High-Speed THz Imaging for Production Line Monitoring

We present a novel high-speed THz imaging technique and demonstrate its application in food production line monitoring. This new technique uses laser excited atoms to perform THz-to-optical conversion with the resulting light captured on an optical camera. Dried foodstuffs are imaged within their packaging and defects or contaminants identified. The presented system enables images to be taken at kHz rates, giving it the potential for use in high-volume production environments.