Terahertz Frequency Spectrometer Combined with Sub-Wavelength Microfluidic Platform

The goal of this project is to design and build a THz-frequency spectrometer prototype with sub-wavelength spatial resolution for use in the spectroscopic and temporal analysis of trace material samples in advanced sensing and monitoring applications. The instrument operating at room temperature will include a periodic-grating microfluidic sampling system with controlled precise sample placement and micro-detector scanning. In Phase I, the complete specification on the instrument functionality and performance capabilities will be generated in close collaboration with scientists at the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center or other active U.S. Army research and development programs that are focused on advanced sensing and monitoring applications. Signal registration circuitry adequate to the state-of-the-art capability for spectroscopic and imaging biological materials characterization analysis will be developed. A computational modeling analysis will be preformed to evaluate and compensate any possible artifacts caused by the periodic-grating and the near-field micro-detector that might interfere with the spectral signatures of the biological, chemical and/or explosive targets. The conceptual design of the instrument and integration procedure will be proposed and evaluated in benchmarking experiments to demonstrate the capability to overcome expected challenges of integrating the full system.