Analysis of the multilayer organization of a sunflower leaf during dehydration with terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

We apply reverse engineering techniques (RET) to analyze the dehydration process of a sunflower leaf with terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The multilayer structure of the leaf is extracted with accuracy during the entire process. Time variations of thickness and the complex index are emphasized for all leaf layers (2 cuticules, 2 epiderms, and 2 mesophylls). The global thickness of the sunflower leaf is reduced by up to 40% of its initial value.(c) 2022 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

In this study, reverse engineering techniques and terahertz time-domain spectroscopy were applied to analyze the dehydration process of a sunflower leaf. The multilayer structure of the leaf was accurately extracted, and the time variations of thickness and complex index were emphasized.