T-rays refer to terahertz radiation, spanning frequencies from 0.1 to 10 THz. Because these waves pass through non-conducting materials like clothing and packaging but are heavily absorbed by water, they are highly useful for non-destructive imaging and security scanning. Generating and detecting T-rays often requires specialized ultrafast laser setups, such as photoconductive antennas driven by femtosecond pulses.
The water vapor in the lab is absorbing too much of the T-ray signal, so we need to purge the enclosure with nitrogen.
While the general public and media often use the term T-ray, researchers in the lab almost exclusively say terahertz or THz when discussing the actual radiation.
Also heard as
- terahertz radiation
- THz radiation
Related terms
Femto
Clipped form of femtosecond, for lasers and pulses lasting from a few to a few hundred quadrillionths of a second.
Pulse duration
How long a laser pulse lasts, normally given as the full width at half maximum of its intensity.
Supercontinuum
Extremely broad, spatially coherent white-light spectrum created by sending intense pulses through a nonlinear fiber.