(Hamamatsu: Hamamatsu, Japan) -- Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. has long been studying terahertz technologies as a part of its pursuit of opto-electronics possibilities. As a result, the company has developed an instrument for terahertz attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy that features its original ATR component, in which the terahertz emitter and detector are combined in one piece with the ATR prism.

Terahertz ATR spectroscopy can be used for far-infrared analysis of liquid samples, and also to analyze powders without sample preparation. Hamamatsu expects its new instrument to be used in a wide variety of applications, including pharmaceutical analysis, evaluation of hydrates, and nondestructive spectroscopic inspection of liquids, powders, and solids. Sales of the instrument to research institutes and research and development departments will begin in April 2012.

The technology in Hamamatsu’s new instrument, which was developed with the Innovation Promotion Program of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of Japan, was first exhibited at JAIMA EXPO 2011, one of Japan’s largest trade shows for analytical instrumentation.

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