Narrow terahertz attenuation signatures in Bacillus thuringiensis

Abstract

Terahertz absorption signatures from culture-cultivated Bacillus thuringiensis were measured with a THz photomixing spectrometer operating from 400 to 1200 GHz. We observe two distinct signatures centered at ∼955 and 1015 GHz, and attribute them to the optically coupled particle vibrational resonance (surface phonon-polariton) of Bacillus spores. This demonstrates the potential of the THz attenuation signatures as "fingerprints" for label-free biomolecular detection.

Keywords: Bacillus thuringiensis; Terahertz; spectroscopy; spore; surface mode; vegetative cells.