A ring slot excited dielectric rod antenna for terahertz imaging

Terahertz radiation has many unique properties that lends itself to applications not possible elsewhere in the electromagnetic spectrum. The radiation passes through many materials that are opaque in the visible spectrum and can be used to form sub-millimeter resolution images. Potential applications for terahertz imaging technology range from skin cancer detection to concealed weapon detection. Current terahertz imaging systems are limited to acquiring one or a few pixels simultaneously leading to impractically long image acquisition times. Large terahertz imaging arrays are required to realize practical systems and real-time imaging frame rates. Improved performance of existing imaging systems and better fabrication methods are also desired. To address these needs we are investigating an integrated focal plane array of terahertz antennas. We present the theory and simulation results for terahertz dielectric rod antennas excited by a ring slot source, as well as some early fabrication results.