Terahertz generation from electron- and neutron-irradiated semiconductor crystal surfaces

Terahertz generation from the InP, InSb, GaAs and GaSe crystal surfaces excitated by femtosecond laser pulses has been studied. The terahertz spectra emitted from the native crystals and the crystals previously irradiated by high-energy neutrons or electrons have been recorded. Also, a simulation of the terahertz emission process has been performed. A weak terahertz signal generated from the GaSe native surface has been registered. In the case of electron-irradiated GaSe, the signal is increased several fold because of increased laser radiation absorption.     

Reflective terahertz imaging of porcine skin burns

A reflective pulsed terahertz imaging system based on direct detection was developed and used to obtain high-resolution images of a porcine skin specimen with superficial partial-thickness (second-degree) burns. Images were also obtained of the sample through ten layers of dry medical (cotton) gauze with minimal image degradation. The burned and unburned regions of skin had large differences in terahertz reflectivity, displaying clear delineation [20 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) difference signal] between both regions in the images. The terahertz images also exhibited a "halo" surrounding the burn areas that may correlate to the extent of burn injury. The system operated at a center frequency of 500 GHz with 125 GHz of 3 dB bandwidth and used whiskbroom scanning to generate images with a spatial resolution of 1.5 mm. Each pixel was acquired with a 16 ms integration time, resulting in a 40 dB postdetection SNR. The simplicity and high SNR of the reflective terahertz system are promising steps toward real-time terahertz medical imaging.     

Quantum dot materials for terahertz generation applications

Compact and tunable semiconductor terahertz sources providing direct electrical control, efficient operation at room temperatures and device integration opportunities are of great interest at the present time. One of the most well‐established techniques for terahertz generation utilises photoconductive antennas driven by ultrafast pulsed or dual‐wavelength continuous wave laser systems, though some limitations, such as confined optical wavelength pumping range and thermal breakdown, still exist. The use of quantum dot‐based semiconductor materials, having unique carrier dynamics and material properties, can help to overcome limitations and enable efficient optical‐to‐terahertz signal conversion at room temperatures. Here we discuss the construction of novel and versatile terahertz transceiver systems based on quantum dot semiconductor devices. Configurable, energy‐dependent optical and electronic characteristics of quantum‐dot‐based semiconductors are described, and the resonant response to optical pump wavelength is revealed. Terahertz signal generation and detection at energies that resonantly excite only the implanted quantum dots opens the potential for using compact quantum dot‐based semiconductor lasers as pump sources. Proof‐of‐concept experiments are demonstrated here that show quantum dot‐based samples to have higher optical pump damage thresholds and reduced carrier lifetime with increasing pump power.

     

基于太赫兹光谱技术的光学系统设计及应用

太赫兹脉冲信号在频域上具有“指纹频谱”特性,利用该性质可以对物质进行定性分析。借助Zemax软件的光学分析与优化功能,设计了二次非球面TPX平凸透镜,提高了透镜对太赫兹波束的聚集能力;采用平凸透镜设计了太赫兹波束整形光学系统,并将该光学系统用于太赫兹时域光谱系统中,对盐酸莫西沙星和左氧氟沙星进行太赫兹光谱测试,经过算法处理后得到二者在频域上的吸收系数与折射率曲线。测试结果表明:左氧氟沙星的折射率在0.1 THz～3.5 THz波段要比盐酸莫西沙星高,但是盐酸莫西沙星的折射率变化更加平缓;盐酸莫西沙星在1.03 THz、1.92 THz、2.58 THz、2.84 THz处具有明显的吸收峰,左氧氟沙星在1.35 THz、1.96 THz、2.52 THz、2.73 THz处具有明显的吸收峰。     

雷达信号处理技术在太赫兹成像中的应用

太赫兹成像采用的成像算法多来自于其他频段已经成熟的成像算法,而针对太赫兹波特性的成像算法还不多见,因此在太赫兹频段形成了成像机理及算法研究的空白。按照经典电磁理论、光学原理对太赫兹成像进行分类,指出了雷达成像与太赫兹成像之间的关系。并通过研究太赫兹雷达目标散射特征,分析了不同太赫兹源的衍射极限成像分辨力。最后,从信号处理的角度介绍了太赫兹雷达信号处理及成像算法的研究现状。     

Interaction of terahertz electromagnetic radiation with a probe-object system in a terahertz apertureless near-field microscope

The mechanism of the interaction of coherent terahertz radiation with a probe-nanoobject system has been experimentally investigated in a terahertz apertureless near-field microscope. It has been found that the type of the material of a sample under the probe, as well as the geometry of the probe, determines the form of the dependence of the differential signal of the terahertz field on the distance between the probe and sample. The amplitude of the modulation of the probe height significantly affects the spectral composition of the differential terahertz signal, which is directly related to the amplitude and phase of a terahertz wave scattered by the probe-nanoobject system.     

太赫兹波在磁化等离子体中传输特性

建立了电磁波穿过磁化等离子体鞘套的一维模型,并采用数值分析方法对太赫兹（THz）电磁波在磁化等离子体鞘套中传播时的反射率、透射率和衰减值进行了计算仿真,分析了磁化条件下磁场强度、太赫兹波频率、等离子体鞘套厚度、等离子体碰撞频率和等离子体密度对太赫兹波在磁化等离子体鞘套中传播特性的影响。仿真结果表明:排除衰减波峰对应的频率范围,外加磁场有效降低了太赫兹波传输的衰减,在固定磁场强度下,衰减波峰两侧的衰减值均达到了5 dB以下,有效地解决了通信黑障问题。     

Terahertz wave modulator based on optically controllable metamaterial

We demonstrated experimentally a terahertz wave modulator based on optically controlled metamaterial. The signal modulation mechanism of the presented terahertz wave modulator was based on the resonance characteristic of metamaterial controlled without or with light excitation. A modulated semiconductor laser with 808 nm wavelength was employed to light the substrate. The interaction between the metamaterial and terahertz wave was strengthened and yielded an appreciable modulation of the terahertz output beam. The modulation speed is 0.1 Kb/s and the modulation depth of the proposed terahertz modulator is about 57% at a frequency of 0.32 THz.     

基于经验模态分解提高太赫兹频率分辨率的方法

太赫兹频率分辨率是影响物质鉴别的重要因素,但是由于太赫兹时域光谱系统中存在器件反射,使得参考信号和测量信号出现多个反射峰,时域信号长度截断导致频率分辨率很低。为了去除反射峰的影响,提出基于经验模态分解去除时域反射峰,从而提高太赫兹频率分辨率的方法。通过与太赫兹主峰的互相关定位时域反射峰,计算反射峰的上下包络和求平均值,获取本征模函数并代替反射峰,增加时域信号有效长度,提高太赫兹频域分辨率。空气中水蒸汽的太赫兹透射谱实验结果表明,该方法具有自适应去除多个反射峰的能力,对太赫兹时域信号修复效果良好,频率分辨率提高了12倍,而且未丢失有用的吸收谱信息,吸收峰的位置和个数与真实谱一致,很好地保留了太赫兹谱的鉴别能力。     

Laser-induced photoacoustics influenced by single-cycle terahertz radiation

Laser-induced plasma acoustic waves are enhanced under the illumination of single-cycle terahertz (THz) radiation, making THz-enhanced acoustics (TEA) a useful method for THz wave detection. During a single-cycle THz pulse with its peak field of 100 kV/cm, a pressure enhancement of 10% is observed throughout the acoustic spectrum up to 140 kHz, and the TEA signal is found to increase linearly with THz wave intensity. By using dual-color laser excitation to manipulate free electron drift, it is possible to modulate the enhanced acoustic signal and recover a coherent THz time-domain waveform by simply "listening" to the plasma.     

Comment on "Temporally resolved electro-optic effect"

We comment on the recent Letter by S. P. Jamison et al. [Opt. Lett.31, 1753 (2006)] where the analysis of a chirped probe pulse that is electro-optically modulated by a terahertz pulse reportedly results in a new expression for the electric field. While in principle the derived expressions for the total field after the crystal are correct, in their treatment the authors implicitly assumed that the derived total field is identical to the measured field, without regard to the residual birefringence of a typical electro-optic crystal or a crossed analyzer. Based on this analysis neglecting birefringence, they report that earlier expressions of the temporal field are incorrect. Here we show, on the contrary, that for chirped single-shot terahertz measurement schemes that include residual birefringence, the temporally resolved electro-optic effect is described correctly by the commonly used expression in the literature. We verify this result with our experimental data.     

光泵重水气体产生THz激光的半经典理论分析

从半经典密度矩阵理论出发，采用三能级系统模型对光泵重水气体产生太赫兹激光进行了理论分析，求解得到了脉冲光泵重水气体分子产生太赫兹激光过程中激光信号增益系数G_s和抽运光信号被吸收系数G_p的表达式，通过迭代法对太赫兹激光信号的输出光强进行了数值计算，理论计算得到的频谱特性曲线完全符合受激Raman辐射的频谱特性，即频谱宽度较大、输出光强随抽运失谐量的改变而变化明显等特征.在脉冲激光抽运受激Raman辐射过程中，工作介质D₂O气体分子的偶极矩由于受到抽运脉冲光场的扰动发生变化，在频谱特性曲线中表现为受激辐射THz信号的谱线发生了分裂.理论计算结果与已报道的实验结果能较好地相符.     

太赫兹连续波成像的质量改进与降噪

太赫兹波成像具有电离辐射小,对有机物鉴别力高等多种技术优势,因而非常适合应用于非接触式、非破坏性成像检测。然而这种成像手段易受到成像时电磁环境干扰和设备功率变化等问题的影响,因而存在一些特定的干扰模式,导致大部分的太赫兹脉冲扫描图像很难获得高清晰度的图像。利用搭建的太赫兹连续波源透射光路成像系统实现了逐点扫描式太赫兹成像。通过阈值灰度变换算法的改进优化,对卡片、树叶、一元硬币和钥匙四种样品的太赫兹波图像进行了去噪,然后基于拉普拉斯算子对图像进行锐化增强,并用均方误差和峰值信噪比估计等对去噪效果进行评价。去噪后太赫兹波扫描的部分样品峰值信噪比估计值提高可达4～5 dB,图像质量得到明显改善。研究证明所搭建的太赫兹成像系统具有一定的应用前景。     

0.38 THz混频器关键器件设计和仿真优化北大核心CSCD

太赫兹混频器是太赫兹波收发系统中的关键器件,是将信号频率从一个量值变换为另一个量值的电路器件,其中肖特基二极管是太赫兹混频器中的核心器件,除了肖特基二极管以外,低频滤波器、本振端口等也属于太赫兹混频器中的关键器件。对0.38THz混频器中的关键组件包括波导管、肖特基二极管、滤波器等在HFSS中进行了建模、仿真,最后通过对仿真结果的分析,实现了可以满足0.38THz太赫兹混频器的各个关键模块的模型,通过这些模型实现了混频器整体的优化。     

外差式相干探测时域光谱仪对磷化铟（InP）晶片的超宽频带太赫兹光谱的探测

磷化铟（InP）属于Ⅲ-Ⅴ族化合物半导体材料, 在毫米波的应用中展示出了高性能,在非线性太赫兹器件应用上具有很大的潜力。以前关于InP的研究主要集中于太赫兹频率在0.1～4 THz的频率范围内,在4～10 THz频率范围内InP的太赫兹光学数据还是空白。该研究利用空气等离子体相干探测太赫兹波的时域光谱系统研究了无掺杂的InP晶片在超宽THz频率范围（0.5～18 THz）内的光学特性, 实验中用电离的空气作为太赫兹的发射器和探测器, 利用可以调制的局部偏压诱导二次谐波产生,使在气体中太赫兹波的相干探测成为可能,明显提高了系统的动态范围和灵敏度。产生的太赫兹频谱宽度主要被激光脉冲持续时间所限制,太赫兹脉冲通过InP晶片后相对于参考脉冲会延迟,同时振幅会降低。另外,太赫兹信号的频谱振幅在6.7～12.1 THz范围内下降到本底噪声。同时还可以看出InP晶片在6.7～12.1 THz频率范围内不透光,在0.8～6.7 THz以及12.1～18 THz频率范围内InP的吸收系数相对较低,特别是在15～17.5 THz范围内吸收系数很低并且保持相对稳定,与此同时它的折射率单调增加。这些发现将有助于基于InP晶片的非线性太赫兹器件设计。     

一种有效提高太赫兹时域光谱装置成像空间分辨率的方法

太赫兹波成像技术一个最显著的制约因素是其有限的空间分辨率。提出通过在样品前加小孔的方法来提高传统太赫兹时域光谱装置成像的空间分辨率。采用在样品前约2 mm处加直径为0.5 mm小孔的方法使成像的空间分辨率从1.276 mm提高到0.774 mm,提高0.502 mm,约39％。通过这个简单的方法在传统的太赫兹时域光谱成像装置上实现了空间分辨率从毫米量级到亚毫米量级的提高。聚乙烯板上直径为1 mm的小孔被作为成像的研究对象,分别采用传统的太赫兹时域光谱装置对样品进行直接成像和在样品前约2 mm处加直径为0.5 mm的小孔后对样品成像两种方式,并采用损失成像中信噪比较好的能量损失成像,对比两种方式得到的样品的太赫兹像,结果显示聚乙烯板上小孔的边界加小孔后成像比不加小孔直接成像明显清晰。证实了在样品前加小孔可以有效的提高太赫兹成像系统的空间分辨率。从理论上对通过在样品前加小孔提高系统空间分辨率的方法进行了分析,指出小孔尺寸越小,系统的空间相干长度越大,空间分辨率越高,但同时太赫兹信号的强度会相应减小。该方法可以简单有效的提高太赫兹时域光谱装置成像的空间分辨率,从而进一步拓展太赫兹谱成像技术的应用领域。     

Absolute brightness measurements in the terahertz frequency range using vacuum and thermal fluctuations as references

A total procedure for the terahertz wave brightness calibration using the quantum fluctuations at terahertz frequencies as a reference is formulated. An experimental proof for its theoretical background is provided. Klyshko method for the brightness calibration using spontaneous parametric down-conversion is modified, considering the case when the idler wave hits the terahertz frequency range and relative additives to the background signals induced by an external terahertz radiation can be measured both in Stokes and anti-Stokes ranges. It is shown at different temperatures that the thermal-fluctuation-induced signals have the same spectral and angular shapes, as the spontaneous parametric down-conversion signals, while the thermal-induced signal amplitudes are proportional to the number of photons in the thermal equilibrium modes.     

不同周期数牛眼结构对基于伪表面等离子激发的太赫兹透射的影响

为研究不同周期数的牛眼结构对太赫兹透射的影响,本文利用微机械加工方法,在铝板上分别制作5个圆环凹槽和15个圆环凹槽两种牛眼结构,并利用时域太赫兹波谱系统,对比了这两种不同周期数的牛眼结构的太赫兹时域信号和频域信号.实验结果显示,0.1~2.7THz宽频太赫兹参考信号可以被两种不同周期数的牛眼结构滤成窄带信号,中心峰值均在约0.53THz处,在该值处,5个圆环凹槽的透射率约为55.7%,15个圆环凹槽的透射率约为68.3%,1THz以上高频信号都被基本滤除,小周期数样品与大周期数样品太赫兹透射谱信号带宽与幅值的差别主要是由于周期性展开不足及边缘泄漏所引起.本文利用伪表面等离子理论解释了滤波效果,并通过有限元方法模拟仿真了宽频太赫兹信号通过不同周期数的牛眼结构后的样品信号,模拟结果与实验结果符合得较好,证实了不同周期数的牛眼结构对太赫兹电磁波的增透效应是不同的.     

牙本质龋的太赫兹成像研究

牙本质龋与牙髓感染状态及活力密切相关,龋损深度则决定临床治疗方案,但目前牙本质龋的检测及诊断方法如：视诊、探诊容易受到主观因素影响;X线辅助检查对龋病灵敏度低等,都有一定缺陷,可靠性及有效性仍有待提高。太赫兹时域光谱可以利用不同的物理参数成像,在牙本质龋在体、无损检测方面有较大应用潜力。为探索牙本质龋损的太赫兹光谱图像开展本研究。实验通过搭建透射、反射式扫描太赫兹平台,对15枚含牙本质龋离体牙磨片扫描,通过数据二维重构,获得了不同参数的太赫兹透射和反射图像,再将太赫兹图像与实验室研究龋病的光镜图像与X线图像对比、拟合并进行光镜下、太赫兹图像下龋损面积评价。结果表明：太赫兹图像与光镜图像相符,较X线图像灵敏度更高。反射模式下由于太赫兹反射信号较弱,使得样品厚度,表面粗糙程度以及系统噪声对实验结果影响较大,图像仅能辨识样本轮廓,不能用于区分牙釉质、牙本质及牙本质龋。透射模式下的频域1.4 THz相位差成像、时域信号最小值对应的时间成像都能区分牙釉质,牙本质和牙本质龋,可以用来鉴别三者,其中最小值对应的时间成像效果最佳。对光镜下测得牙本质龋损面积与太赫兹透射模式下的时域信号最小值对应的时间图...     

环状烯烃聚合物基底材料的太赫兹复介电常数和损耗特性研究

太赫兹时域光谱(THz-TDS)已被用于研究包括液体,半导体,爆炸物和气体等多种材料。然而自由空间太赫兹光谱系统存在着一些检测局限性,如微量物质难以被检测、系统尺寸难以实现微型化、空气中水的强烈吸收引起的信号衰减较大等问题。为了解决这些问题,研究人员设计了基于金属波导传输线结构的太赫兹芯片集成器件,通过飞秒红外激光激励传输线上的光电导材料实现太赫兹波的产生和检测。然而,在这些芯片上传输的太赫兹信号的频谱宽度很难达到自由空间太赫兹时域光谱系统的频带宽度,一个重要原因是由于传输信号受到随频率增加的传输线损耗所导致的衰减。通常这些损耗主要由三个部分组成：导体损耗,介电损耗和辐射损耗。研究表明：使用低介电常数材料作为共面传输线的衬底,将减少这种介电常数的失配,从而避免冲击波辐射损失;使用具有低损耗角正切的基底材料可以减少太赫兹传输线的损耗。环烯烃聚合物(COP)是一种具有环状烯烃结构的非晶性透明共聚物的材料,在太赫兹波段具有很高的透射率,为了探究这种材料是否能用于共面传输线的衬底,需要通过太赫兹时域光谱技术和介电函数理论分析它在太赫兹频段的光谱和介电特性,以及对这种材料作为基底时用在太赫兹传输线的传输特性进行仿真计算分析。使用透射式太赫兹时域光谱系统,对三种COP、熔融石英和PMMA进行了光谱测试,提取了它们的透射时域信号,采用Dorney和Duvillaret等提出的物理模型计算复介电函数。实验表明：与其他两种材料相比,COP材料在1 THz处的透过率更高,可以达到94.5%,同时介电损耗和介电常数更低,其中介电损耗在1 THz处达到4.31×10-4,因此将COP作为传输线基底材料时能有效减少基底的介电损耗。同时COP材料的介电常数在0.2～2.8 THz范围内维持在约2.3的水平,也有效减弱了辐射损耗。对实验材料基底组成的共面波导传输线进行了HFSS模拟,获得了它们的正向传输衰减系数(S₂₁ parameter),并对由基底引起的介电损耗和辐射损耗进行了计算分析。模拟和计算结果也表明在同一传输线结构下,与其他材料相比COP作为基底时的损耗更小。通过太赫兹时域光谱法与介电响应分析,表明了在太赫兹波段具有较低介电常数的COP材料更适合作为太赫兹传输线结构的基底材料,它可以有效的降低因基底引起的介电损耗和辐射损耗。这为太赫兹传输线的设计过程中衬底材料的选择与应用提供了实验和理论依据。