- Lepto develops terahertz filters barely thicker than microscopic viruses for advanced communications
- Satellite companies value lighter terahertz components because launch costs remain extremely expensive
- Terahertz radiation enables faster data transmission across secure short-range communication channels
A one-micrometer-thin foil glittering in gold, red and green hardly looks like the next big thing in satellite communications.
Still, this high-tech filter, produced by Empa spin-off Lepto GmbH, represents a quiet breakthrough in terahertz radiation technology.
The company’s founders, Elena Mavrona and Erwin Hack, spent six years doing research at Empa’s Transport at Nanoscale Interfaces laboratory before realizing that their invention had commercial potential.
From laboratory curiosity to market reality
“We never actually planned to start a company,” says Erwin Hack, CTO of Lepto.
“But we received many inquiries from other research institutions, and they were very satisfied with the performance of our filters. That’s when we realized there was a market for them.”
The researchers realized that the filter’s demand extends beyond academic laboratories and government-funded science projects.
Terahertz radiation sits awkwardly between visible light and conventional radio waves, a spectral no-man’s land long ignored by engineers.
With wavelengths from 0.03 to three millimeters, this band remained largely inaccessible until recent decades.
Barely thicker than a virus at just one thousandth of a millimeter, the Lepto filter changes this equation dramatically.
“Our filters are very thin and we manufacture the frames for them to order using 3D printing,” explains managing director Elena Mavrona.
This combination of extreme thinness and custom manufacturing enables the spin-off to produce complex filter systems that are both lightweight and remarkably efficient.
Secure satellite connections and faster data transmission
Space technology represents a particularly promising market for this technology because each gram sent into orbit has enormous costs.
Terahertz beams offer two distinct advantages for satellites: superior material spectroscopy for astrophysics and highly secure communication channels.
According to Hack, the higher frequency of terahertz radiation compared to conventional technologies enables faster data transmission, while its shorter range makes eavesdropping more difficult.
“On the one hand, terahertz spectroscopy is an excellent method for investigating many phenomena in astrophysics and geophysics,” notes Mavrona.
“On the other hand, terahertz is also ideal for communication between satellites, as well as satellite-to-Earth communication.”
Back on Earth, the same radiation faces limitations as atmospheric scattering dramatically limits its range.
Nevertheless, industry experts consider terahertz waves as a cornerstone technology for the upcoming 6G standard, which promises greater speed and energy efficiency than current 5G networks.
Medical applications seem equally compelling because terahertz radiation penetrates only superficial layers of tissue without the ionizing dangers of X-rays.
Researchers are therefore developing these waves to diagnose skin cancer, examine superficial blood vessels and even assess wounds.
Body scanners for airports represent another security-focused application already in development
Currently, demand for Leptos’ terahertz filters and polarizers comes almost exclusively from the research sector, including spectroscopy and experimental quantum computing projects.
The founders recognize that the transition from academic inquiries to commercial orders remains a significant hurdle.
“We look forward to bringing our products to market soon,” they say optimistically, although the company is actively seeking pre-seed funding.
Whether this technology can truly scale beyond specialized laboratories remains to be seen.
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