Terahertz spectroscopy and imaging for the detection and identification of Illicit drugs

Recently, Terahertz technologies, due to the extensive research and tremendous progress achieved in the field of Terahertz radiation, promise countless potential applications in the fields of security and defense. A particular interest is the development of new technologies that enable the identification of concealed prohibited drugs. This paper surveys the existing research which investigates the utilization of Terahertz spectroscopy and imaging in the detection and identification of illicit drugs. It sheds light on the terahertz time domain spectroscopy which is used to obtain the Terahertz fingerprint spectra of drugs-of-abuse. It also focuses on various Terahertz imaging techniques that are used to probe the presence of illegal drugs by penetrating packaging and concealment materials. Furthermore, this paper addresses current challenges and future research areas for the security application of Terahertz technologies.