Tomographic Imaging Using Photonically Generated Low-Coherence Terahertz Noise Sources

Three-dimensional (3D) terahertz (THz) imaging or THz tomography has recently proven to be powerful for non-destructive testing of industrial materials and structures. In order to reduce complexity and cost of conventional THz tomography systems, we propose a new approach using broadband THz noise sources based on amplified spontaneous emission noise, which is analogous to the optical coherence tomography (OCT) using broadband infrared sources. We have experimentally demonstrated a 3D imaging system with depth and spatial resolutions of 1 and 2 mm, respectively, by 280-380 GHz band noise signals.