Low-cost plasma terahertz heterodyne image detection

H. Joseph; A. Abramovich; N. S. Kopeika; D. Rozban; A. Akram

doi:10.1117/12.858811

28 August 2010 Low-cost plasma terahertz heterodyne image detection

H. Joseph, A. Abramovich, N. S. Kopeika, D. Rozban, A. Akram

Proceedings Volume 7818, Adaptive Coded Aperture Imaging, Non-Imaging, and Unconventional Imaging Sensor Systems II; 78180V (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.858811
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Miniature inexpensive neon indicator lamp plasma glow discharge detectors (GDD) are excellent candidates to serve as room temperature, low cost, terahertz (THz) radiation detectors and as pixels in THz imaging systems. Heterodyne amplification of low power signals via higher power reference beams is very important for THz imaging systems because it permits detection of much lower object beam intensities. An experimental result of 300GHz heterodyne detection by a single commercial GDD device costing about 30 cents is presented here. In heterodyne image detection a picture is taken of interference fringes or a hologram deriving from a coherent reference wave and a coherent wave reflected from or transmitted through an object. Transmission with in-line or zero angles between those two waves is important to widen the fringes. The GDD detector is transparent, so that it's possible to receive radiation from both sides, at 0 and 180 degree. This permit receiving the wave reflected from or transmitted through an object at 0 degree and the reference wave from the opposite direction at 180 degree. Such interference fringe widening can permit heterodyne direct imaging of the object instead of imaging the interference pattern.

Citation Download Citation

H. Joseph, A. Abramovich, N. S. Kopeika, D. Rozban, and A. Akram "Low-cost plasma terahertz heterodyne image detection", Proc. SPIE 7818, Adaptive Coded Aperture Imaging, Non-Imaging, and Unconventional Imaging Sensor Systems II, 78180V (28 August 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.858811

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