Near field of terahertz radiation transmitted through a lateral non-centrosymmetric grating

The transmission of a terahertz (THz) wave through a grating of metallic strips deposited on a flat surface of a dielectric medium has been considered. It has been assumed that the unit cell of the lateral grating does not have a spatial inversion center and the grating period is small compared to the radiation wavelength. The found amplitudes and phases of the spatial harmonics of the transmitted wave in the near field have been used to calculate the components of the tensor of asymmetry parameters responsible for the generation of photocurrents in a doped quantum well embedded in the non-centrosymmetric system under consideration. It has been found that, at a strip height greater than the skin depth, the parameters of the transmitted spatial harmonics are nearly independent of the height. It has been shown that the metallic grating exhibits strong birefringence, and the radiation polarized either circularly or linearly at an angle of 45° with respect to the principal axes of the lateral grating induces superposition of photocurrents owing to the circular or linear electronic ratchet effects.     

ZnTe晶体中光学整流产生的THz辐射及其电光探测研究

借助抽运-探测技术研究了ZnTe晶体中光学整流产生的太赫兹(THz)辐射，利用ZnTe晶体的线性电光效应探测THz辐射场分布，观察到了较窄(约为0.2 ps)的THz场分布及相应较宽(响应超过4 THz，半峰宽约为2.4 THz)的THz频谱，并运用琼斯矩阵对实验结果进行了理论拟合. 研究了飞秒激光脉冲波长(750—850 nm)、脉冲宽度(56—225 fs)和晶体旋转与THz辐射产生的关系. 同时改变探测光偏振方向进行偏振调制，并从理论上分析了偏振调制对THz辐射探测的影响. 关键词： THz辐射 光学整流 电光探测 ZnTe     

Generation of backward terahertz waves in GaSe crystals

We have observed a backward-propagating terahertz wave by mixing two coherent infrared beams in two GaSe crystals. For the 47 mm long crystal, the output wavelength can be tuned in the wide range of 167.6 to 2060 microm (0.146 to 1.79 THz), whereas the output peak power reaches 217 W. The corresponding power conversion efficiency is approximately 0.03%.     

Generation and detection of terahertz radiation by means of periodically and aperiodically poled crystals

The nonlinear optical methods for generating and detecting terahertz radiation using periodically and aperiodically poled crystals in the quasi-phase-matching mode are analyzed. Two radically different versions of optical pumping are considered: a quasi-continuous mode and pumping by Fourier-limited femto-second pulses. General relations are obtained, which determine the spectra of generated and detected waves through the optical pumping parameters and the crystal generator and crystal detector nonlinear transfer functions. It is shown that, by choosing the optimal spatial modulation of the crystal nonlinear susceptibility, one can control the shape of the generation and detection spectra. An optical scheme is proposed and the optimal parameters of domain structures for quasi-phase-matched generation and frequency-matched detection of forward and backward terahertz waves under quasi-continuous-wave optical pumping are reported.     

Generation of terahertz radiation in high-quality diamond samples

A method is proposed for generating terahertz radiation by producing a spectrally limited population inversion between light- and heavy-hole subbands in the valence band of semiconductors. This inversion is achieved by placing a sample in a static magnetic field and pumping it with an alternating electric field resonant with a cyclotron frequency of heavy holes. At a sufficiently low concentration of holes when the energy exchange between them is less effective than the exchange with the lattice, a considerable heating of heavy holes occurs with a nearly constant distribution function of light holes. However, the low hole concentration leads to a small terahertz field gain that can exceed the field loss only in high-quality diamond samples that are almost transparent in the terahertz range. An important advantage of this method for generating terahertz radiation over the previously proposed techniques is the possibility of implementing it at room temperature, which substantially increases its attractiveness, especially for use in biology and medicine.     

Generation of terahertz radiation in the regime of resonant-nonresonant optical rectification

The generation of broadband terahertz radiation in quadratically nonlinear crystals containing additional resonant impurities having a permanent dipole moment has been theoretically analyzed. It has been shown that the contributions to the intensity of the generated radiation from resonance and nonresonance mechanisms of optical rectification are nonadditive. In semiconductor nanostructures and systems of organic molecules, the energy efficiency of generation due to the resonance mechanism can reach about 0.001, which is much higher than the corresponding efficiencies of the currently widespread tilted front technique. The spectra of the input optical pulses exhibit a noticeable red shift due to the resonance-nonresonance rectification.     

Generation of coherent terahertz radiation by photomixing of dual-mode lasers

We have reviewed and discussed the generation of continuous-wave terahertz radiation by the photomixing of dual-mode lasers, which includes a multi-mode laser diode (LD), a dual-mode microchip laser, a monolithic dual-mode DBR LD, and a widely tunable dual-mode external cavity LD. It is demonstrated by several experiments that the beat frequency of a dual-mode laser is more stable than the original laser modes because of the common-mode rejection effect. We also suggest a novel scheme by which the optical beat is stabilized to less than 1 kHz and its frequency can be precisely determined as well.     

Generation of phase-locked and tunable continuous-wave radiation in the terahertz regime

Broadly tunable phase-stable single-frequency terahertz radiation is generated with an optical heterodyne photomixer. The photomixer is excited by two near-infrared CW diode lasers that are phase locked to the stabilized optical frequency comb of a femtosecond titanium:sapphire laser. The terahertz radiation emitted by the photomixer is downconverted into RF frequencies with a waveguide harmonic mixer and measurement-limited linewidths at the Hertz level are demonstrated.     

Using Josephson vortex lattices to control terahertz radiation: tunable transparency and terahertz photonic crystals

The Josephson vortex (JV) lattice is a periodic array that scatters electromagnetic waves in the THz-frequency range. We show that JV lattices can produce a photonic band-gap structure (THz photonic crystal) with easily tunable forbidden zones controlled by the in-plane magnetic field. The scattering of electromagnetic waves by JVs results in a strong magnetic-field dependence of the reflection and transparency. Fully transparent or fully reflected frequency windows can be conveniently tuned by the in-plane magnetic field. These proposals are potentially useful for controllable THz filters.     

Generation of terahertz radiation by optical rectification in presence of resonance impurities

We demonstrate the possibility of an efficient generation of terahertz radiation under optical rectification in a uniaxial crystal containing impurities with resonance two-level quantum transitions. The group velocity of an optical pulse entering the regime of self-induced transparency decreases to the value of phase velocity of the terahertz radiation, which results in phase matching of long- and short-wavelength waves. The terahertz generation is accompanied by strong self-modulation of the optical pulse. Two-component soliton-like structures can be formed at long distances accompanied by spectral red shift of the optical component.     

Generation of tunable narrow-band surface-emitted terahertz radiation in periodically poled lithium niobate

Generation of tunable narrow-band terahertz (THz) radiation perpendicular to the surface of periodically poled lithium niobate by optical rectification of femtosecond pulses is reported. The generated THz radiation can be tuned by use of different poling periods and different observation angles, limited only by the available bandwidth of the pump pulse. Typical bandwidths were 50-100 GHz, depending on the collection angle and the number of periods involved.     

Generation of terahertz radiation upon the optical breakdown of a gas

Terahertz radiation of plasma oscillations excited upon the optical (axicon) breakdown of a gas in the presence of external fields of other frequency ranges has been analyzed. It has been shown that the spectra and intensity of oscillations and radiation generated by them depend strongly on the character of the spatiotemporal evolution of the formed plasma. The intensity is maximal upon the rapid formation of the plasma with a sharp boundary and decreases to very low values for objects with a smooth density profile. New schemes and regimes of break-down have been proposed, which make possible, according to preliminary estimates, an emitted energy of about 10 mJ with moderate intensities of ionizing laser radiation.     

Generation and detection of terahertz radiation with multilayered electro-optic polymer films

We use optical rectification and electro-optic sensing to generate and detect terahertz radiation, using individual and multilayered stacks of electro-optic polymer films. For comparable thickness, the polymer films are more efficient generators and detectors of terahertz radiation than ZnTe crystals.     

Analysis of anharmonic and thermoelastic properties of non-centrosymmetric crystals

In the present paper an analytical potential form is used for overlap repulsive energy, derived by Harrison from quantum mechanical considerations, along with the composite effect of three-body forces and intersublattice displacement. The short-range overlap parameters in Harrison's potential form have direct correlation with the valence state energies for outermost electrons. The potential model is applied to calculate the third and fourth order elastic constants, first and second pressure derivatives of second order elastic constants, Grüneisen parameter and its volume dependence, Anderson parameter, and thermal expansion coefficient for three non-centrosymmetric crystals, viz. CaF₂, SrF₂ and BaF₂. The calculated values of various physical quantities are found to be in good agreement with experimental data.The authors are grateful to Dr. Mansour Khalef, the Head of Physics Department, TNRC, Tajura (Tripoli) for the facilities and encouragements.     

Generation of terahertz radiation by the axicon focusing of ionizing laser pulses

Experimental results on the generation of terahertz radiation in the gas breakdown by high-power quasi-monochromatic laser pulses focused by an axicon lens are presented. A theoretical model developed for the terahertzradiation generation includes the nonlinear interaction of a femtosecond pulse with an ionized gas and the excitation of transverse oscillations of the plasma column. The results of the theoretical analysis are compared with the experimental data.     

Generation of terahertz radiation by the axicon focusing of ionizing laser pulses

JETP Letters - Experimental results on the generation of terahertz radiation in the gas breakdown by high-power quasi-monochromatic laser pulses focused by an axicon lens are presented. A...     

Generation of widely tunable Fourier-transform-limited terahertz pulses using narrowband near-infrared laser radiation

Widely tunable, Fourier-transform-limited pulses of terahertz (THz) radiation have been generated using (i) crystals of the highly nonlinear organic salt 4-N,N-dimethylamino-4′-N′-methyl stilbazolium tosylate (DAST), (ii) zinc telluride (ZnTe) crystals, (iii) gallium phosphide (GaP) crystals, and (iv) low-temperature-grown gallium arsenide (LTG-GaAs) photomixers with THz spiral antennas. Outputs from two narrowband (Δν < 1 MHz, λ ∼ 800 nm) cw titanium-doped sapphire (Ti:Sa) ring lasers with a well-controlled frequency difference were shaped into pulses using acousto-optic modulators (AOM), coupled into an optical fiber, pulse amplified in Nd:YAG-pumped Ti:Sa crystals and used as optical sources to pump the THz emitters. The THz radiation was detected over a broad frequency range and its bandwidth was determined to be ∼10 MHz. The spectroscopic potential of the THz source is illustrated by the absorption spectrum of a pure rotational transition of OCS.     

反应离子刻蚀ZnTe的THz辐射和探测研究

运用电光采样技术揭示了反应离子刻蚀（RIE）ZnTe晶体表面THz辐射的光学整流产生机制， 观察到0.25 ps的THz场分布.通过比较刻蚀前后以及不同刻蚀条件下ZnTe样品在不同激发功 率下的THz辐射强度，发现由于反应离子刻蚀破坏了ZnTe样品表面的有序性，晶体的电光系 数随射频功率的增加而减小.借助于计算不同刻蚀条件下ZnTe晶体的频率响应函数，分析了 随射频功率增加ZnTe晶体响应频谱展宽的现象. 关键词： THz辐射 反应离子刻蚀 ZnTe     

Generating terahertz radiation via optical rectification in nonlinear crystals: Theory and experimental results

Key principles of terahertz radiation generation via laser pulse optical rectification are reviewed. The development of theoretical concepts is considered in connection with recent experimental results. The usability of resonant effects and metamaterials for the further development of this technique of generation is analyzed.