Physics Dept Seminar

February 24, Monday

Advancing Real-time Monitoring with Terahertz Technology

Dr. Nha Uyen Huynh

Sandia National Laboratory

(Optics, Host: Federici)

Time: 11:45 am - 12:45 pm with 11:30 am teatime

Room: ECE 202

While current state-of-the-art characterization techniques provide valuable insights into the composition and properties of materials, there remains a significant gap of knowledge in the mechanical and structural response of materials under real-time loading. In particular, the mechanical response of polymers—ubiquitous in everyday applications—is known to depend on their molecular structure.

However, there is limited experimental validation in the interrelationship between molecular conformational changes and the mechanical behavior of polymers. To address this gap, we developed a novel experimental framework utilizing in-situ and operando terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) to elucidate the molecular vibrational modes in mechanically loaded polymers at varying strain rates.

Terahertz-based spectroscopy, which operates within the near and mid-infrared regimes, can probe inter- and intramolecular vibrational modes in polymers without compromising their microstructural integrity due to the low levels of electromagnetic radiation. The results provide critical evidence in the underlying deformation mechanisms of polymers under dynamic loading. This experimental framework demonstrates the viability of terahertz-based technology for monitoring materials and structures in dynamic conditions to ensure their safety, reliability, and longevity.