We demonstrate video rate THz imaging by detecting a frequency upconverted signal with a CMOS camera. A fiber laser pumped, double resonant optical parametric oscillator generates THz pulses via difference frequency generation in a quasi-phasematched gallium arsenide (QPM-GaAs) crystal located inside the OPO cavity. The output produced THz pulses centered at 1.5 THz, with an average power up to 1 mW, a linewidth of <100 GHz, and peak power of >2 W. By mixing the THz pulses with a portion of the fiber laser pump (1064 nm) in a second QPM-GaAs crystal, distinct sidebands are observed at 1058 nm and 1070 nm, corresponding to sum and difference frequency generation of the pump pule with the THz pulse. By using a polarizer and long pass filter, the strong pump light can be removed, leaving a nearly background free signal at 1070 nm. For imaging, a Fourier imaging geometry is used, with the object illuminated by the THz beam located one focal length from the GaAs crystal. The spatial Fourier transform is upconverted with a large diameter pump beam, after which a second lens inverse transforms the upconverted spatial components, and the image is detected with a CMOS camera. We have obtained video rate images with spatial resolution of 1mm and field of view ca. 20 mm in diameter without any post processing of the data.

Date Published: 14 March 2015
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 9362, Terahertz, RF, Millimeter, and Submillimeter-Wave Technology and Applications VIII, 93620I (14 March 2015); doi: 10.1117/12.2080379

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9362:
Terahertz, RF, Millimeter, and Submillimeter-Wave Technology and Applications VIII
Laurence P. Sadwick; Tianxin Yang, Editor(s)