Multichannel balanced electro-optic detection for Terahertz imaging

We present THz imaging with 1D electro-optic sampling of ultrashort THz pulses by multichannel balanced detection. Using a lock-in technique, it combines the advantage of a high signal to noise ratio along with the fast acquisition time of multichannel detection. The object is probed by a line focus and the resolution can be adjusted. The performance of the system is demonstrated exemplarily by imaging two objects. (C) 2007 Optical Society of America.