Kick-Off Meeting Launches TeraHertz Horizon Europe Project at Lviv Polytechnic
On March 1, 2023, the official kick-off meeting of the Horizon Europe-funded TeraHertz project was held at Lviv Polytechnic National University, marking the beginning of a four-year international research effort aimed at advancing terahertz radiation control technologies.
The TeraHertz project is part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) – Staff Exchanges under the Horizon Europe programme. It brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of seven academic and industrial partners from Ukraine, Poland, and France. The project is coordinated by Lviv Polytechnic and focuses on developing novel materials and quasi-optical technologies for efficient and practical use in terahertz (THz) radiation control devices.
“Due to the war in Ukraine, the meeting was held in a hybrid format. Our partners from Poland and France joined online, as traveling to Ukraine remains difficult,” noted Professor Anatolii Andrushchak, Project Coordinator and Head of the Department of Applied Physics and Nanomaterials Science at Lviv Polytechnic. “Interestingly, it was exactly five years ago in this very hall that we launched a similar project—IMAGE—with participation from EU leaders.”
The kickoff event titled “New Technologies and Materials for the Control of Terahertz Radiation” gathered participants to discuss the vision, research objectives, and collaboration framework of the project. The meeting was opened by Professor Nataliya Chukhray, Vice-Rector for Education and International Relations, and Dr. Roman Nebesny, Head of the University’s Research and Development Department. Both speakers emphasized Lviv Polytechnic’s continued leadership in international research and innovation, especially in the fields of materials science and nanotechnology.
“Over the next four years, our team will study the properties of advanced materials and explore their potential in the THz frequency range. Ultimately, we aim to develop a high-efficiency terahertz radiation control device, a technology with strong potential for telecommunications, imaging, and sensing applications,” said Dr. Nazarii Andrushchak, Administrative Manager of the TeraHertz project and Head of Lviv Polytechnic’s Project Office.
The TeraHertz project will focus on the investigation and application of crystalline materials, nanocomposites, and coplanar structures, enabling enhanced modulation, filtering, and direction control of THz waves. The consortium will also address challenges in material anisotropy, photogeneration of charge carriers, and device miniaturization.
By uniting a cross-border, interdisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and technology developers, the TeraHertz project creates a platform for knowledge exchange and capacity building. This collaboration not only supports the advancement of European research in THz technologies but also reinforces cooperation between academic institutions and SMEs, contributing to innovation-driven economic development.
Stay tuned for further updates as the TeraHertz project progresses toward next-generation terahertz control solutions.
