A nanoscale solid state terahertz emitter employs a layered half-cylinder associated with a substrate. The half-cylinder is configured with a channel having a pre-determined channel length. The emitter is defined in a three-dimensional frame of reference. The layered half-cylinder includes a conductor layer bonded to the substrate. An insulator layer is bonded to the conductor layer. An arcuate-shaped graphene layer is bonded to the insulator layer along a pre-determined contact length.