3D chemical mapping using terahertz pulsed imaging

We report the use of a terahertz pulsed imaging technique for three-dimensional chemical mapping. Terahertz radiation reflected from a sample was measured pixel-by-pixel in time domain using a terahertz pulsed imaging system developed at TeraView Ltd, UK. The recorded terahertz waveforms were then transformed into frequency domain using time-partitioned Fourier transform. Structural maps of samples were obtained by analyzing the terahertz time-domain data whilst chemical maps were obtained from terahertz spectral data sets. For a sample comprising chemical A at the surface of a polyethylene pellet and chemical B buried inside the pellet, we have separated the component spatial patterns of the two chemicals using their spectral fingerprints. The reconstructed three-dimensional chemical maps not only locate the chemicals in the object, but also identify each chemical. We also demonstrate the capabilities of terahertz pulsed imaging for non-destructive analysis of coating thickness and quality, and for detecting and identifying explosive materials such as RDX.