A dynamically reconfigurable THz-TDS imaging system for industrial measurement applications

在该项目中，我们将与我们的工业合作伙伴合作开发一种动态可重构太赫兹成像系统的新概念，该系统使用一个独立的太赫兹成像头（2D天线阵列），可以通过软件重新配置来探索低噪声操作和图像采集时间（同时读出像素的数量）之间的权衡。本方案提出的太赫兹成像头将具有近场成像、亚波长分辨率和高信噪比的全矢量场测量能力。由于本提案中提出的独立太赫兹成像头的固有可重构设计，因此相同的系统可以用于，例如，作为高采集速度非常低噪声的1D线性探测器阵列，或作为低采集速度高噪声的2D成像仪。因此，所提出的系统具有固有的过程可调性和多功能，从而提供更好的可重复性、过程稳定性、成本效益和质量控制。此外，由于系统的近场测量能力和亚波长分辨率，本提案中提出的测量改进直接导致数据捕获的分辨率和精度的提高。最后，成像系统将从一开始就被设计为一个独立的模块，用于第三方太赫兹- tds系统，这是最适合在制造环境中部署的。

Within the project we will work with our industrial partners to develop a novel concept of dynamically reconfigurable THz imaging system that uses a stand-alone THz imaging head (2D antenna array) that can be software reconfigured to explore the tradeoff between low noise operation and image acquisition time (number of simultaneously read-out pixels). The THz imaging head proposed in this proposal will be capable of near-field imaging, subwavelength resolution and fully vectorial field measurements with very high signal to noise ratio. Because of the inherently reconfigurable design of a stand-alone THz imaging head proposed in this proposal, the same system could be used, for example, as a high-acquisition-speed very-low-noise 1D linear detector array, or as a lower-acquisition-speed higher-noise 2D imager. As a result, the proposed system is inherently process tunable, and multifunctional, thus offering the better repeatability, process stability, cost effectiveness and quality control. Additionally, due to system near-field measurement capabilities and subwavelength resolution, measurement improvements presented in this proposal result directly in improved resolution and accuracy of data capture. Finally, the imaging system will be designed from the beginning as a stand-alone module to be used within third party THz-TDS systems, which is most suitable for deployment in manufacturing environments.