Remote Spectral Identification in the THz Band with Reflection Spectroscopy in an Open Atmosphere

Abstract

Spectroscopy in the terahertz (THz) band has been discussed as a promising tool for identifying substances such as mold in food, narcotics, or explosive materials. Other than the technological limitations, the most important difficulty is the presence of water vapor in the atmosphere, which affects THz measurements. In this paper, we present a systematic approach to the challenging subject of remote identification. We start with a brief analysis of the technical capabilities of the THz components and report the choice of devices for designing an experimental setup for reflection spectroscopy. We follow with the presentation of the transmission THz spectrometer working in an open atmosphere. Research conducted on the transmission configuration provides findings that are implemented in the experimental setup working in a reflective configuration. The final phase is an experiment providing data measured in the reflection configuration with the presence of water vapor, allowing the use of spectra in the identification of the measured samples.

Keywords

• THz radiation
• reflection spectroscopy
• remote identification
• optical parametric oscillator
• hot-electron bolometer
• water vapor