CTT may seem like a "new kid on the block", but it was founded by people who have been involved in research for decades, and their names will be familiar to many in the global terahertz community. The company was incorporated in 2022 by senior astronomy instrumentation academics from the School Of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University.
CTT was created to commercialise unique technology resulting from more than five decades of pioneering work. The activity was initiated by Professor Peter Ade at Queen Mary College, London (now QMUL) and continued in the 21st century at Cardiff University.
In the 1970s Peter invented and then meticulously refined a multi-layer metal mesh solution to frequency selection which makes possible unparalleled control of band definition and very high attenuation of out-of-band radiation over a broad range of frequencies.
This therefore became an enabling technology for astronomical receivers starting with cryogenic instruments on UKIRT and JCMT in the 1970s. Our CEO, Professor Carole Tucker has worked closely with Peter and has managed filter production since the 1990s.
The academic research group went on to contribute to IRAS, ISO, and most notably ESA's Herschel, and Planck Space Observatories. The metal mesh filter technology is now being built into the next generation of terrestrial and space based projects such as the Simons Observatory and PRIMA (the PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics), a candidate NASA probe class mission.
Our technology also underpins the recent proliferation of activity in the terahertz region of the electro-magnetic spectrum and will play an important role in the development of sources, receivers, short range communications, plasma diagnostics, climate monitoring and security screening.
So far thousands of precision-engineered devices have been constructed, helping to shape the evolution of terahertz technology worldwide.
The design, manufacture and test phases of this technology are assembled under a commercial umbrella for the first time through Celtic Terahertz Technology Ltd. We are building a dedicated facility at our Cardiff home to generate greater production capacity along with improved performance, quality and reliability in the finished product.
Meet the people behind these extraordinary innovations.
The CTT Team
Professor Carole Tucker
Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Clive Meaton
Chief Operations Officer
Dr Richard Lewis
Chief Scientific Officer
Professor Peter Ade
Inventor and Senior Science Adviser
Ken Wood
Business Development Manager
The Team
The CTT "engine room" is a collection of cleanroom specialists with 125 years' experience between them. They can boast a fabulous track record over many years for reliability, quality, consistency and schedule.
Latest News & Resources
Posted 8th December 2025
Posted 8 months ago
By Ken Wood
CTT wins prestigious IOP business award
Celtic Terahertz Technology Ltd. recently acquired a Business Start-up award from the Institute Of Physics.
Posted 12th May 2025
Posted 1 year ago
By CTT
CTT founder honoured for outstanding work on revolutionary astronomical instruments and facilities
Announcement from the Institute of Physics: "A Cardiff University physicist has been awarded the 2024 Institute of Physics (IOP) James Joule Medal and Prize."
