Cape Code radar..
Innovative manufacturing techniques
Each antenna is born in model antenna matrices, the energy of its radio waves internally, which wastes a lot of energy, and also creates complex challenges and a distribution of signal that previously prevented such matrices from reaching the required sizes.
To avoid this, the researchers built a reflective matrix that used a single head of energy to launch the "terasz" waves on the antennas, and then reflects the energy in the direction that the researchers control, and after receiving energy, each antenna has a time delay before its reversal of the energy, which focuses the package in a specific direction.
The researchers needed to achieve the desired result to about 10 thousand antennas (the greater the number of antennas, the greater the ability to direct energy with more accuracy), but with the impossibility of building a large computer segment enough to accommodate all these antennas.
The developers resorted to building one small slice with 49 antenna designed to communicate with similar copies, then divided the chips into a 14 x 14 matrix and connected them together with microscopic gold wires that can connect signals and run the chips set.
A set of applications
The new innovation has a set of applications, the speed of its work, and in real time, as well as its small size, makes it useful as a photo processor for self -driving cars, especially since the "Terrazz" waves can see even during the worst weather conditions.
The device can be perfect for drones;Because it is lightweight and does not contain animated parts, and this technique can be applied in safety settings, which allows the use of a non -interfering scanner for the body that can work in seconds instead of minutes.
Researchers are still working tirelessly to pay the technology ahead, relying on progress in the field of semiconductors to reduce costs and improve performance, with attempts to offer technology commercially through an emerging company.