A technique to achieve estimation of the amount of absorbed energy when using diverse cell types at THz frequencies

The effects of a high frequency electromagnetic field (HF EMF) in the terahertz (THz) range on biological systems is the subject of ongoing investigation. With a beamline range of 0.5 THz - 20 THz, the THz/Far-IR beamline at the Australian Synchrotron is ideally suited to explore possible THz effects. We have developed a technique to achieve precise estimation of the amount of absorbed energy when using diverse cell types at THz frequencies. The approach involves evaluating the overall incident beam power, the determination of the frequency and photon dispersion, and evaluating the relative contribution of the frequency ranges. The sample depth is an important component of the evaluation. Since higher THz frequencies have shallower sample penetration depths, parts of the sample are being exposed to not only different total THz energy doses, but to a different frequency profile. Our technique achieves accurate estimation of the exposure profile.