System for capturing point values for constituting an image with terahertz radiation

Abstract

The device (40) for capturing point values for constituting an image, comprises: an incoherent source (100) of rays, the frequency of which is between 0.075 THz and 10 THz for illuminating an object, a sensor (415) of radiation coming from the object, which comprises an area sensitive to the radiation coming from the source and which emits an electrical signal representative of the intensity of the rays coming from the source and reaching the sensitive area of the sensor, and at least one optical focusing system (400, 410) with aperture number (F-Number) less than one, situated on the optical path of rays emitted by the source and propagating from the source to the sensor of rays, passing via the object. Preferably, the source (100) illuminates the object with a sufficiently broad emission spectrum to scan the standing wave in a period shorter than the acquisition time of the sensor. Preferably, the incoherent source has a bandwidth of several GHz, preferably at least equal to 12 GHz at −100 dB.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.