- Lepto develops terahertz filters barely thicker than microscopic viruses for advanced communications
- Satellite companies value lighter terahertz components because launch costs remain extremely high
- Terahertz radiation enables faster data transmission over secure short-range communication channels
A micrometer-thick sheet glowing gold, red and green hardly seems like the next big thing in satellite communications.
However, this high-tech filter, produced by Lepto GmbH, a subsidiary of Empa, represents a quiet advance in terahertz radiation technology.
Company founders Elena Mavrona and Erwin Hack spent six years researching in Empa’s Transport at Nanoscale Interfaces lab before realizing their invention had commercial potential.
From the curiosity of the laboratory to the reality of the market
“We never really planned to start a company,” says Erwin Hack, CTO of Lepto.
“But we received a lot of 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.”
Researchers realized that demand for the filter goes beyond academic laboratories and government-funded scientific projects.
Terahertz radiation sits uncomfortably between visible light and conventional radio waves, a spectral no man’s land long ignored by engineers.
With wavelengths ranging from 0.03 to three millimeters, this band remained largely inaccessible until recent decades.
The Lepto filter, barely thicker than a virus at just one-thousandth of a millimeter, changes that equation dramatically.
“Our filters are very fine and we make the frames to order using 3D printing,” explains CEO Elena Mavrona.
This combination of extreme thinness and custom manufacturing allows the spin-off company to produce complex filtration systems that are lightweight and remarkably effective.
Secure satellite links and faster data transmission
Space technology represents a particularly promising market for this technology because every gram put into orbit carries an enormous cost.
Terahertz beams offer two distinct advantages for satellites: superior materials spectroscopy for astrophysics and highly secure communication channels.
According to Hack, the higher frequency of terahertz radiation compared to conventional technologies allows for faster data transmission, while its shorter range makes interception more difficult.
“On the one hand, terahertz spectroscopy is an excellent method for investigating many phenomena in astrophysics and geophysics,” says Mavrona.
“On the other hand, terahertz are also ideal for communication between satellites, as well as for satellite-to-ground communication.”
On Earth, the same radiation faces limitations as atmospheric dispersion dramatically restricts its range.
However, industry experts see terahertz waves as a critical 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 the superficial layers of tissue without the ionizing dangers of X-rays.
Therefore, researchers are developing these waves for diagnosing skin cancer, examining superficial blood vessels, and even evaluating wounds.
Airport body scanners represent another security-focused application already in development
Currently, demand for Lepto’s terahertz filters and polarizers comes almost exclusively from the research sector, including experimental quantum computing and spectroscopy projects.
The founders acknowledge that the transition from academic consultations to commercial orders remains a major hurdle.
“We hope to bring our products to market soon,” they say optimistically, although the company is actively seeking seed funding.
It remains to be seen whether this technology can truly be scalable beyond specialized laboratories.
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