Terahertz confocal microscopy with an injection-seeded terahertz parametric generator

Abstract

We report on the implementation of a confocal microscopy system based on an injection-seeded terahertz parametric generator working at 1.76 THz. The system has a fairly reliable long-term stable operation with pulse energy fluctuations < 5%. We experimentally demonstrate a subwavelength lateral resolution of 158 mu m, corresponding to 0.93 lambda. We also demonstrate the capability of resolving overlapping objects at the different longitudinal surfaces by imaging a designed sample. This is the first detailed demonstration of confocal microscopy based on a THz parametric source, which is helpful for the practical application of THz imaging technology. (C) The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License.