Coherent imaging at 2.4 THz with a CW quantum cascade laser transmitter

Andriy A. Danylov; Thomas M. Goyette; Jerry Waldman; Michael J. Coulombe; Andrew J. Gatesman; Robert H. Giles; Xifeng Qian; Neelima Chandrayan; Shivashankar Vangala; Krongtip Termkoa; William D. Goodhue; William E. Nixon

doi:10.1117/12.843197

18 February 2010 Coherent imaging at 2.4 THz with a CW quantum cascade laser transmitter

Andriy A. Danylov, Thomas M. Goyette, Jerry Waldman, Michael J. Coulombe, Andrew J. Gatesman, Robert H. Giles, Xifeng Qian, Neelima Chandrayan, Shivashankar Vangala, Krongtip Termkoa, William D. Goodhue, William E. Nixon

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7601, Terahertz Technology and Applications III; 760105 (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.843197
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2010, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

A coherent transceiver using a THz quantum cascade laser as the transmitter and an optically pumped molecular laser as the local oscillator has been used, with a pair of Schottky diode mixers in the receiver and reference channels, to acquire high-resolution images of fully illuminated targets, including scale models. Phase stability of the received signal, sufficient to allow coherent image processing of the rotating target (in azimuth and elevation), was obtained by frequency-locking the TQCL to the free-running, highly stable optically pumped molecular laser. While the range to the target was limited by the available TQCL power (several hundred microwatts) and reasonably strong indoor atmospheric attenuation at 2.408 THz (2.0 dB/m at 40% RH), the coherence length of the QCL transmitter will allow coherent imaging over distances up to several hundred meters. In contrast to non-coherent heterodyne detection, coherent imaging allows signal integration over time intervals considerably longer than the reciprocal of the source, or signal bandwidth, with consequent improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio. Image data obtained with the system will be presented.

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Andriy A. Danylov, Thomas M. Goyette, Jerry Waldman, Michael J. Coulombe, Andrew J. Gatesman, Robert H. Giles, Xifeng Qian, Neelima Chandrayan, Shivashankar Vangala, Krongtip Termkoa, William D. Goodhue, and William E. Nixon "Coherent imaging at 2.4 THz with a CW quantum cascade laser transmitter", Proc. SPIE 7601, Terahertz Technology and Applications III, 760105 (18 February 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.843197

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