Terahertz characterization of hydrogen bonded materials

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of hydrogen bonded materials was carried out to investigate the dielectric and optical properties of materials in the THz frequency range. The complex dielectric constant (i.e., ε´ and ε") of H₂O ice, D₂O ice, propane hydrate, SF₆ hydrate and CH₄ hydrate was measured at frequencies in the range 0.4-1.2 THz and temperatures in the range 20-240 K. We discuss the frequency and temperature dependence of ε´ and ε" using a mathematical model to obtain specific parameters. These results show that it is possible to analyze the dielectric constants of gas hydrates using a mathematical model of ice.