Towards real-time THz imaging with single-pixel detectors

For commercial acceptance, THz technology needs cheaper, more robust and quicker imaging modalities that do not sacrifice the time -resolving capabilities of THz-TDS systems. Single-pixel detectors with spatial light modulation imaging techniques offer a path to rapid, cheap and no-moving parts imaging systems. Here, by imaging in this modality, where we use a photoconductive antenna and a THz spatial modulator based on tailoring a semiconductor's Drude plasma frequency by spatial photoexcitation, we optimize this process by considering the modulation geometry. Finally, by considering the system's temporal response in post-processing, we show that one can reach a mask modulation rate of 20kHz, only limited by the digital micromirror (DMD) switch speeds.