A new research could lead to gen-next ultra-thin detector that is capable to see below the surface of bodies, walls and several other objects invisible to naked eyes. According to researchers, the detector could prove beneficial in fields like security, chemical sensing, mobile communications and medical imaging.

Using properties of graphene, pure carbon in the form of a very thin and one atom thick, a prototype detector is able to see an extraordinarily broad band of wavelengths, terahertz waves. Terahertz waves are invisible to human eye. By using graphene's properties, researchers increased the speed of detector and maintained its sensitivity under room temperature.

Researchers used properties of graphene because when electrons suspended in the honeycomb lattice of the graphene absorb light, they retain energy without losing their heat to lattice.

According to lead author and University of Maryland (UMD) physics graduate student, Xinghan Cai, detector like prototype could be helpful in finding applications in increasing terahertz fields.

Professor of physics at UMD and Monash University, Michael Fuhrer, said about prototype detector, "it is as sensitive as any existing room temperature detector in the terahertz range and more than a million times faster".

Long wavelengths and low frequencies of terahertz light waves fall between microwaves and infrared waves.

Researchers said that light in terahertz wavelengths can see through skin, clothing, plastic and cardboard. Apart from that, it can be used to recognize chemical signature, a unique pattern produced by an analytical instrument.

It is important to keep detectors extremely cold in order to maintain sensitivity. Today's detectors that work at room temperature are too big, expensive and slow.

UMD team and colleagues at the US Naval Research Lab and Monash University have discovered the detector that works at room temperature by using graphene.