Ultralow-frequency ultranarrow-bandwidth coherent terahertz imaging for nondestructive testing of mortar material

Nondestructive testing of concrete materials is essential in civil engineering to maintain social infrastructure such as buildings or bridges. In this study, we constructed an ultralow-frequency, ultranarrow-bandwidth, coherent terahertz (THz) imaging system based on THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS). Based on its ultralow-frequency-localized THz wave and coherent detection, the present system achieved a wide dynamic range of THz power over 100 dB at 0.046 THz, which is appropriate to measure the mortar material. The achieved dynamic range of the THz power was 59 dB larger than that of a commercialized THz-TDS system and 49 dB larger than that of an ultralow-frequency noncoherent THz imaging system equipped with a high-power electric THz source. Ultimately, the proposed system could visualize the inner structure of a mortar sample with a thickness of 10 mm, and the present system can investigate a mortar sample with a thickness of over 130 mm. The proposed method is an attractive tool for non-destructive testing of thick concrete structures characterized by non-invasiveness and non-contact remoteness.