Real-time imaging spectroscopy with Terahertz camera

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K17476
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Optical engineering, Photon science
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Kanda Natsuki 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 光量子工学研究領域, 研究員 (60631778)
• Research Collaborator: MIDORIKAWA Katsumi 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 光量子工学研究領域, 領域長 ; GONOKAMI Makoto 東京大学, 総長 ; KONISHI Kuniaki 東京大学, 理学系研究科, 助教 ; NEMOTO Natsuki 東京大学, 理学系研究科
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: テラヘルツ分光 / イメージング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Terahertz spectroscopic imaging has a strong potential for applications because many molecules have fingerprint spectra in this frequency region. However, the performance of conventional techniques is restricted by the requirement of multidimensional scanning, which implies an image data acquisition time of several minutes.
In this research, we proposed and demonstrated a novel broadband THz spectroscopic imaging method that enables real-time image acquisition using a high-sensitivity uncooled THz camera. By exploiting the two-dimensionality of the detector, a broadband multi-channel spectrometer near 1 THz was constructed. By this method, molecule-specific distributions in one-dimensional space can be determined at a fast video rate (15 frames per second), and two-dimensional molecule-specific images can be obtained in only a few seconds. Our method can be applied in various important fields such as biomedicine and security.

Free Research Field

テラヘルツ分光、超高速レーザー