• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.72-77
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• 2014

We have demonstrated a terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy and imaging system using compact fiber-coupled THz modules. Using this THz spectroscopy system we have measured the absorption spectrum of water vapor in free space over 3 THz, as well as the refractive indices of various substrates such as Si, $Al_2O_3$, and GaAs using the transfer-function method. Through the THz imaging system we have observed a high-quality THz image of a medical knife and metal clip sample, with a resolution of $192{\times}89$ pixels using a step size of 250 ${\mu}m$.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.26-36
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• 2018

Terahertz (THz) represents the portion of the electromagnetic radiation between the microwave and the infrared region and is within the frequency range of 0.1-10 THz. The ability of THz waves to pass through a wide variety of packaging materials, combined with their ability to characterize the molecular structure of many substances makes it an attractive tool for the application of food quality and safety management. This review provides current information on application of THz spectroscopy/imaging technology for food quality and safety management. The THz spectroscopy/imaging technology has been shown to be useful for detecting foreign bodies, vitamin/moisture, pesticides, antibiotics, melamine etc. However, major barriers to the adoption of THz spectroscopy/imaging for food quality and safety management include THz signal loss in heterogeneous food matrices, high costs of sources and detectors, and absence of a library for the wide group of food compounds. Further research is needed to overcome these barriers.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.751-759
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• 2018

Glass fibre reinforced polymers (GFRP) are widely exploited in many industrial branches. Due to this Structural Health Monitoring systems containing embedded fibre optics sensors are applied. One of the problems that can influence on composite element durability is water contamination that can be introduced into material structure during manufacturing. Such inclusion can be a damage origin significantly decreasing mechanical properties of an element. A non-destructive method that can be applied for inspection of an internal structure of elements is THz spectroscopy. It can be used for identifications of material discontinuities that results in changes of absorption, refractive index or scattering of propagating THz waves. The limitations of THz propagation through water makes this technique a promising solution for detection of a water inclusion. The paper presents an application of THz spectroscopy for detection and localisation of a water drop inclusion embedded in a GFRP material between two fibre optics with fibre Bragg grating sensors. The proposed filtering method allowed to determine a 3D shape of the water drop.

• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.59-69
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• 2018

Terahertz (THz) imaging and spectroscopy have been developed as non-destructive testing methods for various industrial applications. However, they have not been widely adopted in real applications owing to a high system price and the large size of conventional THz time-domain spectroscopy systems, which are based on ultrashort optical pulse lasers. Recently, various types of compact THz emitters and detectors have become available. As a result, THz non-destructive test (NDT) systems have become viable solutions. Herein, we briefly review the recent advances in THz NDT techniques adopting continuous-wave THz systems, including our recent results of a THz-based waterproof test system and an electrical connection inspection system for car manufacturing.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.61 no.12
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• pp.1939-1943
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• 2012

In this paper we presented the detection of the explosive material RDX using a parallel plate waveguide (PPWG) THz time domain spectroscopy (TDS). Normally the explosive materials have been characterized through identification of vibrational fingerprint spectra. Until now, most of all THz spectroscopic measurements have been made using pellet samples where disorder effects contribute to line broadening such that individual resonances merge into relatively broad absorption features. In order to avoid such disadvantages we used the technique of PPWG THz-TDS to achieve sensitive characterization of explosive material RDX. The PPWG THz-TDS used in this work well established ultrafast optoelectronic techniques to generate and detect sub-picosecond THz pulses. The explosive material was analyzed as powder layers in $112{\mu}m$ gap of metal PPWG. The thin later mass was estimated to be about $700{\mu}g$. Finally, we showed spectra of explosives from 0.2 to 2.4 THz measured using PPWG THz-TDS.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.317-327
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• 2018

Terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy(TDS), imaging techniques, and related systems have become mature technologies, widely used in many universities and research laboratories. However, the development of creative technologies still requires improved THz application systems. A few key points are discussed, including the innovative advances of mode-locking energy-emitting semiconductor lasers and better photoconductive semiconductor quantum structures. To realize a compact, low cost, and high performance THz system, it is essential that THz spectroscopy and imaging technologies are better characterized by semiconductor and nano-devices, both static and time-resolved. We introduce the THz spectroscopy and imaging systems, the OSCAT(Optical Sampling by laser CAvity Tuning) system and the ASOPS(ASynchronous Optical Sampling) system, are constructed by our research team. We report on the THz images obtained from their use.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.328-334
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• 2018

The paper reviews an improved continuous-wave (CW) terahertz (THz) imaging system developed for nondestructive inspection, such as CW-THz quasi-time-domain spectroscopy (QTDS) and interferometry. First, a comparison between CW and pulsed THz imaging systems is reported. The CW-THz imaging system is a simple, fast, compact, and relatively low-cost system. However, it only provides intensity data, without depth and frequency- or time-domain information. The pulsed THz imaging system yields a broader range of information, but it is expensive because of the femtosecond laser. Recently, to overcome the drawbacks of CW-THz imaging systems, many studies have been conducted, including a study on the QTDS system. In this system, an optical delay line is added to the optical arm leading to the detector. Another system studied is a CW-THz interferometric imaging system, which combines the CW-THz imaging system and far-infrared interferometer system. These systems commonly obtain depth information despite the CW-THz system. Reportedly, these systems can be successfully applied to fields where pulsed THz is used. Lastly, the applicability of these systems for nondestructive inspection was confirmed.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.2265-2268
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• 2009

Terahertz time domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is applied in transmission to identify the five forms of modifications of furosemide and one commercial product from 0.3 THz to 1.6 THz at room temperature. The different absorption spectra of the different forms are sensitive to crystal structures. Density function theory (DFT) calculation was used to understand the vibrational modes of furosemide in the THz region. X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD) was applied to confirm the different forms of modifications. The results demonstrate that THz-TDS is a potential analytical technique in investigating polymorphic forms in the pharmaceutical fields.

• Composites Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.8-12
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• 2022

Analysis of defect signals inside glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) was conducted through deconvolution of terahertz (THz) wave. The GFRP specimen with internal defects was manufactured and the THz signal was measured through the reflection mode of the Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy (THz-TDS) system. For deconvolution of the measured THz signal, the peak position of the THz signal was amplified through Normalized Cross Correlation (NCC) of the incident and detected THz signals. The position and intensity of the amplified peak were extracted as impulse, and the extracted signal of the impulse position was removed from the THz original signal. By repeating the process, the critical impulses, which represent boundary of the specimen, were derived. The deconvolution process was verified by confirming that the original THz signal without noise can be restored through the convolution of the critical impulses and the incident signal. From the derived critical impulses, the thickness of the internal defect in the GFRP was calculated through the detection time of impulses within 15 ㎛ accuracy.

• Journal of electromagnetic engineering and science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.42-50
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• 2011

One of the important applications of THz time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) is the detection of explosive materials through identification of vibrational fingerprint spectra. Most recent THz spectroscopic measurements have been made using pellet samples, where disorder effects contribute to line broadening, which results in the merging of individual resonances into relatively broad absorption features. To address this issue, we used the technique of parallel plate waveguide (PPWG) THz-TDS to achieve sensitive characterization of three explosive materials: TNT, RDX, and HMX. The measurement method for PPWG THz-TDS used well-established ultrafast optoelectronic techniques to generate and detect sub-picosecond THz pulses. All materials were characterized as powder layers in 112 ${\mu}m$ gaps in metal PPWG. To illustrate the PPWG THz-TDS method, we described our measurement by comparing the vibrational spectra of the materials, TNT, RDX, and HMX, applied as thin powder layers to a PPWG, or in conventional sample cell form, where all materials were placed in Teflon sample cells. The thin layer mass was estimated to be about 700 ${\mu}g$, whereas the mass in the sample cell was ~100 mg. In a laboratory environment, the absorption coefficient of an explosive material is essentially based on the mass of the material, which is given as: ${\alpha}({\omega})=[ln(I_R({\omega})/I_S({\omega}))]m$. In this paper, we show spectra of 3 different explosives from 0.2 to 2.4 THz measured using the PPWG THz-TDS.