New technique offers unprecedented control over light at terahertz frequencies

Scientists have developed a new method to generate and control terahertz radiation, a type of light useful for various applications. Their device employs magnetic multilayers with programmable magnetization to create different patterns of terahertz waves, including beams with specific twists and rotations.

The world’s strongest ionizing terahertz radiation

Terahertz waves, known as non-ionizing radiation, can turn into ionization radiation when sufficiently many terahertz photons are focused in space and time. A team led by scientists in Korea and the USA has created the world’s most intense terahertz pulses that can instantaneously ionize atoms and molecules and convert them into plasma.