Terahertz and Infrared Photonics Group

Director: Benjamin Williams

The Terahertz and Infrared Photonics group is broadly focused on the study of physics and development of novel devices at the intersection of:

  • Engineered quantum electronic properties in low-dimensional semiconductors
  • Engineered electromagnetic metamaterials and artificial structures
  • Development of novel technologies for the generation, detection, and control of THz and mid-IR radiation
  • Applications in the terahertz and mid-infrared

Williams lab awarded NSF FuSe grant

Prof. Benjamin Williams, in collaboration with Aydin Babakhani, Subramanian Iyer in the UCLA ECE Department, and Mitchell Spearrin in the UCLA MAE Department, has been awarded a National Science Foundation Future of Semiconductors (FuSe) grant entitled: "FuSe:...

Hybrid electronic-photonic terahertz sources: direct injection locking of THz QC-laser from a Schottky diode multiplier

Perhaps the dominant source for single-frequency THz radiation below 1 THz is the Schottky diode frequency multiplier chain (FMC), in which the nonlinearity of a Schottky diode current-voltage relation is used to generate THz harmonics originating from microwave...

Progress towards THz QC-VECSELs as heterodyne local oscillators for astrophysics

Our collaborators at JPL presented recent progress in our joint work towards the development of THz QC-VECSELs as stable, high-power, and frequency-agile local oscillators at the 32nd IEEE International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology (ISSTT 2022), held in...

Invited paper on tunable QC-lasers published in IEEE Journal of Microwaves

THz metasurface quantum-cascade VECSELs are emerging as broadly tunable single frequency sources of THz radiation in the 1.5-5 THz range, which can deliver output powers of milliwatts to tens of milliwatts, while exhibiting high-quality beam patterns. In this paper we...

Multiple talks planned for 2023 SPIE Photonics West

The Terahertz and Infrared Photonics group will present several talks at SPIE Photonics West

Paper on thin THz QC-laser active regions is AIP Advances Editor’s pick

Recent results show that moving to thinner active regions in THz QC-lasers result in improved thermal properties and higher operating temperatures in continuous-wave mode.

Patch antenna metasurface is a route towards low-power THz QC-lasers

Our paper on patch metasurface VECSELS that dissipate < 1 W power is published in APL.

New terahertz-band laser offers broad tunability

Our paper on broadband tuning (>20%) of THz QC-lasers in an ultrashort VECSEL cavity is published in Nature Photonics

VECSEL makes the cover of IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

Our VECSEL makes the cover of IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

UCLA-led team develops technique to control laser polarization

A research team led by UCLA electrical engineers has developed a new technique to control the polarization state of a laser that could lead to a new class of powerful, high-quality lasers for use in medical imaging, chemical sensing and detection, or fundamental science research.

Yu Wu awarded Best Student Oral Presentation Award at MIOMD 2023

Yu Wu was awarded 1st place in the “Best Student Oral Presentation Award" competition at MIOMD 2023 in Norman Oklahoma, for her presentation on “RF Injection Locking of THz Metasurface Quantum-Cascade-VECSEL: Effect of Cavity Length Variation” by Yu Wu, C. Curwen, J....

Mohammad Shahili wins Best Paper Award at ITQW 2023 in Erice, Italy

Mohammad Shahili was awarded the "Best Paper Award" at the 2023 Infrared Terahertz Quantum Workshop (ITQW) in Erice, Italy for his presentation on "GaAs-based Quantum Cascade Laser Emitting above 5 THz", with the authors Mohammad Shahili, Sadhvikas J. Addamane,...

Eilam Morag wins 2023 departmental teaching award

The UCLA Electrical & Computer Engineering Department has announced the honorees of the 2022-2023 Samueli Excellence in Teaching Awards. Congratulations to Eilam Morag, who is recognized for his excellence as a teaching assistant for undergraduate classes!

Anthony Kim wins UCLA ECE TA Award

The Electrical & Computer Engineering Department has announced the honorees of the 2020-2021 Samueli Excellence in Teaching Awards. Teaching assistants Hannaneh Hojaiji, Tonmoy Monsoor, Anthony Kim, and Junbo Wang were selected to receive the award out of twelve...

Mohammad Shahili wins an NDSEG fellowship

Mohammad Shahili has been selected to receive the prestigious Department of Defense (DoD) National Defense and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship. Awardees receive a competitive package lasting for three years that pays for their tuition and fees, as well as...

Congratulations to Christopher Curwen for NASA NPP Fellowship!

Congratulations to Christopher Curwen, who will receive a NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) Fellowship starting in 2020. He will work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on a project entitled "THz Heterodyne Detector Array Using Quantum Cascade Laser Local Oscillator." He...

Luyao Xu wins departmental thesis award

Luyao Xu has been awarded the UCLA EE Department “Distinguished PhD Dissertation Award in Physical & Wave Electronics” for 2016-17. Congratulations!

A bright future for lasers

Prof. Williams' Terahertz and Infrared Photonics group is featured in UCLA Engineer Magazine. Link

Prof. Williams wins PECASE!

Prof. Williams is awarded a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

Luyao Xu wins Best Student Presentation at 2016 SPIE Photonics West

Congratulations to Luyao Xu for winning the Best Student Presentation Award in the VECSEL Conference at SPIE Photonics West 2016!

IQCLSW 2024 to be held in Ischia, Italy in August 25-30 2024

The International Quantum Cascade Laser School and Workshop 2024 celebrates 30 years since the first Quantum Cascade Laser was switched on by Federico Capasso’s group at Bell Labs, USA. Since then, a vast array of developments, new devices, scientific achievements and...

ITQW 2023 will be held in Erice, Italy from June 25-June 30 2023

The Infrared and Terahertz quantum workshop (ITQW) 2023  will be held in Erice (Sicily), Italy, at the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture from June 25 to July 1st 2023.  Details on the conference with the preliminary list of invited lecturers...

MIOMD 2023 to be held in Norman, Oklahoma

The 16th International Conference on Mid-Infrared Optoelectronics: Materials and Devices (MIOMD 2023) will be held in Norman, Oklahoma on August 6-10, 2023 (Sunday -Thursday). The conference will bring together 100+ scientists and engineers from around the world to...

Infrared Quantum Terahertz Workshop 2019 hosted by UCLA in Ojai, CA

The ITQW 2019 conference was held in Ojai, California from Sept. 15-20, 2019.