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Terahertz

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Full-Text Articles in Physics

The Effects Of An Ultrafast Pulsed Laser On Ybco Thin Film Circuit Transients, Matthew L. Rustad Jan 2022

The Effects Of An Ultrafast Pulsed Laser On Ybco Thin Film Circuit Transients, Matthew L. Rustad

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Terahertz (THz) frequency light has shown promise for a wide variety of applications due to its material characterization and imaging capabilities. Its nondestructive nature coupled with its submillimeter spatial resolution provides the most value for terahertz light as an imaging tool. The application of terahertz technology has been limited by a lack of novel and powerful sources. It has been shown that that Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO), a type II superconductor, has certain properties that would allow YBCO to be an effective source for THz light. Recent microwave work has shown that when a persistent supercurrent is placed on …


Characterization Of A Novel Terahertz Chemical Sensor, Daniel J. Tyree Jan 2020

Characterization Of A Novel Terahertz Chemical Sensor, Daniel J. Tyree

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A recently constructed novel analytical tabletop terahertz (THz) chemical sensor capable of detecting a wide range of gases with high sensitivity and specificity was characterized to assess its performance over a range of operational parameters. The sensor was designed with an objective of quantifying composition of exhaled human breath, where target concentrations span part per trillion (ppt) to part per billion (ppb) level of dilutions. The sensor utilizes terahertz rotational spectroscopy of sampled gases for quantification of dilutions. The sensor occupies a volume of ~ 2 ft3 and incorporates a coiled absorption cell, thermal desorption tubes, and all necessary electronic …


Extraordinary Optical Transmission In Aligned Carbon Nanotube Devices At Terahertz Frequencies., Shaikhah F. Almousa Jan 2017

Extraordinary Optical Transmission In Aligned Carbon Nanotube Devices At Terahertz Frequencies., Shaikhah F. Almousa

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In the phenomenon known as extraordinary optical transmission (EOT), a narrow band of selected frequencies are transmitted when incident on an array of subwavelength periodic apertures where the resonant frequency is determined by the geometry of the array of apertures and optical properties of the metal-dielectric interface. This takes place due to the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at the metal and dielectric interface. Using the COMSOL Multiphysics software RF Module, a unit cell of a carbon nanotube (CNT) based EOT device is modeled in order to verify theoretical calculations of the resonant frequency using S-parameter calculations. The simulation …


Terahertz Molecular Spectroscopy As A Tool For Analytical Probing Of Cellular Metabolism, Mitchell Cameron Paul Jan 2017

Terahertz Molecular Spectroscopy As A Tool For Analytical Probing Of Cellular Metabolism, Mitchell Cameron Paul

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Terahertz spectroscopy has found use as an analytical tool in determining chemical composition of exhaled human breath. This thesis demonstrates a novel application of this technology - analytical sensing of gaseous metabolic products of several types of human cell cultures. An innovative experimental system was developed for probing cellular metabolism using terahertz [THz] rotational spectroscopy. Gaseous emissions of cell cultures were analyzed and compared between several cell types. Cancerous and healthy lung cells as well as cancerous liver cells were studied. This technique carries a lot of promise as a noninvasive method of distinguishing between cell types and identifying cell …


Terahertz Molecular Spectroscopy As A Tool For Analytical Probing Of Cellular Metabolism, Mitchell Cameron Paul Jan 2017

Terahertz Molecular Spectroscopy As A Tool For Analytical Probing Of Cellular Metabolism, Mitchell Cameron Paul

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Terahertz spectroscopy has found use as an analytical tool in determining chemical composition of exhaled human breath. This thesis demonstrates a novel application of this technology - analytical sensing of gaseous metabolic products of several types of human cell cultures. An innovative experimental system was developed for probing cellular metabolism using terahertz [THz] rotational spectroscopy. Gaseous emissions of cell cultures were analyzed and compared between several cell types. Cancerous and healthy lung cells as well as cancerous liver cells were studied. This technique carries a lot of promise as a noninvasive method of distinguishing between cell types and identifying cell …


Terahertz Spectroscopic Breath Analysis As A Viable Analytical Chemical Sensing Technique, Robert M. Schueler Jan 2016

Terahertz Spectroscopic Breath Analysis As A Viable Analytical Chemical Sensing Technique, Robert M. Schueler

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The ability to quantify trace chemicals in human breath enables the possibility of identifying breath biomarkers to aid in diagnosis. The vast majority of the studies in the analytical breath analysis rely on GC-MS techniques for quantification of the human breath composition1,2,3,4. THz spectroscopy of breath is rapid, sensitive, and highly specific molecular identification in complex mixtures containing 10-100 analytes with near `absolute' specificity. THz spectroscopic breath analyzers require chemical preconcentration. A newly developed custom preconcentrator was constructed and compared in its performance to a commercial system. Unlike the commercial counterpart, the new system does not require cryogenic liquids, is …


High Powered Pulsed Terahertz Light Generation From Superconducting Antenna Arrays, Nicholas C. Padgett Jan 2016

High Powered Pulsed Terahertz Light Generation From Superconducting Antenna Arrays, Nicholas C. Padgett

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Terahertz radiation is invaluable for use in spectroscopy and imaging work due to its nondestructive nature. It has become a key focus for those wishing to develop sensors capable of detecting weapons and narcotics unobtrusively and at a distance as well as characterizing materials and identifying defects. An ultrafast pulsed (femtoseconds) laser incident on a superconducting ring has been predicted to cause the emission of terahertz (THz) radiation. It is theorized that the radiation is a result of the supercurrent being modulated by the breaking and recombining of Cooper pairs on the order of picoseconds, where the time scale determines …


Assessment Of The Applicability Of Terahertz Spectroscopic Breath Sensing Towards Monitoring Type 1 Diabetic Mellitus, Jessica Rose Thomas Jan 2015

Assessment Of The Applicability Of Terahertz Spectroscopic Breath Sensing Towards Monitoring Type 1 Diabetic Mellitus, Jessica Rose Thomas

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Type 1 diabetes is a condition that cumulatively costs around $14.9 billion in medical expenses every year in the United States. Besides being costly, the monitoring of this disease is invasive, painful, and often embarrassing to the afflicted individual; blood and urine testing is currently the daily method of monitoring blood glucose and ketone levels in the body of type 1 diabetics. Though the use of these samples is standard, another avenue for possibly determining blood glucose has not been completely explored. With over 3000 chemicals reportedly found in exhaled human breath, biomarkers associated with this disorder and many of …


Analytical Chemical Sensing Using High Resolution Terahertz/Submillimeter Wave Spectroscopy, Benjamin L. Moran Jan 2012

Analytical Chemical Sensing Using High Resolution Terahertz/Submillimeter Wave Spectroscopy, Benjamin L. Moran

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A highly sensitive and selective Terahertz gas sensor used to analyze a complex mixture of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) has been developed. To best demonstrate analytical capabilities of a THz chemical sensor, we chose to perform analytical quantitative analysis of a certified gas mixture using a prototype gas phase chemical sensor that couples a commercial preconcentration system (Entech 7100A) to a custom high resolution THz spectrometer. A Method TO-14A certified mixture of thirty-nine VOCs was purchased. Twenty-six of the thirty-nine chemicals were identified as suitable for THz spectroscopic detection. The Entech 7100A system is designed and marketed as an inlet …


Characterization Of Ceramic Composite Materials Using Terahertz Non-Destructive Evaluation Techniques, Lindsay Owens Jan 2012

Characterization Of Ceramic Composite Materials Using Terahertz Non-Destructive Evaluation Techniques, Lindsay Owens

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The characterization of defects such as rust, voids, etc. on materials and the analysis and prediction of strain and stress induced breakdown are well known applications of non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques. THz radiation has been suggested as an effective NDE tool for use in the field of ceramics and ceramic matrix composite materials (CMC), via THz spectroscopy and imaging. The goal of this research is to monitor the progression of thermal and mechanical damage applied to the CMC materials using terahertz spectroscopic imaging in order to create a predictive model that will correlate THz imaging data of these materials to …


Terahertz Time Domain Spectroscopy And Fresnel Coefficient Based Predictive Model, Justin C. Wheatcroft Jan 2012

Terahertz Time Domain Spectroscopy And Fresnel Coefficient Based Predictive Model, Justin C. Wheatcroft

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An optical material parameter predictive model that accounts for sample to air interfaces was developed. The model predicts how a terahertz time-domain spectroscopy time domain pulse will be affected as it passes through a given thickness of a material. The model assumes a homogenous, linear, isotropic dielectric or semiconductor. The inputs to the model are the real and imaginary refractive indices across the desired frequency band. Different dielectric material's optical parameters were taken from the literature and the predicted time domain pulses were shown. It was also shown that the refractive index and absorption coefficient for samples that were optically …


Characterization Of Structured Nanomaterials Using Terahertz Frequency Radiation, Andrew John Niklas Jan 2012

Characterization Of Structured Nanomaterials Using Terahertz Frequency Radiation, Andrew John Niklas

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Measurements that use terahertz frequency radiation to characterize materials are beneficial for scientists trying to determine the physical parameters that govern the interaction of electromagnetic waves and matter at those frequencies. Results will be presented of time domain terahertz spectroscopy measurements taken in forward and backward scattering directions from vertically aligned arrays of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and thin films of perforated copper. The intent of this research is to both corroborate results from independent research groups conducting similar experiments and to further increase understanding in the scientific community with respect to carbon nanotube reflection phenomena at terahertz frequencies.


Development Of A Fourier Transform Far Infrared (Ftfir) Spectrometer To Characterize Broadband Transmission Properties Of Common Materials In The Terahertz Region, William Paul Ford Jan 2006

Development Of A Fourier Transform Far Infrared (Ftfir) Spectrometer To Characterize Broadband Transmission Properties Of Common Materials In The Terahertz Region, William Paul Ford

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With sub-millimeter wave or terahertz devices becoming more readily available, there is interest in developing sensors in this region of the spectra. To support this interest, we have developed a Fourier Transform Far InfraRed (FTFIR) spectrometer to characterize broadband transmission and reflectance coefficients of materials. The spectrometer utilizes a broadband blackbody source, a Michelson interferometer, and silicon bolometer. The path difference in the Michelson is obtained using a linear stage and data acquisition and stage control were both implemented in a Labview programming environment. The details of the experimental setup and experimental results are presented in this thesis. The instrument …