Optical Characterization of Composites for Quantitative Analysis of Terahertz Images

Abstract

<p>Terahertz (THz) imaging being developed for non-destructive evaluation applications yields both promising results and questions about how the properties of the materials being imaged interact with the radiation. To explore this, transmission measurements were made and a polarizing Michelson interferometer was designed and built for measuring the index of refraction of high loss materials. The system was tested on known materials and then used to measure the index of the samples of interest. In order to try to understand how the different measurements and the images fit together, a model of the imaging process was developed and the results compared to the actual THz images.</p><p>This presentation occurred at the Wright State University Campus-Wide Celebration of Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities on April 16, 2010</p>