Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy for characterization of pharmaceutical materials

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is a powerful and non-destructive analytical tool for characterizing pharmaceutical materials. However, conventional THz-TDS hardware and software used for pharmaceutical applications face limitations such as low throughput, the need for mechanical sample characterization, and incompatibility with pharmaceutical manufacturing environments. To address these challenges, we present an advanced THz-TDS system designed for high-throughput chemical composition identification and simultaneous structural (porosity, density, thickness, uniformity) characterization of pharmaceutical tablets. This system eliminates the need for mechanical measurements while maintaining precision and efficiency. By incorporating a plasmonic nanoantenna array for terahertz generation and detection, it achieves a high peak dynamic range and broad bandwidth with rapid scanning capabilities.