Best Paper Award for Terahertz Wireless Safety Research
Samar Elmaadawy, PhD’25, electrical engineering, and ECE Professor & Associate Dean for Research Josep Jornet’s paper on “Thermal and SAR-Based Limits for Human Skin Exposed to Terahertz Radiation” won the Best Paper Award at the 5th International Telecommunications Conference (ITC-Egypt’2025) in July 2025.
Abstract
Terahertz technology holds strong potential for wireless communication and sensing and has become a growing focus of research in recent years. However, current safety guidelines for wireless communication do not fully address the entire terahertz spectrum, as they only cover the sub-terahertz band (100–300~GHz). Establishing safe exposure limits is a necessary prerequisite for the practical deployment of terahertz systems. In this paper, a COMSOL Multiphysics model was developed to analyze the thermal impact of terahertz exposure on human skin and determine the maximum permissible power limits across the frequency range from 0.1~THz to 5~THz. The current state of terahertz wireless communication technology was also explored by analyzing a representative system to assess present capabilities and exposure safety. The results indicate that the existing power levels defined for the sub-terahertz band may no longer be adequate, either for the sub-terahertz range itself or for the broader terahertz region evaluated in this study. This research lays the groundwork for safer terahertz technology standards, facilitating its broader use in wireless communication.