Abstract

There is currently a strong interest to improve the spatial resolution in THz time-domain imaging for THz microscopy of single cells. To date, work on improving the resolution was based on the use of an aperture[1] or a dynamic aperture[2], to limit the THz spotsize. Apertures, however, block the longer wavelength components of the THz pulse and/or require microfabrication techniques to make them. Here, we present a new and simple method to obtain a sub-wavelength resolution in THz-TDS, in which we measure only the distorted electric-field component of a THz pulse, in the near field of a sharp metal tip. The setup is shown in Fig. 1.

© 2002 Optical Society of America