Joachim Oberhammer

Microsystems are mechanical and electromechanical units produced in miniature. These very small units, structures, are produced through microfabrication techniques and have a size that ranges from a few microns to a few millimetres. Microsystems are everywhere in our surroundings, especially as miniaturised sensors. Sensors that measure movement, microphones in mobile phones and collision sensors in cars are a few examples.
Terahertz frequencies are electric signals that are several hundred times faster than frequencies used in mobile phones. In his research, Joachim Oberhammer combines terahertz frequencies and microsystems and creates new microeletromechanical systems that enable new applications in the terahertz frequency range. Applications that mean that terahertz technology can finally be used in many different parts of society.
Oberhammer and his research team study, for example, highly miniaturised telecommunication links for high data speeds for future telecommunication networks, high-resolution radar sensors, new medical sensors that can diagnose cancer, environmental sensors that measure different components in the atmosphere through spectral analysis and radiometric sensors for space exploration. The work is being done in cooperation with various universities and companies in Europe, and with the US space agency, NASA