title: Real-time terahertz digital holography with a quantum cascade laser.
abstract: Coherent imaging in the THz range promises to exploit the peculiar capabilities of these wavelengths to penetrate common materials like plastics, ceramics, paper or clothes with potential breakthroughs in non-destructive inspection and quality control, homeland security and biomedical applications. Up to now, however, THz coherent imaging has been limited by time-consuming raster scanning, point-like detection schemes and by the lack of adequate coherent sources. Here, we demonstrate real-time digital holography (DH) at THz frequencies exploiting the high spectral purity and the mW output power of a quantum cascade laser combined with the high sensitivity and resolution of a microbolometric array. We show that, in a one-shot exposure, phase and amplitude information of whole samples, either in reflection or in transmission, can be recorded. Furthermore, a 200 times reduced sensitivity to mechanical vibrations and a significantly enlarged field of view are observed, as compared to DH in the visible range. These properties of THz DH enable unprecedented holographic recording of real world dynamic scenes.
authors: INO-CNR, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Largo E. Fermi 6, Firenze, I-50125, Italia.|LENS, European Laboratory for NonLinear Spectroscopy, Via N. Carrara 1, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), I-50019, Italia.
authors: Massimiliano
authors: M
authors: Locatelli
authors: INO-CNR, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Largo E. Fermi 6, Firenze, I-50125, Italia.|LENS, European Laboratory for NonLinear Spectroscopy, Via N. Carrara 1, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), I-50019, Italia.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Ravaro
authors: INO-CNR, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Largo E. Fermi 6, Firenze, I-50125, Italia.|LENS, European Laboratory for NonLinear Spectroscopy, Via N. Carrara 1, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), I-50019, Italia.
authors: Saverio
authors: S
authors: Bartalini
authors: INO-CNR, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Largo E. Fermi 6, Firenze, I-50125, Italia.|LENS, European Laboratory for NonLinear Spectroscopy, Via N. Carrara 1, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), I-50019, Italia.
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Consolino
authors: INO-CNR, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Largo E. Fermi 6, Firenze, I-50125, Italia.|NEST-CNR, Istituto Nanoscienze and Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, Pisa I-56127, Italia.
authors: Miriam S
authors: MS
authors: Vitiello
authors: INO-CNR, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Largo E. Fermi 6, Firenze, I-50125, Italia.|LENS, European Laboratory for NonLinear Spectroscopy, Via N. Carrara 1, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), I-50019, Italia.
authors: Riccardo
authors: R
authors: Cicchi
authors: INO-CNR, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Largo E. Fermi 6, Firenze, I-50125, Italia.|LENS, European Laboratory for NonLinear Spectroscopy, Via N. Carrara 1, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), I-50019, Italia.|Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Firenze, Via Sansone 1, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), I-50019, Italia.
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Pavone
authors: INO-CNR, Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Largo E. Fermi 6, Firenze, I-50125, Italia.|LENS, European Laboratory for NonLinear Spectroscopy, Via N. Carrara 1, Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), I-50019, Italia.
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: De Natale