Terahertz time‐domain spectroscopy has been used to study the optical and dielectric properties of three chalcogenide glasses: Ge30As8Ga2Se60, Ge35Ga5Se60, and Ge10As20S70. The absorption coefficients α(ν), complex refractive index n(ν), and complex dielectric constants ɛ(ν) were measured in a frequency range from 0.3 THz to 1.5 THz. The measured real refractive indices were fitted using a Sellmeier equation. The results show that the Sellmeier equation fits well with the data throughout the frequency range and imply that the phonon modes of glasses vary with the glass compositions. The theory of far‐infrared absorption in amorphous materials is used to analyze the results and to understand the differences in THz absorption among the sample glasses.

An advanced microcolumn is proposed which adopts a modified einzel lens structure. The newly designed einzel lens is composed of four electrodes. The two center electrodes are specially designed electrostatic quadrupole (EQ) einzel lenses having keyhole instead of circular apertures. We constructed the advanced microcolumn with the EQ-einzel lenses, and operated the newly designed microcolumn in single lens mode and double-lens mode. The preliminary results show that the EQ-einzel lens can improve the performance of the micro-column for large sample applications.

This study reviewed terahertz technologies of time domain spectroscopy, T-ray imaging, and high rate wireless data transfer. The main topics of the terahertz research area were investigation of materials and package modules for terahertz wave generation and detection, and setup of the terahertz system for time domain spectroscopy(TDS), T-ray imaging and sub-THz wireless communication. In addition to Poly-GaAs film as a photoconductive switching antenna material, a table-top scale for the THz-TDS/imaging system and terahertz continuous wave(CW) generation systems for sub-THz data transfer and narrow band T-ray imaging were designed. Dielectric properties of ferroelectric BSTO(BaxSr1-x TiO3) films and chalcogenide glass systems were characterized with the THz-TDS system at the THz frequency range. Package modules for terahertz wave transmitter/receiver(Tx/Rx) photoconductive antenna were developed.

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Effects of microstructure of molecular beam epitaxially grown GaAs films at low temperature on the properties of terahertz detection have been investigated. Microstructural changes of the films before and after in-situ annealing strongly influence the terahertz wave SNRs in the receiver. The films grown at 150 and in-situ annealed at 600 showed a poly-crystalline state, and those grown at 250 or higher temperature and in-situ annealed at 600 revealed epitaxial GaAs layers including As-rich precipitates. The SNRs of the terahertz wave were measured to be 10 3 to 10 4 . The best value of the SNR 10 4 was obtained with the polycrystalline GaAs layer.