Experimental Developments for Passive Remote Sensing at THz Frequencies

ARLINE M. MELO; PIERRE KAUFMANN; AMAURI S. KUDAKA; EMILIO C. BERTOLUCCI; MARIA BENY ZAKIA; ROGÉRIO MARCON; OTTO BAUER; MARIANO KORNBERG; ALBRECHT POGLITSCH; RODOLFO GODOY; HUGO LEVATO; ADOLFO MARUN; PABLO PEREYRA; MARIA H. PIAZZETTA

Rio de Janeiro

Simposio; URSI Open Symposium; 2007

URSI - International Union of Radio Science

The terahertz range of frequencies is the new frontier to be explored for remote sensing. New relevant passive sensing applications are being found for mineral prospecting, materials structural properties, biomedicine, sensing of dangerous materials and items, security, defense, aerospace and communications. We present the results from experimental developments addressed to subsystems required for sensing at discrete THz frequency bands that included the fabrication and tests of resonant grids centered at 0.4, 0.67, 0.85, 2 and 4 THz. It has been demonstrated the possibility to sense thermal radiation at these frequencies, using adapted commercial cameras with un-cooled microbolometer focal plane arrays, coupled to the resonant grids. Characterization of a 10 microns (30 THz) camera was accomplished using the Sun as an intense thermal source and the transit of the planet Mercury on the solar surface to set limiting detection noise levels. Current developments are directed to solar and aerospace experiments to be transported above the terrestrial atmosphere, by platforms in satellite and stratospheric balloons.