Picarin Explained

Picarin (Tsurupica) is a plastic used to make optics such as lenses for terahertz radiation.^{[1] [2]}

Optical properties

Picarin is useful for this purpose because it is highly transparent in both the THz and visible spectral ranges. The refractive index of Picarin is almost the same for THz (n=1.52) and visible light (n=1.52). It is very strong mechanically, and withstands optical polishing.

Unpolished picarin lenses offer the best performance at spectral range. Unfortunately, unpolished surfaces scatter visible and near-IR light.

Notes and References

1. Book: Erik Bründermann. Heinz-Wilhelm Hübers. Maurice FitzGerald Kimmitt. Terahertz Techniques. 18 April 2012. Springer. 978-3-642-02592-1. 56.
2. Book: Bründermann. Erik. Terahertz Techniques. Hübers. Heinz-Wilhelm. Kimmitt. Maurice F.. 151. 2012. 51–101. 0342-4111. 10.1007/978-3-642-02592-1_3. Springer Series in Optical Sciences. 978-3-642-02591-4.