Terahertz conductivity mapping of thin films on smart textiles

Sci Rep. 2024 Sep 25;14(1):22029. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-73113-4.

Abstract

Smart textiles that promise to become sensors and actuators for multiple applications are an active area of research. Conductive textiles formed by coating a fabric with a conductive film will play a key role in such applications. Here we present contactless mapping of the terahertz (THz) conductivity of thin conductive films deposited on textiles. These conductivity maps enable non-destructive assessment of the conductivity of such layers and therefore the identification and localization of non-uniformities in local conductivity. The THz measurements are quantitatively consistent with four-point probe measurements of the same areas.