Research Article
Experimental Characterization of Biological Tissue Dielectric Properties Through THz Time-Domain Spectroscopy
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-032-38657-1_3, author={Elisabetta Marini and Silvia Mura and Marco Hernandez and Matti H\aa{}m\aa{}l\aa{}inen and Maurizio Magarini}, title={Experimental Characterization of Biological Tissue Dielectric Properties Through THz Time-Domain Spectroscopy}, proceedings={Body Area Networks. 20th EAI International Conference, BodyNets 2025, Okayama, Japan, December 2--4, 2025, Proceedings}, proceedings_a={BODYNETS}, year={2026}, month={10}, keywords={Terahertz Time-domain spectroscopy Photoconductive antennas Biological tissue characterization Dielectric properties}, doi={10.1007/978-3-032-38657-1_3} }- Elisabetta Marini
Silvia Mura
Marco Hernandez
Matti Hämäläinen
Maurizio Magarini
Year: 2026
Experimental Characterization of Biological Tissue Dielectric Properties Through THz Time-Domain Spectroscopy
BODYNETS
Springer
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-38657-1_3
Abstract
Terahertz (THz) radiation provides a non-ionizing, highly sensitive probe of the dielectric properties of biological tissues. In this study, we present a comprehensive experimental characterization of dielectric properties using pork skin tissue, a widely used surrogate for human tissue, as a biological sample. Measurements are conducted employing THz time-domain spectroscopy in the 0.1–11 THz frequency range with photoconductive antennas for both signal generation and detection. Frequency-dependent refractive indices, absorption, and complex permittivity are extracted from transmitted time-domain signals. Our results confirm strong absorption and low transmittance at low THz frequencies due to water content, while highlighting frequency-dependent dispersion and narrowband transmission features at higher frequencies. This work provides one of the first extended-frequency datasets of biological tissue dielectric properties, supporting realistic channel modeling for the design and development of intra-body nanosensor networks in the THz band.