All-Fiber Centralized Architecture for Parallel Terahertz Sensors

The use of optical fiber for signal distribution and remote operation of a set of parallel inspection units based on THz time-domain spectroscopy is presented and analyzed. A centralized approach with optical source-sharing simplifies the implementation and cost of nondestructive inspection platforms, where several sensing units have to work in the same facility, such as factories and security controls. The cost of such a distribution system is evaluated, its feasibility experimentally demonstrated, and key features relevant to the system performance are discussed.