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Topic Name: Terahertz research : direct application to industry and economic development,”
Category: Organic electronics
Research persons: UNBC Forestry professor Ian Hartley, student Tara Todoruk, and Bruce Sutherland of Prince George’s Wolftek Industries
Location: UNBC, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada
Details
X-ray vision is yesterday’s news. Terahertz
technology is the wave of the future. Terahertz occupies space on the
electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and x-rays and that’s where UNBC
prof Matt Reid has focused his vision. He has just beaten a world record set in
1993, putting him in competition with researchers from MIT.
It was at the Advanced Laser Light Source
facility in Montreal that UNBC’s Matt Reid and his fellow researchers from UNBC,
Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec used ultrafast lasers to produce bursts of
terahertz waves with the largest energies ever. This achievement means they can
see right through objects in real time. Terahertz waves have been the subject of
research for about 20 years, but Dr. Reid’s accomplishment opens up a whole new
world for application of the technology.
“We’re now at the cusp of translating our
knowledge into industrial application,” says Dr. Reid, a professor of Physics at
UNBC. “Where we are right now with our development of terahertz technology is
where other researchers were when lasers were first invented. Since then, lasers
have been used in everything from industry to everyday life. The possibilities
for terahertz technology are just as mind-boggling.”
That’s because terahertz waves have a unique
quality. Like x-rays, terahertz signals provide opportunities to see through
objects and also see features inside these objects. But unlike x-rays, they
don’t pose health dangers.
What are the potential applications? Airport
security, identifying early-stage skin and breast cancer, and detecting
pollutants in the atmosphere all come to mind. But Dr. Reid is focusing his
attention on the backbone of the BC economy: the forest industry.
Working closely with UNBC Forestry professor Ian Hartley, student Tara Todoruk,
and Bruce Sutherland of Prince George’s Wolftek Industries, Dr. Reid is aiming
to create devices that will utilize terahertz waves to provide forest operations
with the ability to see inside wood and determine the fibre quality of logs and
processed wood products. The goal is to maximize the value of each tree.
“The more we learn through this terahertz research, the more ideas we have for
how to apply this technology in the field,” says Bruce Sutherland, Wolftek
President. “For the industry, the possibilities are worth millions of dollars.”
Time is of the essence, thanks to the mountain pine beetle. Forest companies are
scrambling for a way to see the insides of trees so that logs can be properly
positioned in the mill for maximum efficiency. Just viewing the outside of a
tree is no longer good enough, as pine beetle trees often have cracks inside
that can greatly affect the wood quality and potential products. Terahertz
technology would essentially give mill managers x-ray vision.
“This is a terrific example of how world-class, fundamental research can have
very direct application to industry and economic development,” says Dr. Reid,
who graduated from D.P. Todd Secondary in Prince George, worked at a local
sawmill, and was one of UNBC’s first students in 1994. “Right now, we’re leading
the world and the challenge for us will be to stay at the forefront in
commercializing the results of this research for the benefit of the local
economy.” The BC forest industry is hoping that he’ll be successful.
About Researcher"s:
Matthew Reid
Contact Information
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Office: 5-468
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Phone: 960-6622
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Fax: 960-5545
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Background:
PhD - Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta (2005).
BSc - Mathematics and
Physics, University of Northern British Columbia (1999).
Research interests
- Nonlinear optics at semiconductor surfaces
- Optical rectification
- Second-harmonic generation
- Nonlinear optics of nanostructured surfaces
- Characterization of surface nonlinear
optical response
- Terahertz Generation and detection
- Optical rectification
- Photoconductive switches
- Industrial applications
Bruce Sutherland,
Wolftek Industries Inc.
President
WOLFTEK Industries
Inc. is locally owned and operated by Mr. Bruce Sutherland, who is fully
involved in the day to day operation of the company and is readily available at
all times
Funded:
Advanced Laser Light Source facility
&
Wolftek Industries
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