A practical guide to Terahertz imaging using thermal atomic vapour

Abstract

This tutorial aims to provide details on the underlying principles and methodologies of atom-based terahertz imaging techniques. Terahertz imaging is a growing field of research which can provide complementary information to techniques using other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Unlike infrared, visible and ultraviolet radiation, terahertz passes through many everyday materials, such as plastics, cloth and card. Compared with images formed using lower frequencies, terahertz images have superior spatial resolution due to the shorter wavelength, while compared to x-rays and gamma rays, terahertz radiation is non-ionising and safe to use. The tutorial begins with the basic principles of terahertz to optical conversion in alkali atoms before discussing how to construct a model to predict the fluorescent spectra of the atoms, on which the imaging method depends. We discuss the practical aspects of constructing an imaging system, including the subsystem specifications. We then review the typical characteristics of the imaging system including spatial resolution, sensitivity andbandwidth. We conclude with a brief discussion of some potential applications

Invited Review. 37 pages

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Cited by in corpus (5)

• A Rydberg atom based system for benchmarking mmWave automotive radar chips
• Virtually structured illumination for terahertz super-resolution imaging
• Electric-field metrology of a terahertz frequency comb using Rydberg atoms
• Determination of Quantum Defects and Core Polarizability of Atomic Cesium via Terahertz and Radio-Frequency Spectroscopy in Thermal Vapor
• Static dc electric field orientation effects on two-photon Rydberg EIT