High-precision terahertz frequency modulated continuous wave imaging method using continuous wavelet transform

TL;DR

This paper presents a high-precision terahertz imaging method using continuous wavelet transform to detect multilayer heat shields, demonstrating its effectiveness for nondestructive testing in aerospace and other fields.

Contribution

It introduces a novel terahertz imaging technique combining frequency modulation and wavelet transform for improved defect detection accuracy.

Findings

Accurate detection of defect sizes in multilayer heat shields

Effective nondestructive testing of composites and cultural heritage artifacts

Enhanced image processing with continuous wavelet transform

Abstract

Inspired by the extensive application of terahertz imaging technologies in the field of aerospace, we exploit a terahertz frequency modulated continuous wave imaging method with continuous wavelet transform algorithm to detect a multilayer heat shield made of special materials. This method uses the frequency modulation continuous wave system to catch the reflected terahertz signal and then processing the image data by the continuous wavelet transform with different basis functions. By calculating the sizes of the defects area in the final images and then comparing the results with real samples, a novel and practical high-precision terahertz imaging method are demonstrated. Our method can be an effective tool for the terahertz nondestructive testing of composites, drugs and some cultural heritages.