Material propertiesTerahertz frequency optical properties of acoustic materials

An investigation of the terahertz frequency electromagnetic absorption coefficient spectra and refractive index spectra is presented for many materials employed in acoustic applications. A brief discussion on the use of these material properties for terahertz imaging applications is also included. Terahertz-frequency electromagnetic radiation has the potential to image through and inside many acoustically damping materials, unlike traditional nondestructive evaluation techniques such as ultrasound. The optical properties discussed herein are necessary to quantify potential terahertz imaging performance for these and other acoustic materials.