A Low-Cost Terahertz Camera

Applied Sciences

JoelEdouard Nkeck¹  Riad Nechache¹  François Blanchard¹  DavidG. Cooke²  Dominique Matte² 

[1] Département de génie électrique, École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS), Montréal, QC H3C 1K3, Canada;Physics department, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada;

关键词: thermography;    terahertz;    imaging;    camera;    sensing;    low cost;   

DOI  :  10.3390/app9122531

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Cost effective imaging is required for a wide range of scientific and engineering applications. For electromagnetic waves in the terahertz (THz) frequency range, a key missing element that has prevented widespread applications in this spectral range is an inexpensive and efficient imaging device. In recent years, vanadium oxide based thermal sensors have rapidly entered the market for night vision capability. At the same time, sensors based on this technology have been applied to the THz domain, but with two orders of magnitude larger pricing range. Here we show that, with a simple modification, a commercially available thermal imaging camera can function as a THz imaging device. By comparing a commercially available THz camera and this low-cost device, we identify the main sensitivity difference is not attributed to anything intrinsic to the devices, but rather to the analog-to-digital converter and dynamic background subtraction capability. This demonstration of a low-cost THz camera may aid in the rapid development of affordable THz imaging solutions for industrial and scientific applications.

【 授权许可】

Unknown