High speed THz Biomedical Imaging using Rydberg Atom Detection

尽管太赫兹成像长期以来一直承诺在一系列应用中具有许多显着优势，但挑战在于可靠且快速地检测信号。最近在达勒姆演示了一种使用里德伯原子的新探测方法。该项目旨在使用这种新型高速成像探测器来研究太赫兹成像在一系列领域的应用，最初的重点是生物医学应用。在探测器中，激光器用于将原子激发到高能态，使原子在激发态保持一段时间的“亚稳态”。然而，通过对它们的能量状态的小扰动，例如由太赫兹辐射引起的扰动，原子将返回到具有可见光的使命的较低状态，这可以使用传统的成像相机容易地检测到。这种独特的太赫兹辐射成像方法将与太赫兹准直光束相结合，以产生高速太赫兹成像相机。达勒姆团队已经报道了这种方法背后的基本原理。该项目将提高成像系统的质量和速度，成像目标是人体组织，用于诊断和监测一系列疾病状态。第一个目标领域将是查看皮肤的一系列状态，包括干燥，牛皮癣和伤口愈合。特别是，该项目将把水含量作为成像造影剂，尽管该系统可以被调谐到其他特定的化学特征波长。

Although THz imaging has long promised a number of significant advantages in a range of applications the challenge has been the reliable and rapid detection of the signals. A novel detection method using Rydberg atoms has recently been demonstrated in Durham. This project is aimed at using this new high speed imaging detector to look at applications of THz imaging in a range of areas with an initial focus on biomedical applications.In the detector a laser is used to excite atoms to a high energy state where they are "metastable" staying in the excited state for a period of time. However, with a small perturbation to their energy state, such as that caused by THz radiation, the atom will return to a lower lying state with the mission of visible light which can easily be detected using conventional imaging cameras. This unique method of imaging THz radiation will be combined with a collimated beam of THz to produce a high-speed THz imaging camera. The basic principles behind this method have already been reported by the Durham team.This project will advance the quality and speed of the imaging system with an imaging target being human tissue for the diagnosis and monitoring of a range of disease states. The first target areas will be to look at skin for a range of states including dryness, psoriasis and wound healing. In particular the project will look at water content as the imaging contrast agent though the system can be tuned to other specific chemical signature wavelengths.