Deciphering hidden layers's images through terahertz spectral fingerprints

Candida Moffa¹, Daniele Francescone², Alessandro Curcio², Anna Candida Felici³, Marco Bellaveglia⁴, Luca Piersanti⁴, Mauro Migliorati², Massimo Petrarca⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Sapienza, University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa, 16, Rome, 00161, Italy. Electronic address: candida.moffa@uniroma1.it.
² Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Sapienza, University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa, 16, Rome, 00161, Italy.
³ Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Sapienza, University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa, 16, Rome, 00161, Italy; Research Center for Applied Sciences to the Safeguard of Environment and Cultural Heritage (CIABC), Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.
⁴ INFN-LNF, Via Enrico Fermi, 54, Frascati (RM), 00044, Italy.
⁵ Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Sapienza, University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa, 16, Rome, 00161, Italy; Roma1-INFN, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 2, Rome, 00185, Italy. Electronic address: massimo.petrarca@uniroma1.it.

PMID: 40554379
DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2025.126510

Deciphering hidden layers's images through terahertz spectral fingerprints

Candida Moffa et al. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2025.

. 2025 Dec 15:343:126510.

doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2025.126510. Epub 2025 Jun 14.

Authors

Candida Moffa¹, Daniele Francescone², Alessandro Curcio², Anna Candida Felici³, Marco Bellaveglia⁴, Luca Piersanti⁴, Mauro Migliorati², Massimo Petrarca⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Sapienza, University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa, 16, Rome, 00161, Italy. Electronic address: candida.moffa@uniroma1.it.
² Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Sapienza, University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa, 16, Rome, 00161, Italy.
³ Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Sapienza, University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa, 16, Rome, 00161, Italy; Research Center for Applied Sciences to the Safeguard of Environment and Cultural Heritage (CIABC), Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, Rome, 00185, Italy.
⁴ INFN-LNF, Via Enrico Fermi, 54, Frascati (RM), 00044, Italy.
⁵ Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Sapienza, University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa, 16, Rome, 00161, Italy; Roma1-INFN, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 2, Rome, 00185, Italy. Electronic address: massimo.petrarca@uniroma1.it.

PMID: 40554379
DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2025.126510

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) radiation enables non-destructive, depth-resolved analysis of layered artworks. This study demonstrates THz multispectral imaging's ability to reveal concealed text beneath mock-up of pictorial layers, reconstructing hidden narratives at varying depths through frequency-domain analysis. Simultaneously, it maps pigment composition, providing valuable chemical information. Showcasing the power to penetrate and decipher stratified materials, this work establishes THz multispectral imaging as a crucial tool for unlocking hidden secrets and characterizing materials in Cultural Heritage artifacts.

Keywords: Hidden layers; Imaging; Mapping; Pigments; Stratigraphy; Terahertz.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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Deciphering hidden layers's images through terahertz spectral fingerprints

Affiliations

Deciphering hidden layers's images through terahertz spectral fingerprints

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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Full Text Sources