A Microplasma in Air Serves as a Source of Terahertz Radiation (IMAGE)

University of Rochester

A Microplasma in Air Serves as a Source of Terahertz Radiation

Caption

A microplasma is created by focusing intense laser pulses in ambient air with a microscope objective in the lab of University of Rochester Institute of Optics Ph.D. student Fabrizio Buccheri and his advisor, Professor Xi-Cheng Zhang. Besides visible light, the microplasma emits electromagnetic pulses at terahertz frequencies that can be used to detect complex molecules, such as explosives and drugs.

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Photo by J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester

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