太赫兹科学技术是当前受到极大重视的交叉学科前沿,为人类社会发展提供了一个非常诱人的机遇。该文阐述了太赫兹波的优越特性及其在物理学、化学、生物医学、天文学、材料科学和环境科学等方面的重要学术和应用价值,以及对国民经济发展、国家安全、反恐和新一代信息科学技术发展的重大推动作用,介绍了世界太赫兹科技及其产业化发展情况,说明现代科技发展和应用的迫切需求使得该领域科学技术发展速度迅猛,也使太赫兹科学技术的发展呈现出基础研究、开发研究和产业化同步进行、相互融合、相互促进的新特点。
Scientists found that half of the cosmic background radiation from the Big Bang is in the THz part of the spectrum, This fact seems unbelievable but it is the nature. It shows how much science involved in the THz frequency regime. The unique characteristics and great technological potential in physics, chemistry, biomedical engineering, astronomy, materials science and environment engineering of THz are presented in this paper, and the recent development of THz S&T is introduced. The rapid progresses and the urgent need result in the combination and mergence of the related basic research, development and the industrial applications of the THz S&T.