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Updated: May 9, 2026
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Simulation, Fabrication and Characterization of THz Metamaterial Absorbers
Published on: December 27, 2012
Observation of terahertz beam diffraction by fabrics.
Émilie Hérault1, Maxence Hofman, Frédéric Garet
1IMEP-LAHC, UMR CNRS 5130, University of Savoie, Le Bourget du Lac, France. emilie.herault@univ‑savoie.fr
Optics Letters
|August 2, 2013
Summary
Fabric structures diffract terahertz waves, impacting absorption measurements. This diffraction can lead to overestimating absorption in materials like linen by up to three times in terahertz time-domain experiments.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Electromagnetism
Background:
- Fabrics possess a nearly periodic network structure of interlaced yarns.
- This structure's periodicity is comparable to terahertz (THz) wavelengths.
- Understanding THz wave interaction with fabrics is crucial for accurate material characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the diffraction of terahertz electromagnetic waves by the yarn network in common fabrics.
- To quantify the impact of this diffraction on absorption measurements.
- To validate experimental findings with numerical simulations.
Main Methods:
- Experimental measurement of terahertz wave interaction with fabric samples.
- Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy.
- High-Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) numerical modeling.
Main Results:
- Observed significant diffraction of terahertz waves by the fabric's yarn network.
- Demonstrated that diffraction can cause overestimation of absorption in linen by a factor of up to 3.
- Confirmed experimental results through HFSS simulations.
Conclusions:
- The yarn network structure in fabrics significantly influences terahertz wave propagation.
- Classical terahertz time-domain experiments may yield inaccurate absorption values due to diffraction effects.
- Numerical simulations are valuable for validating and understanding these wave-fabric interactions.
