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 Unlike
X-rays which can penetrate metal and bone (potentially causing harm
in the process), T-rays are in the electromagnetic spectrum lying between
infrared and microwave. They can "see through" soft tissue, fabric,
low density wood, and other low density materials. Researchers at the
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) figured out a way to
integrate a complete transmitter, receiver, and phased array antenna
onto a single silicon substrate. In doing so they were able to produce
enough power in the THz band to enable imaging of high density objects
within low density objects. The thumbnail above shows a handgun round
and a #11 X-Acto blade buried within a stuffed dog. Super-low production
costs will make them cheap to integrate into cellphones and specific-purpose
scanners. Privacy is about to take yet another hit as stores, office
buildings, public areas, and just about any venue will be saturated
with these kinds of devices. Metal pins in your bones, plates in your
head, dental fillings, and hidden body piercing will be easily imaged
by anyone with a so-equipped phone. Get ready for images of your "unspeakable"
areas to be posted on the Web, probably along with a standard visible
wavelength version alongside it. Maybe the tinfoil hat crowd might just
have been on to something long before the rest of us were smart enough
to follow.
California Institute of Technology's T-Ray Microchip |
Caltech electrical engineers Kaushik Sengupta and Ali
Hajimiri demonstrate the capabilities of their terahertz
chips for imaging |
Posted July 29, 2013
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