Terahertz scattering by two phased media with optically soft scatterers

Abstract

Frequency dependent absorption by materials at distinct frequencies in the THz range is commonly used as spectral-fingerprints for identification and classification. For transmission measurements, the substance under study is often mixed with a transparent host material. Refractive index variations arising from the presence of impurities and inconsistencies in the sample's internal structure often cause the incident radiation to scatter. This can significantly distort the measured spectral-fingerprints. In this letter, we present a numerical approach to allay the scattering contribution in THz-TDS measurements, provided the sample's refractive index is known, and reveal the true absorption spectra for a given sample. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.