Reflectance measurements of mm-wave absorbers using frequency-domain continuous wave THz spectroscopy

Abstract

Due to high dynamic range and ease of use, continuous wave terahertz spectroscopy is an increasingly popular method for optical characterization of components used in cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments. In this work, we describe an optical testbed that enables simultaneous measurements of transmission and reflection properties of various radiation absorbing dielectric materials, essential components in the reduction of undesired optical loading. To demonstrate the performance of the testbed, we have measured the reflection response of five absorbers commonly used for such applications: TKRAM, carbon- and iron-loaded Stycast, HR10, AN72, and an in-house 3D printed absorber across a frequency range of 100 to 500 GHz, for both S- and P-polarization, with incident angles varying from 15 to 45 degrees. We present results on both the specular and scattered reflection response of these absorbers.