China's terahertz detector harvests results in Antarctica

China's self-developed terahertz detection equipment has successfully carried out operations in Antarctica and harvested results by completing astronomical observation experiments at terahertz frequencies.

The detection equipment includes core devices such as a superconducting terahertz receiver, a low-temperature refrigerating machine and small high-precision antennas, said the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

A joint research team from the PMO and the Polar Research Institute of China conducted the experiments at China's Kunlun and Taishan stations in Antarctica during the country's 39th Antarctic expedition that set off in October 2022.

They accurately measured the atmospheric transmittance at the 0.5 terahertz frequency in Dome A, where the Kunlun station is located, and successfully transmitted and received signals in this frequency band between places located kilometers apart in the inland areas of Antarctica, laying a strong foundation for the country's further research of communication technology in this continent, said the PMO.