Terahertz camera...  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 01:42:36 am
content: Quite interesting...http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/optoelectronics/a-cheap-terahertz-camera/?utm_source=techalert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=041912I had no idea the terahertz spectrum was so inhospitable, maybe it is because I never thought too much about it.The question: is this a camera or an array of 1024 radio receivers that can detect signals modulated up to 25Hz?

author: krenzo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 01:50:50 am
content: What is there to see at that frequency? Thermal radiation? How is this any different from an infrared camera?

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 01:57:20 am
content: I really don't know what it is "visible" at that frequency, but it opens a new part of the spectrum that could be used for communications.From what I understood from the article, the novely is the detection technology... Probably infrared sensors do not reach such low-frequencies.

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 02:06:05 am
content: its always nice to be aware of what we are blind toinfra and ultrasound hold some secrets that we would never otherwise be aware of, i suppose the same holds for the whole of the electromagnetic spectrum, would be very curious to see what a nuclear reactor would look like when viewed through a gamma image sensor,

author: AntiProtonBoy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 06:43:12 am
content: Terahertz seems to share characteristics of microwave radiation and thermal infrared. So one could conceivably use RF circuits to 'process' THz signals, but it can be also manipulated optically through lenses. Great benefit of THz is that it penetrates non-conductive materials with ease, such as plastics, wood, paper, etc. Also has interesting potential for sub-surface imaging in medical applications. One could day, THz might be a replacement for certain types of current X-ray imaging applications. THz is also excellent for analysing chemical signatures of materials remotely.I've been meaning to get my hands on a gyrotron for generating and receiving THz signals... but its a fairly specialist kind of gear.

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 07:47:23 am
content: What sort of lens is required for terahertz frequency optical or magnetic or will both work. I can see that astronomers will be excited at this as there must be a lot of terahertz out in space due to Doppler shift.

author: siliconmix
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 08:00:55 am
content: definetly one to watch this.

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 08:06:25 am
content: Er ... If i'm not terribly wrong UV is at terahertz scale ( Or purple for that matter )You guys do know that light 'waves' are also waves , right ?

author: deephaven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 08:30:22 am
content: Quote from: Dave.S on April 20, 2012, 08:06:25 amUV is pretty high frequency, infrared and red are lower frequencies and nearer to terahertz:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Electromagnetic-Spectrum.png

author: AntiProtonBoy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 09:22:16 am
content: Quote from: G7PSK on April 20, 2012, 07:47:23 amGermanium based lenses are often used in such applications. Also note that light at any wavelength is inherently electromagnetic in nature, thus optics do not change this property.QuoteThermal and near THz imaging has been part ofastronomical observationsfor donkey years.Also, Doppler shift can be observed at any wavelength of light. Edwin Hubble discovered this phenomenon of observed stars using visible light.Quote from: Dave.S on April 20, 2012, 08:06:25 amYou are terribly wrong.SeeDave.S'deephaven post above. UV has a frequency of 3 PHz and higher. (That's Peta Hertz!)

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 10:29:37 am
content: Ok , thanks deephaven and AntiProtonBoy , another one of my misunderstandings answered , thanks guys !3PHz is pretty shocking ... er shocking ... an UV LED as a 3PHz wave generator( I literally mean that , i don't mean that they are actually waves that antennas can pick up , of course not , but they are still EM waves )

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 20, 2012, 04:16:46 pm
content: I was thinking more a case of being able to see that which has not yet decayed to microwaves and there fore being able to look at what happened just after the big bang or a little after.