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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Design, Fabrication, and Experimental Characterization of Plasmonic Photoconductive Terahertz Emitters
Published on: July 8, 2013
Peeling adhesive tape emits electromagnetic radiation at terahertz frequencies
1Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
Abstract:
An unusual concept for a simple and inexpensive terahertz source is presented: unpeeling adhesive tape. The observed spectrum of this terahertz radiation exhibits a peak at 2 THz and a broader peak at 18 THz. The radiation is not polarized. The mechanism of terahertz radiation is tribocharging of the adhesive tape and subsequent discharge, possibly bremsstrahlung with absorption or energy density focusing during the dielectric breakdown of a gas. The accompanying optical emission is also a consequence of tribocharging.
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