Development of T-Ray Microscope

本项目将开发用于显微传感和成像应用的太赫兹（FHz）波显微镜。THz脉冲（T射线）包含传感和成像应用的信息。生物和有机化合物在电磁波谱的THz区域内具有不同的特征，例如分子的振动和旋转能级，并且它们的化学成分可以通过所提出的T射线系统进行检查。这种T射线显微镜能够以0.5 μ m的空间分辨率在细胞水平上对结构进行传感和成像（一个太赫兹波长的1/1000），而且是开展生物分子光谱学和T射线成像研究项目的令人兴奋的新途径，显微镜将产生并探测皮秒电磁脉冲利用非线性光学晶体、超快激光脉冲和计算机分析技术，为了克服波长衍射极限，该方法通过将光束聚焦到电光晶体中来使用近场成像模态，以产生（通过光学整流）和检测（通过电光效应）亚微米分辨率的T射线。附着在电光晶体顶部的生物医学组织的成像区域与光学焦斑相当，并且与THz光束波长无关。这种显微镜将有一个上级吞吐量的太赫兹辐射相比，任何其他的T射线显微镜。此外，该设备将为学生教育，学术研究，仪器开发以及医学传感和成像应用做出重大贡献。

This project will develop a terahertz (FHz) wave microscope for microscopic sensing and imaging applications. A THz pulse (T-ray) contains information for both sensing and imaging applications. Biological and organic compounds have distinct signatures within the THz region of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as molecular vibrational and rotational levels, and their chemical compositions can be examined by this proposed T-ray system. This T-ray microscope is capable of sensing and imaging structures at the cell level with a 0.5-p.m spatial resolution (1/1000 of one THz wavelength), and it is an exciting new way to carry out research projects for biomolecular spectroscopy and T-ray imaging.The microscope will generate and detect picosecond electromagnetic pulses (T-ray signal) by using nonlinear optical crystals, ultrafast laser pulses and computer analysis. To overcome the wavelength diffraction-limit, this approach uses a near-field imaging modality by focusing the optical beams into an electro-optic crystal to generate (by optical rectification) and detect (by the electro-optic effect) the T-ray to a sub-micron resolution. The imaging area of the biomedical tissue, which is attached to the top of the electro-optic crystal, is comparable to the optical focal spot, and is independent of the THz beam wavelength. This microscope will have a superior throughput of THz radiation when compared to any other T-ray microscope. Moreover, this device will make significant contributions to student education, academic research, instrumentation development, and medical sensing and imaging applications.