THz-Skin co-organized the International Conference on Nano-, Tera- and Bio-Photonics which took place in Joensuu/FI on 17-21 Aug 2026 and the abstract book is now available. 

The NTB-Photonics conference brought together more than 90 leading experts and young researchers from 16 countries who employ photonics as a research tool alongside scientists developing cutting-edge photonics-based techniques and methodologies. The conference programme covered a broad spectrum of disciplines – from condensed matter physics and electrodynamics to biophysics and biomedical sciences to quantum technologies – highlighting the unifying power of light-based technologies across diverse areas of modern research.

As part of a special THz-Skin session on 18 August 2026, speakers from the consortium (IK) and invited external speakers (VP, AM) came together:
- Vasili Perebeinos, University at Buffalo, USA:  Simulations of Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties in low-dimensional materials
- Irmantas Kasalynas, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Lithuania: Room-Temperature Terahertz Photonics via Plasmons Excitation in Various Semiconductor Platforms
- Aadya Menon, University of Eastern Finland, Finland, Black Nickel Coating: A Scalable Solution for Ultra-Broadband Absorption

The THz-Skin consortium further contributed with two presentations:  

- Alessandro Pitanti: Enchanced responsivity of thermomechanical detectors via Duffing nonlinearities
- Benedetta Bertoni: FPGA Readout of Thermomechanical Bolometers Arrays for THz Imaging

and two posters: 

- Chivintar Amenty: THz-FIR library for skin cancer diagnostics
- Gaia Di Carlo: Characterization of thermomechanical detectors in the 6-12 µm (25-50 THz) range

For details, we invite you to browse the abstract book. 

We proudly announce that FTMC has published the project's inaugural peer-reviewed scientific publication: 

Ayyagari, S.R.; Indrišiūnas, S.; Ducournau, G.; Janonis, V.; Kašalynas, I. 

Far-Field Terahertz Spectroscopy of a Subwavelength Single Planar Meta-Atom. 

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16, 4608.

This paper presents far-field terahertz spectroscopy of a single subwavelength planar meta-atom embedded in square and circular apertures on a free-standing metal film. It introduces a novel spectral analysis framework that corrects for aperture-to-beam area mismatch to suppress non-resonant background contributions, thereby enabling more accurate extraction of the meta-atom's intrinsic optical response.

Enjoy reading!

The THz-Skin consortium will co-organise and present its first findings at the International Conference on Nano-, Tera- and Bio-Photonics taking place from 17 to 21 August 2020 in Joensuu, Finland! 

The conference will bring together renowned experts who use photonics as a research tool, alongside scientists developing cutting-edge techniques and methodologies based on photonics. Its programme covers a wide range of disciplines — from condensed matter physics and electrodynamics to biophysics and biomedical sciences — highlighting the unifying power of light-based technologies across various areas of modern research. 

Speakers will present the latest advances, including progress in the fundamental understanding of the optical properties of new two-dimensional materials, developments in quantum detection, and cutting-edge techniques in bioimaging and spectroscopy for biomedical applications.

Hurry if you want to take part: the deadline for submitting abstracts has been extended to 25 June 2026 and the registration deadline is 30 June 2026. 

Stay tuned – the programme and our contributions will be available shortly!

Skin cancer causes over 36,000 deaths in the EU every year and costs around €9 billion in healthcare and indirect costs. The THz-Skin Pathfinder Open project, starting 1 February 2026 and running for four years, aims to make early detection faster, safer, and more accessible. The project will develop a non-invasive, label-free diagnostic platform enabling real-time, zero-radiation screening without expensive equipment or specialist intervention.

A conceptual breakthrough of the project is to use the body’s natural thermal emission to detect cancer spectral fingerprints in the terahertz (THz) range. The concept was made possible by the recent project h-cube, implemented as ATTRACT Phase II program, that resulted in development broad and narrow-band bolometers providing THz detectors with an unprecedented combination of fast response and high sensitivity. These detectors will be the building blocks for miniaturized, low-cost Multifrequency Pixels (MFPs) sensors, enabling hyperspectral imaging in the 3–25 THz range. Diagnostics will be based on a growing, open-access, spectral fingerprint library and on AI diagnostics to detect subcutaneous cancer signatures.

The project funded by the European Commission is implemented by consortium of academic and industrial partners from Italy, Lithuania, the UK, Finland, and Switzerland. The kick-off meeting took place in Joensuu on 12 February 2026, marking the start of this ambitious collaborative effort.

THz-Skin Pathfinder Open promises to revolutionize skin cancer diagnostics, enabling widespread screening, earlier treatment, and better patient outcomes across Europe.
Successful implementation of the THz-Skin project will enable simple-to-use diagnostic equipment available in a primary-care environment.

For more information, follow us on LinkedIn.

The press release is available for download. 

Our project successfully kicked off in Joensuu, Finland, on 12 February 2026. We look forward to four years of research dedicated to developing more effective and affordable skin cancer screening solutions!