Experimental measurements of water content in crude oil emulsions by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

We measured the water content （0.01% 0.25% w/w） in crude oil emulsions using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy （THz-TDS）. To improve the precision and range of the measurements, we used 1 and 10 mm thick quartz cells. The experiments were performed at 20 ℃ and the THz wave was transmitted vertically to the samples and detected on the other side. The experimental results suggest linear relation for the THz absorption coefficient and the water content of the crude oil emulsions in the observed range. The linear dependence facilitates high-precision measurements of the water content of crude oil. This suggests the potential of THz-TDS in determining the water concentration in crude oil and borehole fluid identification.

Broadband terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and fast FMCW imaging: Principle and applications

We report a broadband terahertz time-domain spectroscopy(THz-TDS)which enables twenty vibrational modes of adenosine nucleoside to be resolved in a wide frequency range of 1-20 THz.The observed spectroscopic features of adenosine are in good agreement with the published spectra obtained using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)and Raman spectroscopy.This much extended bandwidth leads to enhanced material characterization capability as it provides spectroscopic information on both intra-and inter-molecular vibrations.In addition,we also report a low-cost frequency modulation continuous wave(FMCW)imaging system which has a fast measurement speed of 40000 waveforms per second.Cross-sectional imaging capability through cardboard has also been demonstrated using its excellent penetration capability at a frequency range of 76-81 GHz.We anticipate that the integration of these two complementary imaging technologies would be highly desirable for many real-world applications because it provides both spectroscopic discrimination and penetration capabilities in a single instrument.

Investigation of copper sulfate pentahydrate dehydration by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

Copper sulfate pentahydrate is investigated by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. It is shown that the terahertz absorption coefficients are correlated with the particle size of the samples, as well as the heating rates of the ambient temperature. Furthermore, the water molecules of copper sulfate pentahydrate can be quantitatively characterized due to the high sensitivity of the terahertz wave to water molecules. Based on such results, the status of water incorporated in mineral opal is also characterized using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. It indicates that terahertz technology can be considered as an efficient method to detect the dehydration of minerals.

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of a simulated pore structure to probe particle size and porosity of porous rock

The particle sizes and porosities of simulated pore structures are probed by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy.A double-peak time-domain spectrum phenomenon is observed when the terahertz（THz） pulses illuminated a pore and a particle. The amplitudes of the two peaks depend strongly and monotonically on the particle size and porosity. A model is used to study the phenomenon, and the computational results agreed with the experimental measurements. These measurements indicate the terahertz spectroscopic behaviors of pores and particles, suggesting that terahertz spectroscopy can be used as a noncontact probe of porosity.

Far-infrared conductivity of CuS nanoparticles measured by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

This paper reports that terahertz time-domain spectroscopy is used to measure the optical properties of CuS nanoparticles in composite samples. The complex conductivity of pure CuS nanoparticles is extracted by applying the Bruggeman effective medium theory. The experimental data are consistent with the Drude-Smith model of conductivity in the range of 0.2 1.5 THz. The results demonstrate that carriers become localized with a backscattering behaviour in small-size nanostructures. In addition, the time constant for the carrier scattering is obtained and is only 64.3 fs due to increased electron interaction with interfaces and grain boundaries.

Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy method for optical parameter extraction of plastic materials

A method for extracting optical parameters of plastics materials based on terahertz time domain spectroscopy is presented. The transmission-type Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy(THz TDS) system is adopted to detect the refractive index and extinction coefficient on different plastic materials. Then the corresponding spectral information is obtained by Fourier transform of the terahertz time domain waveform of the sampling points, including the corresponding amplitude and phase information of the waveform. The optical parameter extraction model is built. By using the simplex optimization method, the curves of the refractive index and extinction coefficient for the plastic material are obtained. The experimental samples are made of different plastic parallel plate materials. The experimental results show that the optimization of optical parameters can improve their extraction accuracy, and the error of refractive index is ±0.005. Extraction technology with the simplex optimization method of optical parameter based on THz TDS can help to extract the optical parameters of engineering plastics. It is of great significance for the research of terahertz nondestructive testing.

Two-Dimensional Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy and Its Applications

In this work, we review the developing progress of two-dimensional terahertz time-domain spectroscopy（THz-TDS） and its diverse applications, including analyzing the polarization of THz radiation from a laser-induced plasma source and studying the corresponding physical mechanism, and characterizing the optical properties of crystals, etc.

Research on Detection of Food additives Based on Terahertz Spectroscopy and Analytic Hierarchy Process

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy is a kind of far-infrared spectroscopy technology,and its spectrum reflects the internal properties of substances with rich physical and chemical information,so the use of terahertz waves can be used to qualitatively identify food additives containing nitrogen elements.Analytic hierarchy process(AHP)was originally used to solve evaluation-type problems,and this paper introduces it into the field of terahertz spectral qualitative analysis,proposes a terahertz time-domain spectral qualitative identification method combined with analytic hierarchy process,and verifies the feasibility of the method by taking four common food additives(xylitol,L-alanine,sorbic acid,and benzoic acid)and two illegal additives(melamine,and Sudan Red No.I)as the objects of study.Firstly,the collected terahertz time-domain spectral data were pre-processed and transformed into a data set consisting of peaks,peak positions,peak numbers and overall trends;then,the data were divided into comparison and test sets,and a qualitative additive identification model incorporating analytic hierarchy process was constructed and parameter optimisation was performed.The results showed that the qualitative identification accuracies of additives based on single factors,i.e.,overall trend,peak value,peak position,and peak number,were 80.23%,70.93%,67.44%,and 40.70%,respectively,whereas the identification accuracy of the analytic hierarchy process qualitative identification method based on multi-factors could be improved to 92.44%.In addition,the fuzzy characterisation of the absorption spectrum data was binarised in the data pre-processing stage and used as the base data for the overall trend,and the recognition accuracy was improved to 94.19%by combining the fuzzy characterisation method of such data with the hierarchical analysis qualitative recognition model.The results show that it is feasible to use terahertz technology to identify different varieties of additives,and this paper constructs a hierarchical analytical qualitative model with better effect,which provides a new means for food additives detection,and the method is simple in steps,with a small demand for samples,which is suitable for the rapid detection of small samples.

A new horizon for neuroscience:terahertz biotechnology in brain research

Terahertz biotechnology has been increasingly applied in various biomedical fields and has especially shown great potential for application in brain sciences.In this article,we review the development of terahertz biotechnology and its applications in the field of neuropsychiatry.Available evidence indicates promising prospects for the use of terahertz spectroscopy and terahertz imaging techniques in the diagnosis of amyloid disease,cerebrovascular disease,glioma,psychiatric disease,traumatic brain injury,and myelin deficit.In vitro and animal experiments have also demonstrated the potential therapeutic value of terahertz technology in some neuropsychiatric diseases.Although the precise underlying mechanism of the interactions between terahertz electromagnetic waves and the biosystem is not yet fully understood,the research progress in this field shows great potential for biomedical noninvasive diagnostic and therapeutic applications.However,the biosafety of terahertz radiation requires further exploration regarding its two-sided efficacy in practical applications.This review demonstrates that terahertz biotechnology has the potential to be a promising method in the field of neuropsychiatry based on its unique advantages.

The transmission enhancement of a THz pulse through an Ag/Ag_2 O layer detected by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

This paper reports a new way to detect the enhanced transmission of a THz electromagnetic wave through an Ag/Ag2O layer by THz-TDS （time-domain spectroscopy）. As the THz beam illuminates the sub-wavelength Ag particles gained by Ag2O thermal decomposition, the evanescent wave is generated. The evanescent wave is coupled by a 500μm-GaAs substrate, which attaches behind the Ag/Ag2O layer, and then it transmits to the far field to be detected. The experimental results indicate that the transmitting amplitude is enhanced, as well as the frequent shifting and spectra broadening.

Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy and Its Applications

The terahertz time-domain spectroscopy （THz-TDS） system and the related technology and the applications in Capital Normal University are presented. The most often used THz-TDS system as a spectroscopic measurement setup in our lab is introduced in detail, including the THz radiation source, the THz detection method and its measurement, and the control system. THz spectra of various materials is summarized and discussed. These materials include but not limited to two kinds of typical matter-the illegal drugs and explosives. The biological macro-molecules, cosmetics and fine chemical materials, edible pigments and food additives, homocysteic acid and related compounds, heavy ions in soil, Chinese medicines, tobacco and crops, oil and chemical products, carbon nanotubes, superconductors, and various semiconductors and their heterojunctions, are presented. THz emissions from the InAs and InN semiconductors surface are compared. THz spectral investigation of metallic mesh structures is summarized. Finally, an outlook of THz spectroscopic applications is given.

Terahertz Spectroscopic Study of Standard Substances for Bituminous Coal and Anthracite

This study underscores the significance of online monitoring of standard substances for bituminous coal and anthracite,two commonly used fossil fuels.Terahertz technology emerges as a powerful non-destructive detection method capable of revealing the physical and chemical properties of measured objects.In this research,terahertz time-domain spectroscopy technology was employed to investigate the spectral characteristics of four distinct types of bituminous coal and anthracite samples.The refractive index and absorption coefficient spectra of these samples were calculated across a frequency range of 0.5 THz to 2.5 THz.Furthermore,principal component analysis was conducted using all refractive index and absorption coefficient data within this frequency band.Through the analysis and comparison with known parameters of coal standard materials,it was established that carbon content primarily influences the refractive index of bituminous coal and anthracite,while ash content predominantly affects the absorption effect.These findings underscore the potential of terahertz spectroscopy in conjunction with principal component analysis to qualitatively assess the similarities and differences between coal samples,thus offering novel insights for the online monitoring of diverse coal types and qualities.

Temperature and Pressure Effects on Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy of Crystalline Methedrine by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

In this study, the terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) of crystalline methedrine, which is one of the illegal drugs, is performed using molecular dynamics simulation by the Fourier transform of time derivative auto-correlation functions of the dipole moment. In order to accurately detect the drugs from samples, it is necessary to build a complete database for terahertz spectra under different external conditions from theoretical calculation, which are hardly obtained from the experiments directly. Our results show remarkable consistency with the available experimental data in the frequency range of 10 - 100 cm-1 indicating that the presented method has significant capability to simulate terahertz spectra at various conditions. We investigated the effects of temperature and pressure on THz-TDS by simulating the system at temperature range between 78.4 K and 400 K at pressures up to 100 atm. Results show the spectral features of THz-TDS both in intensity and profile are highly sensitive to the variation of temperature and with a lower magnitude to the variation of pressure. The vanishing, rebuilding and shifting of spectral peaks are due to the complex mechanisms such as the anharmonicity, shifting in the vibration energy levels, formation and destruction of hydrogen-binding and the deformation of the potential energy surface during the environment changing. This improved our understanding for complicated THz-TDS of crystalline methedrine and would be useful for assignment of the practical measurements.

Investigation of solid-state reaction by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy(THz-TDS)was utilized to investigate the solid-state reaction between L(+)-Tartaric acid and sodium hydrogen carbonate.Solid sodium hydrogen L(+)-tartrate monohydrate was synthesized efficiently by mechanical grinding,which is particularly sustainable and environmentally benign.Distinct THz absorptions were observed for pure reactants and the proposed product.The reaction process could be clearly visualized by THz spectral patterns of the reaction mixtures at different grinding time.The observed results were further confirmed by synchrotron radiation X-ray powder diffraction(SRXRPD)and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR)spectroscopy.The study demonstrates that THz-TDS is an effective novel tool to monitor solid-state reactions in pharmaceutical industry.

A promising diagnostic method:Terahertz pulsed imaging and spectroscopy

The terahertz band lies between the microwave and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.This radiation has very low photon energy and thus it does not pose any ionization hazard for biological tissues.It is strongly attenuated by water and very sensitive to water content.Unique absorption spectra due to intermolecular vibrations in this region have been found in different biological materials.These unique features make tera-hertz imaging very attractive for medical applications in order to provide complimentary information to existing imaging techniques.There has been an increasing interest in terahertz imaging and spectroscopy of biologically related applications within the last few years and more and more terahertz spectra are being reported.This paper introduces terahertz technology and provides a short review of recent advances in terahertz imaging and spectroscopy techniques,and a number of applications such as molecular spectroscopy,tissue characterization and skin imaging are discussed.

Terahertz Spectroscopic Characterization and Thickness Evaluation of Internal Delamination Defects in GFRP Composites

The use of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy(THz-TDS)for the nondestructive testing and evaluation(NDT&E)of materials and structural systems has attracted significant attention over the past two decades due to its superior spatial resolution and capabilities of detecting and characterizing defects and structural damage in non-conducting materials.In this study,the THz-TDS system is used to detect,localize and evaluate hidden multi-delamination defects(i.e.,a three-level multi-delamination system)in multilayered GFRP composite laminates.To obtain accurate results,a wavelet shrinkage de-noising algorithm is used to remove the noise from the measured time-of-flight(TOF)signals.The thickness and location of each delamination defect in the z-direction(i.e.,through-the-thickness direction)are calculated from the de-noised TOF signals considering the interaction between the pulsed THz waves and the different interfaces in the GFRP composite laminates.A comparison between the actual and the measured thickness values of the delamination defects before and after the wavelet shrinkage denoising process indicates that the latter provides better results with less than 3.712%relative error,while the relative error of the non-de-noised signals reaches 16.388%.Also,the power and absorbance levels of the THz waves at every interface with different refractive indices in the GFRP composite laminates are evaluated based on analytical and experimental approaches.The present study provides an adequate theoretical analysis that could help NDT&E specialists to estimate the maximum thickness of GFRP composite materials and/or structures with different interfaces that can be evaluated by the THz-TDS.Also,the accuracy of the obtained results highlights the capabilities of the THz-TDS for the NDT&E of multilayered GFRP composite laminates.

Integrated system of traditional THz time-domain spectroscopy and asynchronous optical sampling

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy(THz-TDS)system,as a new means of spectral analysis and detection,plays an increasingly pivotal role in basic scientific research.However,owing to the long scanning time of the traditional THz-TDS system and the complex control of the asynchronous optical scanning(ASOPS)system,which requires frequent calibration,we combine traditional THz-TDS and ASOPS systems to form a composite system and propose an all-fiber trigger signal generation method based on the time overlapping interference signal generated by the collinear motion of two laser pulses.Finally,the time-domain and frequency-domain spectra are obtained by using two independent systems in the integrated systems.It is found that the full width at half maximum(FWHM)of the time-domain spectra and the spectral width of the frequency-domain spectra are almost the same,but the sampling speed of the ASOPS system is significantly faster than that of the traditional THz-TDS system,which conduces to the study of the transient characteristics of substances.

Monitoring the reaction between AlCl_3 and o-xylene by using terahertz spectroscopy

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy （THz-TDS） is used to study the interaction between AlCl3 and o-xylene in a temperature range from 300 K to 368 K. For comparison, the three isomers of o-, m-, and p-xylene are measured by using THz-TDS. The o-xylene carries out isomerization reaction in the presence of catalyst AlCl3. The absorption coefficient of the mixed reaction solution is extracted and analyzed in the frequency range from 0.2 THz to 1.4 THz. The temperature dependence of the absorption coefficient, which is influenced by both the dissolution of AlCl3 and the production of the two other isomer resultants, is obtained, and it can indicate the process of the isomerization reaction. The results suggest that THz spectroscopy can be used to monitor the isomerization reaction and other reactions in chemical synthesis, petrochemical and biomedical fields.

Guest Editorial——TTA Special Section on Terahertz Spectroscopy

Terahertz （THz） radiation has many potential applications in communication, homeland security, safety inspection, sensing, and imaging. Spectroscopy may be the most fundamental application of the THz radiation. The wide spectrum of the THz pulse makes it much easier to obtain the spectra of materials with many absorption peaks, which related with the samples directly.

Guest Editorial TTA Special Section on Applications of Terahertz Time Domain Spectroscopy

Terahertz （THz） radiation, whose frequency ranges from 0.1 THz to 10.0 THz, has rich science, but limited technology. It has long been considered the last remaining scientific gap in the electromagnetic spectrum. Far from being fully exploited, it offers great opportunities in science, innovation, new technology, and potential applications. THz science and technology enables fundamental research directly impact our lives, from industrial quality control,