Abstract-Full-Field Terahertz Imaging at Kilohertz Frame Rates Using Atomic Vapor

Lucy A. Downes, Andrew R. MacKellar, Daniel J. Whiting, Cyril Bourgenot, Charles S. Adams, and Kevin J. Weatherill

https://journals.aps.org/prx/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevX.10.011027

There is much interest in employing terahertz (THz) radiation across a range of imaging applications, but so far, technologies have struggled to achieve the necessary frame rates. Here, we demonstrate a THz imaging system based upon efficient THz-to-optical conversion in atomic vapor, where full-field images can be collected at ultrahigh speeds using conventional optical camera technology. For a 0.55-THz field, we show an effective $1\text{−}{\mathrm{cm}}^2$ sensor with near diffraction-limited spatial resolution and a minimum detectable power of $(190\pm 30)\mathrm{fW}{s}^{-1/2}$ per $(40\times 40)\mu m^2$ pixel capable of video capture at 3000 frames per second. This combination of speed and sensitivity represents a step change in the state of the art of THz imaging and will likely lead to its uptake in wider industrial settings.

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