We present a high-resolution terahertz (THz) reflective imaging system, operating at 2.52 THz, that employs a continuous-wave THz gas laser and a pyroelectric detector. The spatial resolution was evaluated from the system's modulation transfer function and tested by scanning a series of resolution targets. To further improve the image quality, Lucy-Richardson method was adopted to restore the scanning result. With the scanning spot profile measured using knife edge method, a satisfying restoration result can be obtained. Finally, the system's performance was observed by imaging some different test objects.

Terahertz (THz) digital holography is realized based on a 2.52 THz far-IR gas laser and a commercial 124 × 124 pyroelectric array camera. Off-axis THz holograms are obtained by recording interference patterns between light passing through the sample and the reference wave. A numerical reconstruction process is performed to obtain the field distribution at the object surface. Different targets were imaged to test the system's imaging capability. Compared with THz focal plane images, the image quality of the reconstructed images are improved a lot. The results show that the system's imaging resolution can reach at least 0.4 mm. The system also has the potential for real-time imaging application. This study confirms that digital holography is a promising technique for real-time, high-resolution THz imaging, which has extensive application prospects.

High-resolution continuous-wave terahertz (CW THz) real-time imaging operating at 2.52 THz is demonstrated based on THz digital holographic technique. To eliminate the influence of zero-order diffraction while reducing the recording distance, effective zero-order diffraction suppression methods are studied and compared. The spatial resolution of the imaging system is tested by imaging a selfmade Siemens star. When the recording distance is 2.1 cm, the measured resolution can reach 0.245 mm. The experimental results confirm the high imaging performance of the THz digital holography system.

No abstract