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The development of terahertz (THz) applications is slowed down by the availability of affordable, easyto-use and highly sensitive detectors. CEA-Leti took up this challenge by tailoring the mature infrared (IR) bolometer technology for optimized THz sensing. The key feature of these detectors relies on the separation between electromagnetic absorption and the thermometer. For each pixel, specific structures of antennas and a resonant quarter-wavelength cavity couple efficiently the THz radiation on a broadband range, while a central silicon microbridge bolometer resistance is read out by a complementary metal oxide semiconductor circuit. 320 × 240 pixel arrays have been designed and manufactured: a better than 30 pW power direct detection threshold per pixel has been demonstrated in the 2-4 THz range. Such performance is expected on the whole THz range by proper tailoring of the antennas while keeping the technological stack largely unchanged. This paper gives an overview of the developed bolometer-based technology. First, it describes the technology and reports the latest performance characterizations. Then imaging demonstrations are presented, such as realtime reflectance imaging of a large surface of hidden objects and THz time-domain spectroscopy beam twodimensional profiling. Finally, perspectives of camera integration for scientific and industrial applications are discussed.

Terahertz (THz) radiation encompasses a wide spectral range within the electromagnetic spectrum that extends from microwaves to the far infrared (100 GHz to ~30 THz). Within its frequency boundaries exist a broad variety of scientific disciplines that have presented, and continue to present, technical challenges to researchers. During the past 50 years, for instance, the demands of the scientific community have substantially evolved and with a need for advanced instrumentation to support radio astronomy, Earth observation, weather forecasting, security imaging, telecommunications, non-destructive device testing and much more. Furthermore, applications have required an emergence of technology from the laboratory environment to production-scale supply and in-the-field deployments ranging from harsh ground-based locations to deep space. In addressing these requirements, the research and development community has advanced related technology and bridged the transition between electronics and photonics that high frequency operation demands. The multidisciplinary nature of THz work was our stimulus for creating the 2017 THz Science and Technology Roadmap (S S Dhillon et al 2017 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50 043001). As one might envisage, though, there remains much to explore both scientifically and technically and the field has continued to develop and expand rapidly. It is timely, therefore, to revise our previous roadmap and in this 2023 version we both provide an update on key developments in established technical areas that have important scientific and public benefit, and highlight new and emerging areas that show particular promise. The developments that we describe thus span from fundamental scientific research, such as THz astronomy and the emergent area of THz quantum optics, to highly applied and commercially and societally impactful subjects that include 6G THz communications, medical imaging, and climate monitoring and prediction.

We present results of 2D real-time imaging of terahertz (THz) beam generated by a photoconductive antenna driven by a femtosecond oscillator. The detector, operating at room temperature, is a 320 x 240 array of antenna-coupled microbolometers with integrated CMOS read-out electronics delivering 25 images per second. High quality images of broadband THz beams covering the 0.1-2 THz range are recorded while maintaining a signal-to-noise ratio of 10 for detected THz power as low as 25 nW. The compactness of the easy-to-use uncooled camera makes it very useful for the alignment of systems such as THz time-domain spectrometers and for the characterization of emitters, optics and other components.

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The development program of the flight model imaging camera for the PACS instrument on-board the Herschel spacecraft is nearing completion. This camera has two channels covering the 60 to 210 microns wavelength range. The focal plane of the short wavelength channel is made of a mosaic of 2x4 3-sides buttable bolometer arrays (16x16 pixels each) for a total of 2048 pixels, while the long wavelength channel has a mosaic of 2 of the same bolometer arrays for a total of 512 pixels. The 10 arrays have been fabricated, individually tested and integrated in the photometer. They represent the first filled arrays of fully collectively built bolometers with a cold multiplexed readout, allowing for a properly sampled coverage of the full instrument field of view. The camera has been fully characterized and the ground calibration campaign will take place after its delivery to the PACS consortium in mid 2006. The bolometers, working at a temperature of 300 mK, have a NEP close to the BLIP limit and an optical bandwidth of 4 to 5 Hz that will permit the mapping of large sky areas. This paper briefly presents the concept and technology of the detectors as well as the cryocooler and the warm electronics. Then we focus on the performances of the integrated focal planes (responsivity, NEP, low frequency noise, bandwidth).

We present experimental results as well as modelling concerning terahertz (THz) wave scattering by powder materials with grain size of the order of the wavelength. The studied material is a mixture of high density polyethylene and fructose powders, whose grain size is varied from a sample to another one while the volume concentration is kept constant. Experimental data are recorded with a THz time-domain spectroscopy set up. The scattering contribution to the total propagation loss in such powders shows a resonant behaviour for grain size roughly equal to the THz wavelength, for which it reaches 80%–90% of the total loss. Modelling using Mie theory allows us to well describe the absorption and scattering phenomena.