Terahertz gas discharge: current progress and possible applications

Plasma created in focused beams of electromagnetic waves in the terahertz frequency range is a fairly new object in gas discharge physics. The specified range, located between the microwave and infrared regions of the spectrum of electromagnetic waves, is currently being actively developed. However, until recently, the study of discharge phenomena in it was practically inaccessible. Recent advances in its development are associated primarily with the creation of powerful sources of terahertz radiation—gyrotrons and free electron lasers. This article presents an overview of the latest results of studies of a gaseous terahertz discharge: gas breakdown, discharge propagation, features of the discharge glow, and prospects for a gaseous terahertz discharge as a point source of UV radiation.