TeTechS Inc., is developing a novel terahertz (THz) sensor system

http://www.cmc.ca/en/AboutCMC/SuccessStories/EnergyEnviro/TerahertzBenefitingEnvironmentTeTechS.aspx

Founded by Dr. Daryoosh Saeedkia (pictured), TeTechS Inc. draws on the distinctive characteristics of leading-edge terahertz technology to develop unique sensing and imaging solutions. The company’s systems can precisely identify and quantify materials in mixtures and composites by resolving their unique terahertz spectral signatures and fingerprints. Customers’ problems can be solved in ways that cannot be addressed by other approaches such as X-ray and infrared imaging.


Dr. Daryoosh Saeedkia’s startup company, TeTechS Inc., is developing a novel terahertz (THz) sensor system that can identify different types of plastics. It will offer an automatic way for recycling plants to separate the dark plastics used in computers, televisions, cell phones and other electronic devices, according to Saeedkia. The system will allow selected types of recycled plastics to be sold to manufacturers— and keep the material out of landfill. That’s where much of it now ends up when people get rid of their old electronics

“Currently, there is a mixture of plastics coming     

from the recycling stream. As a mixture, it has

quite a low value for building new products,”

Saeedkia explains. “Value is enhanced when we

are able to separate the mix of plastics according

to polymer type, so that the most appropriate

material can be sold to a manufacturer who will

use it to build a case for a computer or television

set. So the value goes up and the recycling loop

is closed.”

The terahertz band is the wavelength range that

falls between microwave and infrared on the

electromagnetic spectrum. Many materials,

including different types of plastics, have spectral

fingerprints in the THz range. This means that

THz spectroscopy can be used to distinguish

between them. “Materials exhibit unique qualities

when observed in the terahertz band that one can

harness to perform tasks that might not be easy

or even possible to do with
other technologies,” says
Saeedkia.

Saeedkia founded TeTechS
in 2010 and serves as its
President and CEO. He is
invigorated by opportunities
to develop disruptive
innovation using the unique
properties of terahertz
technology and to deliver
new products to market.
Based in Waterloo, the
company presently has four
full-time employees and is
bootstrap financing this stage
of operations. Previously,
Saeedkia served as the
chief technology officer of
T-Ray Science Inc., now
Verisante (VRS.VN: TSX-V),
which manufactures medical
devices.
Saeedkia began working
on a terahertz sensor as
a graduate student at the
University of Waterloo,
where he received his
doctorate degree in 2005
and subsequently was the
coordinator of the university’s
Microwave and Terahertz
Photonics Integrated System Lab (MISL). He
says CMC Microsystems gave him a boost in
the early stages of the work and helped with
the fabrication requirements. “We built our very
first THz chips with outstanding performance
through CMC Microsystems. They helped us
get going. It was a great honour and a big help.
Getting recognition from institutions like CMC
is confirmation that you are on track. It helps
you gain confidence.” In 2008, Saeedkia won
CMC’s Douglas R. Colton Medal for Research
Excellence in recognition of his research on
terahertz photoconductive sources, detectors
and terahertz photonics devices and systems.
Terahertz sensor systems that will be deployed
in an industrial setting have to be rugged. They
also have to be able to do material sensing
in real time. The proprietary terahertz sensor
technology developed by TeTechS takes
advantage of an all-optical-fiber laser light
delivery system in a compact and regularized
system architecture. These terahertz

sensors are fabricated on a multi-quantum well
InGaAs material system suitable to operate at
telecommunication wavelengths.
The material system was developed through
a two-year research collaboration between
TeTechS and the University of Manchester, UK.
The THz sensors are packaged in compact fiber
pigtailed chip enclosures. A laser light is delivered
to the sensors through optical fibers.
The company’s products are being developed
with support from a number of federal and
provincial agencies. Through discussions with
several potential customers and partners in the
recycling industry, Saeedkia is building interest
in his company’s technology. He also sees
an opportunity to market terahertz sensors to
industrial research teams working in other sectors
or to universities or research centres. “There
are R&D groups that want to buy an off-the shelf
sensor such as TeTechS is developing/