Valeriy E. Karasik

In vivo terahertz spectroscopy of pigmentary skin nevi: Pilot study of non-invasive early diagnosis of dysplasia

In vivo terahertz (THz) spectroscopy of pigmentary skin nevi is performed. The in vivo THz dielectric characteristics of healthy skin and dysplastic and non-dysplastic skin nevi are reconstructed and analyzed. The dielectric permittivity curves of these samples in the THz range exhibit significant differences that could allow non-invasive early diagnosis of dysplastic nevi, which are melanoma precursors. An approach for differentiating dysplastic and non-dysplastic skin nevi using the THz dielectric permittivity is proposed. The results demonstrate that THz pulsed spectroscopy is potentially an effective tool for non-invasive early diagnosis of dysplastic nevi and melanomas of the skin.

Invariant embedding technique for medium permittivity profile reconstruction using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

Abstract. Reconstructing the dielectric permittivity profile (depth dependence of sample dielectric permittivity) is an important inverse problem. We present a new method for permittivity profile reconstruction based on terahertz time-domain spectroscopy signal processing. Reconstruction is accomplished in two steps. First, the sample pulse function is reconstructed using sample time-domain reflection data. Low- and high-frequency noise filtering and the interpolation of the pulse function at low frequencies are then applied. Second, an invariant embedding technique is used to calculate the dielectric permittivity profile based on the sample pulse function. Samples with known permittivity profiles have been studied experimentally using this procedure in order to verify this algorithm. This algorithm is stable to additive Gaussian white noise as shown using mathematical modeling based on the finite-difference time-domain technique. Possible applications of this permittivity profile reconstruction technique are discussed.

Accuracy of sample material parameters reconstruction using terahertz pulsed spectroscopy

New experimental and theoretical results for the material parameter reconstruction using terahertz (THz) pulsed spectroscopy (TPS) are presented. The material parameter reconstruction algorithm was realized and experimentally implemented to study the test sample. In order to both verify the algorithm and to estimate the reconstruction accuracy, test sample material parameters obtained with the TPS were compared with the results of the same sample studying by the use of the backward-wave oscillator (BWO) spectroscopy. Thus, high reconstruction accuracy was demonstrated for the spectral range, corresponding to the BWO sensitivity and located between 0.2 and 1.2 THz. The numerical simulations were applied for determining the material parameter reconstruction stability in the presence of white Gaussian noise in TPS waveforms as well as fluctuations in the femtosecond (FS) optical pulse duration. We report a strong dependence of the inverse problem solution stability on these factors. We found that the instabi...

Ultra-short pulse generation in the hybridly mode-locked erbium-doped all-fiber ring laser with a distributed polarizer

We report for the first time to the best of our knowledge on the ultra-short pulse (USP) generation in the dispersion-managed erbium-doped all-fiber ring laser hybridly mode-locked with boron nitride-doped single-walled carbon nanotubes in the co-action with a nonlinear polarization evolution in the ring cavity with a distributed polarizer. Stable 92.6 fs dechirped pulses were obtained via precise polarization state adjustment at a central wavelength of 1560 nm with 11.2 mW average output power, corresponding to the 2.9 kW maximum peak power. We have also observed the laser switching from a USP generation regime to a chirped pulse one with a corresponding pulse-width of 7.1 ps at the same intracavity dispersion.

Terahertz Photonic Crystal Waveguides Based on Sapphire Shaped Crystals

In this paper, an ability for highly efficient terahertz (THz) waveguiding in multichannel sapphire shaped crystals is demonstrated. The edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG) technique (or Stepanov technique) of shaped crystal growth has been implemented to manufacture the THz photonic crystalline (PC) waveguide. The PC waveguide has been characterized using both numerical simulations and experimental study. It allows guiding the THz waves in multimode regime with the minimal dispersion in frequency range of 1.0-1.55 THz and the minimal power extinction coefficient of 0.02 dB/cm at 1.45 THz. The mode interference phenomenon has been observed in this waveguide highlighting the prospectives of its use for intrawaveguide interferometry. These results demonstrate the capabilities of combining the EFG/Stepanov technique advantages with unique properties of sapphire, such as relatively low THz-wave absorption, high mechanical, thermal, chemical, and radiation strength, for manufacturing the THz waveguides characterized with low loss and dispersion and suitable for use in wide range of THz technology applications in biomedical and material sciences, including sensing in aggressive environment.

Wide-aperture aspherical lens for high-resolution terahertz imaging

In this paper, we introduce wide-aperture aspherical lens for high-resolution terahertz (THz) imaging. The lens has been designed and analyzed by numerical methods of geometrical optics and electrodynamics. It has been made of high-density polyethylene by shaping at computer-controlled lathe and characterized using a continuous-wave THz imaging setup based on a backward-wave oscillator and Golay detector. The concept of image contrast has been implemented to estimate image quality. According to the experimental data, the lens allows resolving two points spaced at 0.95λ distance with a contrast of 15%. To highlight high resolution in the THz images, the wide-aperture lens has been employed for studying printed electronic circuit board containing sub-wavelength-scale elements. The observed results justify the high efficiency of the proposed lens design.

A hybrid continuous-wave terahertz imaging system

A hybrid (active-passive mode) terahertz (THz) imaging system and an algorithm for imaging synthesis are proposed to enhance the THz image quality. The concept of image contrast is used to compare active and passive THz imaging. Combining the measurement of the self-emitted radiation of the object with the back-scattered source radiation measurement, it becomes possible to use the THz image to retrieve maximum information about the object. The experimental results confirm the advantages of hybrid THz imaging systems, which can be generalized for a wide range of applications in the material sciences, chemical physics, bio-systems, etc.

A Method of Studying Spectral Optical Characteristics of a Homogeneous Medium by Means of Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy

We have developed an algorithm for solving an inverse problem related to the reconstruction of spectral dependences of terahertz (THz) optical characteristics of a homogeneous medium in the form of a plane-parallel plate, which is based on processing signals obtained by a THz time-domain spectrometer. In contrast to existing methods, the developed algorithm allows studying the optical properties of dielectric samples that have a small thickness (down to 0.1 mm) and low index of refraction. Optical characteristics in the THz spectral range are determined by minimization of the error functional constructed based on experimental and theoretical complex transfer functions of the sample, wherein the theoretical transfer function is obtained by using a model of a Fabry-Perot quasi-resonator. The proposed method is experimentally verified by studying optical properties of test samples. The reconstructed THz optical characteristics are compared with the characteristics of the same test media obtained by means of the THz backward-wave oscillator spectroscopy, which allowed estimating the accuracy of the proposed method.

Nondestructive testing of polymer composite materials using THz radiation

This paper shows an ability to find internal defects in construction of polymer composite material using THz imaging. Using THz vision system resulted in an example of finding internal non-impregnated area in fiberglass.

BWO based THz imaging system

Terahertz (THz) imaging is a relatively new field of optical engineering and physics. Despite it has been already used in such directions as biomedical imaging, non-destructive evaluation of materials, and security detection of concealed objects, there are many problems in the development of them, connected with low efficiency of imaging sources and detectors. A new type of THz imaging system was implemented, based on backward wave oscillator THz source. Its efficiency of detecting concealed objects was shown.