Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
August 26, 2026
Flexible Te/PET Terahertz Modulator Boasts High Efficiency and Bending Tolerance
TLDR
- Te/PET flexible terahertz modulators achieve 50% modulation depth and picosecond response, outperforming rigid counterparts in wearable tech.
- Te nanofilms on PET substrates enable all-optical terahertz modulation via high carrier mobility and mechanical tolerance, maintaining performance under bending.
- This flexible terahertz technology advances wearable photonics and intelligent sensing, improving connectivity and healthcare monitoring for a better tomorrow.
- Scientists create bendable terahertz devices using tellurium films, enabling neural-network image recognition even when folded, marking a step toward smart wearables.
Impact - Why it Matters
This breakthrough in flexible terahertz modulators is significant because it overcomes the fragility that has hindered practical applications in wearable technology and intelligent communication. By maintaining high performance under mechanical stress, the device enables reliable signal processing and image recognition even when bent, which is crucial for future flexible electronics. It also introduces tellurium nanofilms as a promising material for terahertz devices, potentially leading to more robust and efficient systems in 6G communications, smart sensing, and neuromorphic computing. For consumers, this means more durable and versatile wearable devices with faster data transmission and advanced functionalities.
Summary
Researchers from Capital Normal University and the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, led by Professor Qingli Zhou and Professor Chen Ge, have developed a flexible terahertz modulator using tellurium (Te) nanofilms on PET substrates. This innovative device, described in a paper published in Light: Advanced Manufacturing, achieves high modulation efficiency (50% modulation depth) on a picosecond timescale, with low insertion loss and broadband response. Crucially, it maintains stable performance under mechanical bending, addressing a key challenge in flexible terahertz technology. The team demonstrated that the device's photoresponse remains nearly unchanged after repeated bending and at small bending radii, attributed to the mechanical tolerance of Te and the flexibility of PET. Furthermore, they integrated the modulator with an artificial neural network for image recognition, achieving stable accuracy under various bending conditions. This work paves the way for flexible intelligent terahertz optoelectronics, including wearable photonics and neuromorphic systems. The study was supported by multiple Chinese funding agencies, and the original source can be accessed via the DOI 10.37188/lam.2026.086. For more information on the publishing innovation hub, visit Chuanlink Innovations.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content distributed by 24-7 Press Release. Read the original source here, Flexible Te/PET Terahertz Modulator Boasts High Efficiency and Bending Tolerance
