Special Issues

Special Issues

The IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology publishes occasional special (mini-) issues, which present collections of papers that examine particular areas with a wider scope and more in-depth or that are linked to a related conference.

If you have proposals for Special Issues, please contact the Editor-in-Chief. We would like to have proposals with focus on a specific hot area. The focus should be reflected in the title, description and guest editors expertise. Your proposal will be reviewed by the editorial board of the IEEE T-TST.

Current Special Issues

Special Issue on the 2024 International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology (ISSTT)

Guest editors  

Jeffrey Hesler, VDI, USA
Patricio Mena, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, USA
Kamaljeet Singh Saini, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, USA

Description

Authors who have presented a contribution at the 2024 International Symposium on Space Terahertz and Technology held in Charlottesville have the opportunity to submit an extended contribution for this special issue.

Deadlines

Paper Submission: July 1st, 2024
Decision Notification: October, 2024
Publication: January, 2025

Special Issue on Selected Emerging Trends in Terahertz Science and Technology

Guest editors  

Zach Taylor, Helsinki University, Finland
Frank Hegmann, University of Alberta, Canada

Description

The THz field is under constant, exciting change as new devices, systems, and techniques enable a range of new applications development and advancement of science and technology. The dynamic state of the THz field is nicely encapsulated by research presented recently at the 48th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz 2023) where developments in THz science and technology are reported over a 5-day multidisciplinary meeting that extends from millimeter wave devices, components and systems to far-infrared detectors and instruments, and spans from the nano-scale to large-scale systems.

As THz technology and science development is rapid and multidisciplinary, it can be challenging to stay abreast of the latest results while maintaining working knowledge of the fundamentals that underpin them. The IEEE Transactions on TST editorial board is thus launching a special issue covering emerging trends observed at the conference. The papers in these series will address selected topics with the latest new results and an accompanying review of relevant technical background material to improve the accessibility of the relevant science and technology to a wider audience.

For the inaugural issue in this series, all papers will be invited. Manuscripts will be subject to the same review standards as regular submissions. The deadline for submissions is March and the target publication date is July 2024.

Special Issue on Metrology for THz Communications

Guest editors

Thomas Kürner (lead guest editor), TU Braunschweig, Germany
Thomas Kleine-Ostmann, PTB, Germany
David Humphreys, University of Bristol, UK

Description

The data rates in wireless communications are doubling every 18 months. Already today it can be foreseen that data rates around 100 Gigabit per second, and beyond, in wireless transmission will be required for specific applications like wireless backhaul and fronthaul, virtual reality, kiosk down-loading, wireless close proximity links, wireless data center links or wireless chip-to-chip communication. Even with sophisticated transmission schemes, such as spatial multiplexing, high data rates can be achieved only with bandwidth per channel in the order of tens of GHz per link, as is the case in the THz frequency range. In the last couple of years THz communications has been experiencing a tremendous momentum in the scientific community and is seen as one of the key enabling technologies to satisfy the exponential growth of data traffic volume. THz communications is now seen as a prime candidate for the physical layer of the sixth generation (6G) wireless systems. Pre-standardization activities in this field are ongoing in ETSI ISG THz and in IEEE 802 SC THz. Transmission over carrier frequencies in the THz range, however, also brings challenges, and most notably path losses, which are much higher compared to that at lower carrier frequencies. Therefore, a THz communication system cannot be designed and characterized as a scaled and incremental version of a lower frequency system. For instance, high gain antennas are indispensable to mitigate the high path loss. However, high gain comes only with high directivity. Hence, in mobile scenarios adaptive beam-forming becomes essential. Since receiver and transmitter have to find each other under such a condition of limited viewing area, this has a critical impact on beam-tracking and acquisition, also known as device discovery. The ultra-high data rates bring new challenges with respect to sampling and analogue-to-digital conversion. This means that channel characteristics and system design (modulation design, sampling at ultra-high data rates, symbol structure, RF design and Networking Aspects) become intrinsically linked and can no longer be considered separately. Circuit design with compact and integrated implementation reinforces this effect as especially in absence of well-defined reference interfaces. This exemplifies the need for paradigm shifting measurement procedures in predicting the performance of THz communication systems in real environments. The capability to perform measurements and to develop metrological concepts to evaluate these measurements in a clearly defined way are crucial for the advance of THz communication systems. The DFG FOR 2863 Project Meteracom (www.meteracom.de) is addressing these questions since 2019. Numerous other research groups all over the world are also working on the corresponding research questions, which will be addressed in this special section. Topics covered in this special issue include but are not limited to the following:

  • Traceability of measurements for THz Communications
  • THz channel sounding, measurements and modelling
  • Photonics assisted signal processing and sampling for ultra-high data rate THz signals
  • Characterization of RF impairments at THz frequencies
  • Metrology for simulation and operation of THz Communications
  • Design and characterization of electronic front-ends for THz Communications
  • Measurements of THz antenna
  • THz material characterizatio
  • AI based characterization of THz Communications

The IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology publishes original results relevant to the 300 GHz – 10 THz frequency bandwidth. Papers outside this band are not in the scope of the IEEE T-TST. The articles should be focused towards the THz community and include experimental results.

Deadlines:

Paper Submission: February 1st, 2025

Past Special Issues

Mini-Special Issues Linked are linked to International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology (ISSTT)

TeraHertz Pioneers: A Series of Interviews with Significant Contributors to Terahertz Science and Technology

A series of technical articles authored by Peter H. Siegel that highlights the careers of individuals who have made significant long-term contributions to the field of terahertz science and technology.

  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: David H. Auston,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 6-8, Sept. 2011. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2011.2151130
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Paul L. Richards,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 342-348, Nov. 2011. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2011.2168998
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Maurice F. Kimmitt “A Person Who Makes Things Work”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 6-9, Jan. 2012. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2011.2178654
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Robert W. Wilson The Foundations of THz Radio Science,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 162-166, March 2012. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2011.2182390
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Richard J. Saykally – Water, Water Everywhere …,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 266-270, May 2012. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2012.2190870
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Daniel R. Grischkowsky “We Search for Truth and Beauty”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 378-382, July 2012. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2012.2198216
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Thomas G. Phillips “The Sky Above, the Mountain Below”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 2, no. 5, pp. 478-484, Sept. 2012. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2012.2211353
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Frank C. De Lucia “The Numbers Count”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 2, no. 6, pp. 578-583, Nov. 2012. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2012.2222638
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Federico Capasso “Physics by Design: Engineering Our Way Out of the THz Gap”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 6-13, Jan. 2013. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2013.2238631
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Koji Mizuno “50 Years in Submillimeter-Waves: From Otaku to Sensei”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 130-133, March 2013. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2013.2245178
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneers: Manfred Winnewisser and Brenda Pruden Winnewisser: “Equating Hamiltonians to nature”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 229-236, May 2013. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2013.2256392
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Philippe Goy “If You Agree With the Majority, You Might be Wrong”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 348-353, July 2013. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2013.2260373
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Fritz Keilmann – “RF Biophysics: From strong field to near field”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 506-514, Sept. 2013. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2013.2272656
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Sir John B. Pendry “Theoretical Physics for a Practical World”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 3, no. 6, pp. 693-701, Nov. 2013. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2013.2285322
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Shenggang Liu “China’s Father of Vacuum and Microwave Electronics”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 6-11, Jan. 2014. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2013.2294760
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Mattheus (Thijs) de Graauw “Intention, Attention, Execution”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 138-146, March 2014. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2014.2304671
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Tatsuo Itoh “Transmission Lines and Antennas: Left and Right”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 298-306, May 2014. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2014.2312852
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Michael Bass “The THz Light at the End of the Tunnel”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 410-417, July 2014. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2014.2326300
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Erik L. Kollberg “Instrument Maker to the Stars”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 4, no. 5, pp. 538-544, Sept. 2014. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2014.2344191
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Robert J. Mattauch “Two Terminals Will Suffice”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 4, no. 6, pp. 646-652, Nov. 2014. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2014.2361256
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Hiromasa Ito “Generating THz Energy is Crystal Clear”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 7-13, Jan. 2015. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2014.2376054
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Jun-ichi Nishizawa “THz Shogun”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 162-169, March 2015. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2015.2399699
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Derek Humphery Martin “The Mesh That Helped Ensnare the Cosmic Microwave Background”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 326-331, May 2015. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2015.2416516
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Paul F. Goldsmith “New Eyes for THz Astronomers”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 531-538, July 2015. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2015.2443496
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Xi-Cheng Zhang “The Face of THz”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 5, no. 5, pp. 706-714, Sept. 2015. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2015.2462123
  • P. H. Siegel, “Terahertz Pioneer: Joe W. Waters “THz Meets Gaia”,” in IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 863-883, Nov. 2015. doi: 10.1109/TTHZ.2015.2480857