The UK has internationally leading strengths in terahertz (THz) frequency science and technology, with over 20 research groups across the country working on complementary aspects of THz technology development (sources, detectors, systems) and applications research. The UK also hosts world-leading THz instrumentation companies including, for example, TeraView, e2v, and QMC Instruments. This position in the UK has been built up through a long-standing and significant strategic investment over the last 10-15 years predominantly from the EPSRC, but also from other sources including the STFC, EU, ESA, UK government agencies, and industry.
There is a real and evident synergy in the development of complementary experimental methods and instrumentation across these research groups, as well as potential to engage with a wide range of technology end-users to help co-define the research. However, there is a growing danger of fragmentation, particularly at a time when the field has matured to a stage where individual devices and techniques have become developed, yet their integration and targeted configuration for individual applications is still to be realized. This situation is recognized in the THz community, and indeed as part of the EPSRC shaping capability exercise, the research council stated that "research in terahertz devices that seeks to develop integrated technologies, drawing on the body of device physics to push application capabilities will be considered to be a high priority".
Currently, there are few mechanisms for formal interaction across the UK, which would deliver this necessary focus, in a similar way to that achieved, for example, in the USA (by the THz Science and Technology Network) and in Japan (by the THz Technology Forum). Personnel from several UK groups regularly attend the annual international IRMMW/THz conference, held in the US/Europe/Far East by three-yearly rotation. This has the advantage of providing an international perspective on the broad microwave-THz field, but it has a very general focus, and is an inefficient means to forge new UK-based collaborations. Though other international conference series exist with relevance to the THz community (eg. ITQW, EP2DS, ISSTT), their thematic content is highly specialized, and as such they represent a limited subset of the UK THz technology-base and capability.
There is hence a compelling need for an EPSRC network to provide a focus to THz science and technology research in the UK, and to act as a central UK forum for the exchange of ideas, experimental techniques, theoretical models, scientific insights technological developments, and commercial drivers. It is the purpose of this proposal to assemble a UK network in the area of THz science and technology, focusing in particular on the development of application-specific terahertz systems, to provide cohesion and a focus for development of new interdisciplinary collaborations. This network, TERANET, will provide a focal point for research groups to interact, to engage with application end-users, to meet with the major UK industrial contacts, and to expedite the development of interdisciplinary proposals and research programmes. The network will also help develop a roadmap for THz frequency research and development in the UK. The goal is to capitalize on the considerable UK critical mass in the area, and the willingness of the community to collaborate.
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