Search Results (16)

The paper describes the statistical analysis of the response of gastric cancer cells and normal cells to broadband terahertz radiation up to 4 THz, both with and without the use of nanostructured contrast agents. The THz spectroscopy analysis was comparatively performed under the ATR procedure and transmission measurement procedure. The statistical analysis was conducted towards multiple pairwise comparisons, including a support medium (without cells) versus a support medium with nanoparticles, normal cells versus normal cells with nanoparticles, and, respectively, tumor cells versus tumor cells with nanoparticles. When generally comparing the ATR procedure and transmission measurement procedure for a broader frequency domain, the differentiation between normal and tumor cells in the presence of contrast agents is superior when using the ATR procedure. THz contrast enhancement by using contrast agents derived from MRI-related contrast agents leads to only limited benefits and only for narrow THz frequency ranges, a disadvantage for THz medical imaging. Full article

Transient terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) imaging has emerged as a novel non-ionizing and noninvasive biomedical imaging modality, designed for the detection and characterization of a variety of tissue malignancies due to their high signal-to-noise ratio and submillimeter resolution. We report our design of a pair of aspheric focusing lenses using a commercially available lens-design software that resulted in about 200 × 200-μm² focal spot size corresponding to the 1-THz frequency. The lenses are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) obtained using a lathe fabrication and are integrated into a THz-TDS system that includes low-temperature GaAs photoconductive antennae as both a THz emitter and detector. The system is used to generate high-resolution, two-dimensional (2D) images of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded murine pancreas tissue blocks. The performance of these focusing lenses is compared to the older system based on a pair of short-focal-length, hemispherical polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon^TM) lenses and is characterized using THz-domain measurements, resulting in 2D maps of the tissue refractive index and absorption coefficient as imaging markers. For a quantitative evaluation of the lens effect on the image resolution, we formulated a lateral resolution parameter, R₂₀₈₀, defined as the distance required for a 20–80% transition of the imaging marker from the bare paraffin region to the tissue region in the same image frame. The R₂₀₈₀ parameter clearly demonstrates the advantage of the HDPE lenses over Teflon^TM lenses. The lens-design approach presented here can be successfully implemented in other THz-TDS setups with known THz emitter and detector specifications. Full article

In this paper, the design and optimization of a wideband THz metamaterial absorber (MMA) are proposed. By simulation, we reached four structures with absorptions higher than 50%, 70%, 80%, and 90%, with relative absorption bandwidths (RABWs) of 1.43, 1.29, 0.93, and 0.72, respectively. Terahertz absorbers can be used in many potential applications, such as in imaging, energy harvesting, scattering reduction, and thermal sensing. Our intended application was to use the optimal absorber on a thermal detector for detectivity over a wide THz range. Since broadband absorption in the range of 0.3 to 2 terahertz is considered for use in medical imaging, the MMA with more than 50% absorption in the range of 0.35-2.1 THz was selected. The designs were also intended to have the capability of being implemented on different devices, such as bolometers. The cost of the fabrication of the proposed absorber was also low because of the implementation of a single-layer MMA design and the utilization of affordable and more accessible materials and techniques. Our proposed structure had a minimum feature size of 3 μm, making the fabrication process convenient using the standard photolithography method as well. We used thin layers of nickel as the metal for both the single-layer pattern and ground layer, which were placed on the front and back sides of the structure, respectively. The nickel thin film layers were deposited using the sputtering technique and separated by a dielectric layer. The material chosen for the dielectric layer was SU8, which has proper electromagnetic properties and also good adhesion to nickel. Characterization of the fabricated absorber was performed using a terahertz spectroscopy system, and the experimental results verified the high absorption of the sample. Full article

The use of optical systems in medical imaging, computer electronics, large-scale industries, and space exploration is common. The performance of these devices is closely related to the compactness and fast responses of lenses that are used in these optical systems. Typical lenses suffer from several key issues, including limited efficiency, significant size, and the presence of diffraction-induced distortions that compromise their overall performance. Herein these limitations are addressed by designing and simulating an ultra-thin compact metalens also known as a flat lens using a dielectric metasurface. A 1D array of 31 nano-cylinders is placed on a glass substrate that is utilized for focusing the incident wave both on and off center in the focal plane using simulations. The nano-cylinders are comprised of amorphous silicon hydrogenated (a-Si:H), which has a varying radius in a 1D configuration. Amorphous silicon hydrogenated (a-Si:H) nano-cylinders are utilized for the manipulation of the phase of the incident beam working at a frequency of 474 THz. Three metalenses are introduced with focal lengths of 7.46 $\mathsf{\mu }$m, 10 $\mathsf{\mu }$m, and 12.99 $\mathsf{\mu }$m, each having a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.7, 0.6, and 0.5, respectively. The designed single-array metalens showed a transmission efficiency of 73%. The nano-cylinders obtained a full 0–360 phase control that is beneficial in focusing the beam at the center and beyond the center. Symmetric focusing is obtained in the case of off-center focusing on both sides of the optical axis. The design and simulations of the metalens are performed using finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation tools. Full article

In this manuscript, we studied a wideband metasurface-based terahertz (THz) absorber. The metasurface of the proposed absorber was comprised of fan-like periodic resonators made of nickel (Ni). The absorptivity of the proposed absorber was analyzed from 3.5 to 5 THz. The wideband absorptivity is observed with an absorption above 75% from 3.7 to 4.7 THz. The polarization-insensitive behavior of the absorber is depicted due to the symmetric nature of the top metasurface. The absorption feature was also analyzed for the transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) operating modes for the obliquity of the incidence wave. The surface current density shows that absorption is achieved due to the electric resonance of the proposed absorber. The proposed absorber would be useful for several applied areas covering medical science, communication, safety supervision, chemical sensing, and imaging. Full article

Terahertz frequency has promising applications in communication, security scanning, medical imaging, and industry. THz absorbers are one of the required components for future THz applications. However, nowadays, obtaining a high absorption, simple structure, and ultrathin absorber is a challenge. In this work, we present a thin THz absorber that can be easily tuned through the whole THz range (0.1–10 THz) by applying a low gate voltage (<1 V). The structure is based on cheap and abundant materials (MoS₂/graphene). Nanoribbons of MoS₂/graphene heterostructure are laid over a SiO₂ substrate with an applied vertical gate voltage. The computational model shows that we can achieve an absorptance of approximately 50% of the incident light. The absorptance frequency can be tuned through varying the structure and the substrate dimensions, where the nanoribbon width can be varied approximately from 90 nm to 300 nm, while still covering the whole THz range. The structure performance is not affected by high temperatures (500 K and above), so it is thermally stable. The proposed structure represents a low-voltage, easily tunable, low-cost, and small-size THz absorber that can be used in imaging and detection. It is an alternative to expensive THz metamaterial-based absorbers. Full article

The distinguishable absorption contrast among healthy gastric tissues, carcinoma in situ and cancer tissues in the THz frequency range is one of the keys to realizing gastric cancer diagnosis by THz imaging. Based on microwave devices and a sub-wavelength fiber, we developed a fast-scanning THz imaging system combined with the principle of surface plasmon resonance enhancement. This imaging system has a near-field λ/17 spatial resolution and imaging S/N ratio as high as 10⁸:1, and the image results are directly displayed within 1 min. We also successfully demonstrated the image diagnostic capability on sliced tissues from eight patients with gastric cancer. The results indicate that THz absorption images can not only clearly distinguish cancer tissue from healthy tissues but also accurately define the margins of cancer. Through a medical statistical study of 40 sliced tissues from 40 patients, we prove that THz imaging can be used as a standalone method to diagnose gastric cancer tissues with a diagnostic specificity and sensitivity of 100%. Compared with the H&E staining method, THz imaging diagnosis makes the automation of tissue-sampling pre-screening procedure possible and assists in quickly determining the boundary between cancerous and healthy tissues. Full article

Terahertz (THz) sources, ranging from 0.1 THz to 10 THz, between microwaves and infrared waves, have important applications in spectral detection, medical imaging, communication, etc. Difference frequency generation (DFG) is an effective method for generating terahertz with the characteristics of low cost, simple structure, widely tunable range, no threshold, and room-temperature operation. This paper reviews various optical terahertz sources of difference frequency generation based on nonlinear crystals, including DFG with inorganic crystals, DFG with organic crystals, DFG with quasi-phase-matching (QPM) crystals, DFG in waveguides, cavity-enhanced DFG, and cascaded DFG. Their recent advances, as well as their advantages and disadvantages, are fully present and discussed. This review is expected to provide a comprehensive reference for researchers in this field and a quick understanding of optical THz sources of difference frequency generation with nonlinear crystals. Full article

Terahertz imaging has attracted significant interest for its applications in noninvasive medical diagnosis, security systems, and industrial inspections. Superconducting bolometers are one of the promising technologies of ultra-sensitive terahertz detection. Here, we present THz images captured by a low-cost superconducting transition-edge detector. The sensing element of the detector is a meander line patterned ${\mathrm{YBa}}_2{\mathrm{Cu}}_3{\mathrm{O}}_{7-\mathrm{x}}$ (YBCO) thin film realizing monolithically the absorber and thermometer of the detector. A total of 400 nm YBCO film is deposited on Yttrium-stabilized Zirconia substrate by the metal-organic deposition method which is well-known as an economic and scalable chemical, vacuum-free technique. The meander line pattern consists of 15 series connected parallel lines with a length of 1.5 mm and a width of 50 micrometers. This pattern has shown a significant response to the 0.1 THz equivalents to 3 mm wavelength radiation without any coupled antenna or separate absorber that may reduce the detection speed. The voltage response amplitude of the fabricated detector to 0.1 THz radiation at different modulation frequencies is measured and the detector is utilized for imaging concealed objects including cigarettes and metallic items. Full article

The spread of practical terahertz (THz) systems dedicated to the telecommunication, pharmacy, civil security, or medical markets requires the use of mainstream semiconductor technologies, such as complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) lines. In this paper, we discuss the operation of a CMOS-based free space all-electronic system operating near 250 GHz, exhibiting signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) with 62 dB in the direct detection regime for one Hz equivalent noise bandwidth. It combines the state-of-the-art detector based on CMOS field-effect-transistors (FET) and a harmonic voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). Three generations of the oscillator circuit are presented, and the performance characterization techniques and their improvement are explained in detail. The manuscript presents different emitter–detector pair operation modalities, including spectroscopy and imaging. Full article

In the past few decades, the applications of terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and imaging technology have seen significant developments in the fields of biology, medical diagnosis, food safety, and nondestructive testing. Label-free diagnosis of malignant tumours has been obtained and also achieved significant development in THz biomedical imaging. This review mainly presents the research status and prospects of several common continuous-wave (CW) THz medical imaging systems and applications of THz medical imaging in biological tissues. Here, we first introduce the properties of THz waves and how these properties play a role in biomedical imaging. Then, we analyse both the advantages and disadvantages of the CW THz imaging methods and the progress of these methods in THz biomedical imaging in recent ten years. Finally, we summarise the obstacles in the way of the application of THz bio-imaging application technology in clinical detection, which need to be investigated and overcome in the future. Full article

Medical and many other applications require small-volume setups enabling terahertz imaging. Therefore, we aim to develop a device for the in-reflection examination of the samples. Thus, in this article, we focus on the diffractive elements for efficient redirection and focusing of the THz radiation. A terahertz diffractive optical structure has been designed, optimized, manufactured (using extrusion-based 3D printing) and tested. Two manufacturing methods have been used—direct printing of the structures from PA12, and casting of the paraffin structures out of 3D-printed molds. Also, the limitations of the off-axis focusing have been discussed. To increase the efficiency, an iterative algorithm has been proposed that optimizes off-axis structures to focus the radiation into small focal spots located far from the optical axis, at an angle of more than 30 degrees. Moreover, the application of higher-order kinoform structure design allowed the maintaining of the smallest details of the manufactured optical element, using 3D printing techniques. Full article

The gyrotrons are powerful sources of coherent radiation that can operate in both pulsed and CW (continuous wave) regimes. Their recent advancement toward higher frequencies reached the terahertz (THz) region and opened the road to many new applications in the broad fields of high-power terahertz science and technologies. Among them are advanced spectroscopic techniques, most notably NMR-DNP (nuclear magnetic resonance with signal enhancement through dynamic nuclear polarization, ESR (electron spin resonance) spectroscopy, precise spectroscopy for measuring the HFS (hyperfine splitting) of positronium, etc. Other prominent applications include materials processing (e.g., thermal treatment as well as the sintering of advanced ceramics), remote detection of concealed radioactive materials, radars, and biological and medical research, just to name a few. Among prospective and emerging applications that utilize the gyrotrons as radiation sources are imaging and sensing for inspection and control in various technological processes (for example, food production, security, etc). In this paper, we overview the current status of the research in this field and show that the gyrotrons are promising radiation sources for THz sensing and imaging based on both the existent and anticipated novel techniques and methods. Full article

With the development of terahertz (THz) technology, the applications of this spectrum have become increasingly wide-ranging, in areas such as non-destructive testing, security applications and medical scanning, in which one of the most important methods is imaging. Unlike remote sensing applications, THz imaging features sources of array elements that are almost always supposed to be spherical wave radiators, including single antennae. As such, well-developed methodologies such as Range-Doppler Algorithm (RDA) are not directly applicable in such near-range situations. The Back Projection Algorithm (BPA) can provide products of high precision at the the cost of a high computational burden, while the Range Migration Algorithm (RMA) sacrifices the quality of images for efficiency. The Phase-shift Migration Algorithm (PMA) is a good alternative, the features of which combine both of the classical algorithms mentioned above. In this research, it is used for mechanical scanning, and is extended to array imaging for the first time. In addition, the performances of PMA are studied in detail in contrast to BPA and RMA. It is demonstrated in our simulations and experiments described herein that the algorithm can reconstruct images with high precision. Full article

We present the current status of high-performance, compact, THz sources based on intracavity nonlinear frequency generation in mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers. Significant performance improvements of our THz sources in the power and wall plug efficiency are achieved by systematic optimizing the device’s active region, waveguide, and chip bonding strategy. High THz power up to 1.9 mW and 0.014 mW for pulsed mode and continuous wave operations at room temperature are demonstrated, respectively. Even higher power and efficiency are envisioned based on enhancements in outcoupling efficiency and mid-IR performance. Our compact THz device with high power and wide tuning range is highly suitable for imaging, sensing, spectroscopy, medical diagnosis, and many other applications. Full article