Subwavelength THZ Freq Spectrometer for Trace Materials

A12a-T021 TITLE: Sub-Wavelength THz-Frequency Spectrometer for Trace Materials Analysis TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Chemical/Bio Defense OBJECTIVE: To develop and demonstrate a terahertz (THz) frequency imaging spectrometer that is capable of providing sub-wavelength spatial resolution at room temperature simultaneously with state-of-the-art sensitivity and spectral resolution when applied to the analysis of small quantities of precisely positioned and controlled biological, chemical or explosive material samples. PHASE I: In the Phase I effort, a complete design for a sub-wavelength THz-frequency spectrometer with state-of-the-art capability for trace materials analysis should be formulated, and fabrication/integration procedures should be developed for a representative platform implementation that includes a system (e.g., nanofluidic system) for the precise placement and presentation of the target. It is expected that physical modeling will be preformed to assess any influences of the periodic-grating super-lens and the near-field micro-detector on the spectral signatures of the biological, chemical and/or explosive targets. The Phase I effort should include fabrication experiments and benchmarking testing that demonstrate adequate capability for the meeting the expected challenges of integrating the full system.