BRIGE: Infrastructure of Terahertz Imaging and Sensing Technology

University Of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa AL

Investigators

Abstract

0824452 Seongsin M. Kim, University of Alabama Tuscaloosa BRIGE: Infrastructure of Terahertz Imaging and Sensing Technology ABSTRACT Intellectual Merit: The objective of the proposed research is establishing and demonstrating a one-of-a-kind Terahertz imaging and sensing infrastructure at the University of Alabama that is suitable for sustaining a permanent multidimensional interdisciplinary research activity. Intellectual merit: Terahertz biomedical imaging promises to become the technique of the future for early cancer detection by combining the strengths of current imaging techniques, which could lead to much fewer false positives, while being harmless to healthy tissues. THz radiation will be generated at room temperature using a femtosecond laser source through optical down-conversion in a nonlinear optical crystal. To enhance the efficiency of THz generation, the interaction length between the THz and the optical pulses needs to be increased. This will be done using quasi-phase matching structures, such as orientation-patterned GaAs or GaN. This infrastructure will be used to gather original imaging data and thereby enable the collaborative development of complementary multi-modal imaging techniques that can yield biochemical information. Broader Impact: The proposed outreach program is designed to attract women to pursue career engineering because it is a major health issue in their lives that transcends any ethnic and social background. Furthermore, the numerous proposed proactive education and outreach activities in the classroom and outside the University are purposefully designed to enhance the participation of all members of underrepresented groups, especially women and African American, by taking advantage of the unique position of the University of Alabama in this domain, leveraging resources already available here, and fully integrating the established research laboratory and capability into an education program in which the PI will be a role model for other members of underrepresented groups. These activities will be in addition to disseminating research data in prominent journals and widely attended scientific forums where UA students can serve as an example for others.