Simple material parameter estimation via terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

A simple and precise method based on fixed-point iteration is used to estimate dielectric parameters using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). The method converges and gives correct parameters when the sample thickness is greater than 200 /spl mu/m at a frequency of 0.1 THz or 20 /spl mu/m at a frequency of 1.0 THz. The technique in validated using measured terahertz data, obtained by probing a sample of high-resistivity silicon.     

T-Ray Sensing and Imaging

T-ray wavelengths are long enough to pass through dry, nonpolar objects opaque at visible wavelengths, but short enough to be manipulated by optical components to form an image. Sensing in this band potentially provides advantages in a number of areas of interest to security and defense such as screening of personnel for hidden objects and the retection of chemical and biological agents. Several private companies are developing smaller, reliable cheaper systems allowing for commercialization and this motivates us to review a number of promising applications within this paper. While there are a number of challenges to be overcome there is little doubt that T-ray technology will play a significant role in the near future for advancement of security, public health, and defense.     

A Review on Thin-film Sensing with Terahertz Waves

In the past two decades, the development and steady improvement of terahertz technology has motivated a wide range of scientific studies designed to discover and develop terahertz applications. Terahertz sensing is one such application, and its continued maturation is virtually guaranteed by the unique properties that materials exhibit in the terahertz frequency range. Thin-film sensing is one branch of this effort that has enjoyed diverse development in the last decade. Deeply subwavelength sample thicknesses impose great difficulties to conventional terahertz spectroscopy, yet sensing those samples is essential for a large number of applications. In this article we review terahertz thin-film sensing, summarizing the motivation, challenges, and state-of-the-art approaches based predominately on terahertz time-domain spectroscopy.     

Fundamentals of Measurement in Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) has emerged as a main spectroscopic modality to fill the frequency range between a few hundred gigahertz to a few terahertz. This spectrum has been known as “terahertz gap” owing to limited accessibility by conventional electronic and optical techniques. Over the past two decades, THz-TDS has evolved substantially with enhanced compactness and stability. Since THz-TDS is becoming an industrial standard, the performance and precision of the system are of prime importance. This article provides an overview on terahertz metrology, including parameter estimation, signal processing, measurement characteristics, uncertainties, and calibrations. The overview serves as guidance for metrology and further developments of THz-TDS systems.     

Vulcanization characteristics and dynamic mechanical behavior of natural rubber reinforced with silane modified silica

Two silane coupling agents were used for hydrolysis-condensation reaction modification of nanosilica surfaces. The surface characteristics were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The vulcanization kinetics of natural rubber (NR) + silica composites was studied and compared to behavior of the neat NR using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in the dynamic scan mode. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was performed to evaluate the effects of the surface modification. Activation energy E(a) values for the reaction are obtained. The presence of silica, modified or otherwise, inhibits the vulcanization reaction of NR. The neat silica containing system has the lowest cure rate index and the highest activation energy for the vulcanization reaction. The coupling agent with longer chains causes more swelling and moves the glass transition temperature T(g) downwards. Below the glass transition region, silica causes a lowering of the dynamic storage modulus G', a result of hindering the cure reaction. Above the glass transition, silica-again modified or otherwise-provides the expected reinforcement effect.     

Rapid detection of hairline cracks on the surface of piezoelectric ceramics

Lead zirconate titanate, also known as PZT, is a type of piezoelectric ceramics commonly used for actuators in modern hard disk drives (HDDs). These PZT actuators are prone to hairline surface cracks, prompting detection and removal during the HDD production. Machine vision is then utilized for automatic detection of these cracks. The developed image processing approach comprises three steps: extraction of the region of interest, enhancement of crack regions, and elimination of irrelevant features. The key step, crack region enhancement, employs image filtering with a specifically designed filter kernel, capable of extracting thin crack regions from the rough surface of PZT actuators. The experiments show that the algorithm reveals cracks with high accuracy and high sensitivity, whereas the overall processing time satisfies the industrial environment.     

Dyeing of cotton with the natural dye extracted from waste leaves of green tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica)

Due to an increase in the production of green tea, the amount of leaf waste has increased enormously, causing serious environmental problems. With regard to environmental awareness, the possibility of reusing the waste leaves of green tea as a low‐cost and abundantly available source of natural dye for dyeing cotton fibres was investigated. Natural dye powder from the waste leaves of green tea (NDPT) was successfully applied to dye cotton fibres without mordant by batch experiments. NDPT was obtained as a dark brown powder with a yield of 2.7 ± 0.5% w/w from dried waste leaves of green tea. The optimal conditions for dyeing NDPT onto cotton fibres were: pH of dye solution, 3; material to liquor ratio, 100:1; dyeing time, 180 min; concentration of dye solution, 3.0 mg/ml; and dyeing temperature, 100 °C. The colour of cotton fibres dyed with NDPT was observed to be dark brown. The adsorption data of NDPT on cotton fibres was best fitted with a Langmuir adsorption isotherm model with a correlation coefficient (R²) of 0.997. It is clear that there is a strong possibility of reusing the waste leaves of green tea as a low‐cost and abundantly available source of natural dye for dyeing cotton fibres.     

Recent Progress in Terahertz Metasurfaces

In the past decade, the concept of metasurfaces has gradually dominated the field of metamaterials owing to their fascinating optical properties and simple planar geometries. At terahertz frequencies, the concept has been driven further by the availability of advanced micro-fabrication technologies that deliver sub-micron accuracy, well below the terahertz wavelengths. Furthermore, terahertz spectrometers with high dynamic range and amplitude and phase sensitivity provide valuable information for the study of metasurfaces in general. In this paper, we review recent progress in terahertz metasurfaces mainly in the last 5 years. The first part covers nonuniform metasurfaces that perform beamforming in reflection and transmission. In addition, we briefly overview four different methodologies that can be utilized in realizing high-quality-factor metasurfaces. We also describe two recent approaches to tuning the frequency response of terahertz metasurfaces using graphene as an active medium. Finally, we provide a brief summary and outlook for future developments in this rapidly progressing field.