• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.26-35
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• 2019

Modern imaging technologies utilizing electromagnetic waves are indispensable in our daily lives. Applications, such as television and smartphone screens, radar imaging for weather forecast, and medical imaging, can be attributed to technology developments in various electromagnetic regions. Terahertz (THz) waves, electromagnetic (EM) waves located between far infrared and microwave regions, had left unexplored EM waves. Recent advances in technology have led to various two-dimensional and three-dimensional THz imaging techniques. In this article, we explain THz imaging techniques as well as the experimental results from our laboratory. Additionally, we introduce commercial THz cameras developed worldwide. Finally, we present the applications of THz imaging techniques.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.102-115
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• 2020

In the state of Positronium (Ps), which is an unstable material created by the temporary combination of electrons and positrons, the imaging technology through photo-conversion methodology is emerging as a new research theme under resonance conditions through terahertz electromagnetic waves. Normally, Positronium can be observed in the positron emission computed tomography (PET) process when an unstable, separate state that remains after the pair annihilation of an electron and a positron remains. In this study, terahertz (THz) waves and Cherenkov radiation (CR) are generated using the principle of ponderomotive force in the plasma wake-field acceleration, and electrons and positrons are simultaneously generated by using a relativistic electron beam without using a PET device. We confirm the possibility of Positronium photoconversion technology in terahertz electromagnetic resonance conditions through experimental studies that generate an unstable state. Here, a relativistic electron beam (REB) energy of 0.5 MeV (γ=2) was used, and the terahertz wave frequencies is G-band. Meanwhile, a THz wave mode converting three-stepped axicon lens was used to apply the photoconversion technology. Through this, light emission in the form of a luminescence-converted Bessel beam can be verified. In the future, it can be used complementarily with PET in nuclear medicine in the field of medical imaging.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.1 no.6
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• pp.567-572
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• 2017

A novel slotted-core hexagonal photonic crystal fiber (PCF) for terahertz (THz) wave guiding is proposed in this paper. A trade-off managed between effective material loss (EML) and birefringence for efficient guidance of THz waves is illustrated in this article. The rectangular slot shaped air-holes break the symmetry of the porous-core which offers ultra-high birefringence of $8.8{\times}10^{-2}$. The proposed structure offers low bending loss of $1.07{\times}10^{-34}cm^{-1}$ and extremely low effective material loss (EML) of $0.035cm^{-1}$ at an operating frequency of 1.0 THz. In addition other guiding properties such as power fraction, dispersion and confinement loss are also discussed. The proposed THz waveguide can be effectively used for convenient transmission of THz waves.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.297-302
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• 2015

Terahertz (THz) wave generation from bulk and periodically poled $LiTaO_3$ (PPLT) with a Cherenkov phase matching scheme is numerically investigated. It is shown that by using the crystal birefringence of bulk $LiTaO_3$ and a grating vector of PPLT, THz waves can be efficiently generated by difference frequency generation (DFG) with a Cherenkov phase matching scheme. The frequency tuning characteristics of the THz wave via varying wavelength of difference frequency waves, phase matching angle, poling period of PPLT and working temperature are theoretically analyzed. The parametric gain coefficient in the low-loss limit and the absorption coefficient of the THz wave during the DFG process in the vicinity of polariton resonances are numerically analyzed. A THz wave can be efficiently generated by utilizing the giant second order nonlinearities of $LiTaO_3$ in the vicinity of polariton resonances.

• 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.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.589-593
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• 2014

Terahertz (THz) communication has important applications in high-speed and ultra broadband wireless access networks. The THz modulator is one of the key devices in a THz communications system. Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) can expand the capacity of THz communications systems, so research on multi wavelength THz modulators has significant value. By combining photonic-crystal and THz technology, a novel type of multi wavelength THz modulator based on a triple-lattice photonic crystal is proposed in this paper. Compared to a compound-lattice photonic crystal, a triple-lattice photonic crystal has a larger gap width of 0.196. Simulation results show that six beams of THz waves can be modulated simultaneously with high performance. This modulator's extinction ratio is as large as 34.25 dB, its insertion loss is as low as 0.147 dB, and its modulation rate is 2.35 GHz.

• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.97-105
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• 2021

The terahertz wave (THz wave) is a band between infrared and microwaves and is defined as an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 0.1 to 10 THz band. THz waves have the property of transmitting nonpolar materials, which the visible light cannot be transmitted, such as ceramics, plastics, and paper; and the photon energy is low, such as several meV. For this reason, non-destructive testing equipment based on THz imaging technology can be applied to the industrial field. Recently, THz imaging technology was applied in wide industrial fields, such as automobiles, batteries, food, medical, and security, and being actively studied. In this paper, we describe the research trends of terahertz imaging technology and experimental results. Furthermore, we summarize the recent commercialized terahertz camera. Finally, we present the research results in the field of the human security scanner system.

• 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.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.179-184
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• 2018

Terahertz (THz) wave generation by periodically poled $BaTiO_3$ (PPBT) with a quasi-phase-matching (QPM) scheme based on cascaded difference-frequency generation (DFG) is theoretically analyzed. The cascaded DFG processes comprise cascaded Stokes and anti-Stokes processes. The calculated results indicate that the cascaded Stokes processes are stronger than the cascaded anti-Stokes processes. Compared to a noncascaded Stokes process, THz intensities from $20^{th}$-order cascaded Stokes processes increase by a factor of 30. THz waves with a maximum intensity of $0.37MW/mm^2$ can be generated by $20^{th}$-order cascaded DFG processes when the optical intensity is $10MW/mm^2$, corresponding to a quantum conversion efficiency of 1033%. The high quantum conversion efficiency of 1033% exceeds the Manley-Rowe limit, which indicates that PPBT is an excellent crystal for THz wave generation via cascaded DFG.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.261-268
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• 2018

Stimulated polariton scattering (SPS) from the $A_1$ transverse optical (TO) modes of $BaTiO_3$ bulk crystal generating a terahertz (THz) wave with the noncollinear phase-matching (NPM) condition is theoretically investigated. To our best knowledge, this is the first report on THz wave generation from $BaTiO_3$ bulk crystal via SPS. Phase-matching (PM) characteristics in the NPM configuration are analyzed. Effective parametric gain lengths for the Stokes and THz waves in the NPM configuration are calculated. The effective parametric gain coefficient and absorption coefficient of the THz wave in $BaTiO_3$ are theoretically simulated. The THz phonon flux densities generated via SPS in $BaTiO_3$ are theoretically calculated by solving the coupled wave equations under the NPM condition. The PM characteristics and THz-wave parametric gain characteristics in $BaTiO_3$ are compared to those in $MgO:LiNbO_3$. The results of the analysis indicate that $BaTiO_3$ is an attractive optical crystal for efficient THz wave generation via SPS.