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Terahertz Imaging: By, Nizamudeen E.A

Terahertz imaging utilizes electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz range of the spectrum between microwaves and infrared light. Terahertz radiation is generated using photoconductive emitters and detected coherently, allowing for amplitude and phase information. Terahertz pulses can be used to non-destructively image objects based on the dielectric properties of materials. A real-time terahertz imaging system described utilizes a femtosecond laser split into pump and probe beams to generate and detect terahertz pulses and form images using an electro-optic crystal and CCD camera. Potential applications of terahertz imaging include biomedical imaging, safety and quality control, nondestructive testing, and military target detection.

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Shaizal Saleem
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401 views

Terahertz Imaging: By, Nizamudeen E.A

Terahertz imaging utilizes electromagnetic radiation in the terahertz range of the spectrum between microwaves and infrared light. Terahertz radiation is generated using photoconductive emitters and detected coherently, allowing for amplitude and phase information. Terahertz pulses can be used to non-destructively image objects based on the dielectric properties of materials. A real-time terahertz imaging system described utilizes a femtosecond laser split into pump and probe beams to generate and detect terahertz pulses and form images using an electro-optic crystal and CCD camera. Potential applications of terahertz imaging include biomedical imaging, safety and quality control, nondestructive testing, and military target detection.

Uploaded by

Shaizal Saleem
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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TERAHERTZ IMAGING

By,
Nizamudeen E.A
Introduction
In spite of their considerable success, X-rays, magnetic
resonance imaging and ultrasound all have shortcomings.
Safer and more cost-effective imaging techniques are
necessary
Quality of an image to improve rapidly with increase in
wavelength but this will limit the spatial resolution of the
objects
The wavelength has to be sufficiently small to provide good
resolution, yet large enough to prevent serious losses by
scattering
Physicists looked to the so-called terahertz gap in the
electromagnetic spectrum — the region between 300 GHz
and 20 THz (i.e. 15 um—1 mm in wave­length)
Generation Of THz
In1980s David Auston and co-work­ers at Columbia
University in NY demonstrated that "photoconductive
emitters" could be used to generate coherent
picosecond (10—12 s) pulses at terahertz frequencies
When a photo-conductive emitter is illuminated with a
subpicosecond pulse of visible or near-infrared light,
electron—hole pairs are created in a semiconducting
layer with­in the device
These charge carriers are then accelerated by a bias
voltage
The resulting transient photocurrent is proportional to
this acceleration and radiates at terahertz frequencies.
Detection of THz
 It is the inverse of the generation mechanism
 Photoconductive can be readily paired to "coherent"
detectors
 Coherent nature of these detectors means that they
provide both phase and amplitude information about the
pulse, and can reject noise due to background radiation
 Also by measuring the time it takes a terahertz pulse to
travel through a medium, we can determine both its
thickness and refractive index
IMAGING WITH TERAHERTZ PULSES

The spectral response of many organic and inorganic


materials to low-frequency terahertz light is dominated by the
dielectric response of the materials.
At high frequencies, however, the response is dominated by
specific intra- or inter-molecular vibrations and rotations
In 1995 Martin Nuss and co-workers at AT&T in the US
became the first to demonstrate terahertz-pulse imaging.
To produce a terahertz pulse image, an object is translated
through the beam or by scanning the beam across it
One of the main advantages of terahertz light is that a variety
of common materials are transparent or semi-transparent in
this frequency range and each has its own unique THz image
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THz WAVE

Wave-particle Duality: has particle nature and wave nature,


such as interference and diffraction.
Penetrability : on a lot of dielectric material and non-polar
liquids. Can be supplement of X-ray imaging and ultrasound
imaging
Security : the energy of THz radiation is only mill-electron volt,
lower than the energy of different types of chemical bond. So will
not cause harmful ionizing reaction
The Resolving Power of Spectrum : the THz spectroscopy of
material contains a wealth of physical and chemical information,
which making them the unique characteristics, like fingerprints
Image quality : Images has a higher spatial resolution, and
therefore the image has more depth of field while maintaining the
same spatial resolution.
THE REAL-TIME IMAGING SYSTEM
Working
Figure illustrates a real-time imaging system.
A femtosecond laser pulse is divided into pump and probe beams
Average power is 800 mW for the pump beam and 1.4 mW for the
probe beam.
The pump beam goes through a delay line, and drives the large
aperture photoconductive antenna, which emits THz radiation.
The antenna consists of a semi-insulating GaAs wafer between
gold electrodes. A bias voltage of 5 kV is applied between the
electrodes.
THz radiation passes through the sample and is focused onto an
Electro-Optic crystal by two polyethylene lenses to form the
image for the sample.
Probe beam is expanded and is linearly polarized
Working (contd.)
The probe beam is then led into the same optical axis
as the THz radiation by beam splitter.
When the probe beam passes through the EO crystal,
the polarization is changed by the birefringence that
is induced by the THz radiation
 An analysing polarizer, with the transmission axis
crossed with respect to the first polarizer, is placed
after the EO crystal;
Only the intensity change in the crossed polarization
components can be detected by the CCD camera
In this way, the camera can capture THz images
THz APPLICATION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Applicationin Biomedicine
Safety Monitoring and Quality Control
Nondestructive Testing
Astronomy and Atmospheric Research
Military Applications
Chemical and Biological Agent Detection
Biomedicine, Safety Monitoring and Quality Control Applications

Organisms has a unique response to THz wave therefore,


can be used for disease diagnosis, organisms detection and
imaging
THz wave can also be applied to computer-assisted
tomography
THz radiation can also be used for detecting pollutants,
biological and chemical detection, and therefore can be used
to monitor the process of food preservation and food
processing.
The characteristics of THz wave, penetrating objects and
security, can be used for non-contact, non-injury to detect
specific substances, such as hidden explosives, drugs,
weapons,
Nondestructive Testing
& Military Applications

The safety and penetrable properties of THz wave


can be used for nondestructive testing of building.
THz imaging has been selected as the one of four
type of future technology of NASA to detect the
defects in space shuttle
THz technology has applications in the military
field:
◦ THz non­destructive detection
◦ Anti-stealth THz ultra-wideband radar.

.
THz radar imaging of military targets.

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