title: Terahertz confocal microscopy with a quantum cascade laser source.
abstract: We report on the implementation of a confocal microscopy system based on a 2.9 THz quantum cascade laser source. Lateral and axial resolutions better than 70 μm and 400 μm, respectively, are achieved, with a large contrast enhancement compared to the non-confocal arrangement. The capability of resolving overlapping objects lying on different longitudinal planes is also clearly demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: NEST, CNR-Istituto Nanoscienze and Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, I-56127 Pisa, Italy. ugo.siciliani@sns.it
authors.forename: Ugo Siciliani
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: de Cumis
authors.forename: Ji-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Masini
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Degl'innocenti
authors.forename: Pasqualantonio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pingue
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beltram
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tredicucci
authors.forename: Miriam S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Vitiello
authors.forename: Pier Alberto
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Benedetti
authors.forename: Harvey E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Beere
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ritchie
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055069:Terahertz Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*