TERA-MIR radiation: materials,generation, detection and applications

This special edition is dedicated to original papers covering topics with the areas of interest of COST ACTION MP1204 whose main objective is to advance novel materials, concepts and device designs for generating and detecting THz (0.3–10 THz) and Mid Infrared (10–100 THz) radiation using semiconductor, superconductor, metamaterials and lasers and to beneficially exploit their common aspects within a synergetic approach. The results achieved benefit from the unique networking and capacity-building capabilities provided by the COST framework to unify these two spectral domains from their common aspects of sources, detectors, materials and applications. We are building a platform to investigate interdisciplinary topics in Physics, Electrical Engineering and Technology, Applied Chemistry, Materials Sciences and Biology and Radio Astronomy. In this sense THz and MIR are considered jointly, the driving force for both regimes being applications. The main emphasis of the research presented here is on new fundamental material properties, concepts and device designs that are likely to open the way to new products or to the exploitation of new technologies in the fields of sensing, healthcare, biology, and industrial applications. End users are: research centres, academic, well-established and start-up companies and hospitals. The strong coupling of THz radiation and material excitations has potential to improve the quantum efficiency of THz devices.     

Four-wave mixing model solutions for polarization control of terahertz pulse generated by a two-color laser field in air

A four-wave mixing （FWM） model is used to analyze the polarization control of terahertz （THz） pulse generated by a two-color laser field in air. The analytic formula for the THz intensity varying with the THz polarizer angle, and the relative phase between the two pulses, are obtained. The corresponding numerical results agree well with both numerical result obtained from a quantum model and measured data reported. Moreover, possible phenomena are predicted for variables not found in other experiments. Compared with the quantum model, the FWM model gives analytic formulas and clear physical pictures, and has the advantage of efficient computing time.     

THz Generation via Optical Rectification in Nanomaterials: Universal Modeling Approach and Effective χ¯¯(2) Description

Optical rectification (OR) at the nanoscale has attracted an increasing interest in the prospect of providing efficient ultracompact terahertz (THz) sources. Here, a universal modeling approach capable of addressing both isotropic and anisotropic all-dielectric nonlinear nanomaterials on an ultra-broad spectral range, covering the highly dispersive phonon-polariton window, and different orientations of the crystallographic axes with respect to the geometry of the structure is reported. This analysis is exemplified by considering two study cases, that is, nanopillars of AlGaAs and of LiNbO₃. A close comparison between the two cases is established in terms of THz generation efficiency from 4 to 14 THz. Phonon-polariton contributions to the OR process are disentangled from the electronic one, and a model order reduction based on the reciprocity theorem is applied and validated on both the considered configurations. These results, combined with the inspection of the THz near-field features, pave the way to the design and optimization of nonlinear metasurfaces for THz generation and detection at the nanoscale.     

典型大气窗口太赫兹波传输特性和信道分析

在已有大气传输模型的基础上,发展了新的太赫兹波大气传输衰减与色散模型,对宽频太赫兹波在真实大气中传输的衰减和色散特性进行了数值模拟研究.改进太赫兹时域光谱技术,对0.3—2.0 THz频段太赫兹波的大气传输特性进行了透射光谱测量,并得到了一组连续吸收参数.比对发现实验窗口区强度和吸收峰的位置都与计算结果符合得很好.据此选取了三个可行的信道:340,410和667 GHz窗口区,利用线性色散理论和无线通信原理分别从物理上精确地计算了这些信道的群速色散参数和信道容量,并分析了影响最大传输数据率的因素-天线增益.研究结果表明:太赫兹波大气传输1 km时,这三个信道群速色散很小,信号不易被展宽;最大传输速率达十几Gbps,高于单模光纤,但需要更高的天线增益.     

Detection of a directly modulated terahertz light with quantum-well photodetector

We demonstrate a wireless transmission link at 3.9 THz over a distance of 0.5 m by employing a terahertz （Hz） quantum-cascade laser （QCL） and a THz quantum-well photodetector （QWP）. We make direct voltage modulation of the THz QCL and use a spectral-matched THz QWP to detect the modulated THz light from the laser. The small signal model and a direct voltage modulation scheme of the laser are presented. A square wave up to 30 MHz is added to the laser and detected by the THz detector. The bandwidth limit of the wireless link is also discussed.     

纳米网络中的太赫兹波大气传输和信道分析（英）

利用太赫兹大气传输衰减模型,比对太赫兹时域光谱系统的实验结果,结合最新的HITRAN数据库,发展了一个适用于纳米尺度的太赫兹信道分析模型。提出了一个0.1~5 THz宽的信道,分析了此信道在纳米尺度的传输损耗和最大传输数据率。研究结果表明,在纳米尺度0.1~5 THz宽的信道的传输数据率达几百Gbit/s,随着天线增益等硬件性能的不断提升,信道的最大传输数据率将达Tbit/s,此研究对于纳米器件之间的快速、大数据量的信息共享具有重要的参考价值。     

A novel THz spectroscopy recognition method for transgenic organisms based on APSO combined with SVM

Currently, the transgenic products detection methods are mostly based on visible/near-infrared light spectrum. In addition, it is hard to set up the parameters in the support vector machine (SVM) model and there is a large amount of calculation on spectrum data. To solve these problems, this paper proposed an algorithm based on terahertz (THz) spectrum and SVM using adaptive particle swarm optimize (APSO-SVM) for building up the classifications of transgenic cotton seed. To conduct the transgenic cotton seed classification, within the wavelength region 150 μm—3 mm, the THz spectrums are first sampled from 165 samples of three newest transgenic cotton seeds. Then, the 165 transgenic cotton seeds are recognized based on the APSO-SVM. Experiment results indicate that the total recognition rate is up to 97.3%, which prove that the THz spectrum combined with APSO-SVM can provide a reliable, rapid, simple and nondestructive detection method for transgenic cotton seed.     

Far-infrared cw difference-frequency generation using vertically integrated and planar low temperature grown GaAs photomixers: application to H<Subscript>2</Subscript>S rotational spectrum up to 3 THz

The generation of continuous coherent THz radiation by mixing two cw Ti:Sa laser beams with a well-controlled frequency separation for a new scheme of vertically integrated low temperature grown GaAs (LTG-GaAs) spiral photomixer is reported. For this new photomixer device used in THz emission, the LTG-GaAs active layer is sandwiched between the two parallel metal plates of a high-speed photodetector loaded by a broadband spiral antenna. We have exploited the advantage of a higher delivered power in the low part of the spectrum (<2000 GHz), while a low RC time constant planar interdigitated detector was used at the upper frequency. The performances of the spectroscopic setup in terms of spectral resolution (5 MHz), tunability and frequency capability are assessed by measurements of the pure rotational spectra of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) up to 3000 GHz. PACS 73.40.Sx; 33.20.Bx; 39.30.+w     

Temporal characterization of femtosecond laser-plasma-accelerated electron bunches using terahertz radiation

The temporal profile of relativistic laser-plasma-accelerated electron bunches has been characterized. Coherent transition radiation at THz frequencies, emitted at the plasma-vacuum boundary, was measured through electro-optic sampling. Frequencies up to the crystal detection limit of 4 THz were observed. Comparison between data and theory indicates that THz radiation from bunches with structure shorter than approximately = 50 fs (root-mean-square) is emitted. The measurement demonstrates both shot-to-shot stability of the laser-plasma accelerator and femtosecond synchronization between bunch and probe beam.     

激光等离子体光丝中太赫兹频谱的调控

研究了双色激光场激发空气成丝产生太赫兹辐射频谱的变化规律.实验观察到随驱动光功率和光丝长度增加,太赫兹光谱主要发生红移的现象.分析表明,由于等离子体密度的增加,太赫兹辐射的趋肤深度减小,等离子体吸收主导了红移的发生.在光丝足够短的条件下,趋肤深度远大于光丝长度,从而产生等离子体振荡主导的太赫兹辐射光谱蓝移.本研究为超快宽带太赫兹辐射的频谱调控提供了新思路.     

Zero-THz spectroscopy of rotator phases

The molecular dynamical evolution from hertzian frequencies to the far infrared (THz) is reported for various kinds of rotator phase environment. The zero to THz frequency spectral profiles are analysed in terms of itinerant libration and developments on this theme. The systems analysed are (i) the plastic rotator phase of t-butyl chloride and solid solutions of this solute in tetramethylsilane; (ii) these results are compared with those from a spectral study in the range up to THz frequencies of t-butyl chloride in vitreous decalin solvent; (iii) single crystalline pentachloronitrobenzene and a pressed disc thereof. This solid is representative of a class of rotator phases where orientational disorder is gradually frozen in at low temperatures, unlike the plastic rotators; (iv) solid solutions of dipolar solute molecules in non-dipolar rotator phase benzene and tetramethylsilane. This is an attempt at evaluating the electrodynamics of dipole-dipole interaction.

The data over the complete range of frequency is rationalized in terms of the itinerant libration mean square torque and theoretical evaluations of the observable sub-THz Debye relaxation times. This is the first attempt at modelling the molecular dynamics of the various kinds of rotator phases over the complete range of frequency at which the kinematics and electrodynamics of the constituent molecules are observable, either as the complex dielectric permittivity or the optical power absorption coefficient. This methodology is named zero-THz spectroscopy. Used properly, it is one of the most incisive methods available for studies of molecular dynamics.     

Dynamically tunable terahertz passband filter based on metamaterials integrated with a graphene middle layer

The dynamic tunability of a terahertz(THz) passband filter was realized by changing the Fermi energy(E_F) of graphene based on the sandwiched structure of metal-graphene-metal metamaterials(MGMs). By using plane wave simulation, we demonstrated that the central frequency( f_0) of the proposed filter can shift from 5.04 THz to 5.71 THz; this shift is accompanied by a 3 dB bandwidth(? f) decrease from 1.82 THz to 0.01 THz as the EFincreases from 0 to 0.75 eV.Additionally, in order to select a suitable control equation for the proposed filter, the curves of ? f and f_0 under different graphene EFwere fitted using five different mathematical models. The fitting results demonstrate that the Dose Resp model offers accurate predictions of the change in the 3 dB bandwidth, and the Quartic model can successfully describe the variation in the center frequency of the proposed filter. Moreover, the electric field and current density analyses show that the dynamic tuning property of the proposed filter is mainly caused by the competition of two coupling effects at different graphene EF, i.e., graphene-polyimide coupling and graphene-metal coupling. This study shows that the proposed structures are promising for realizing dynamically tunable filters in innovative THz communication systems.     

太赫兹电磁场照射下量子线中的纳米电子力

研究两端连接电子库的量子线在太赫兹(THz)电磁场横向辐射下的电子力学问题. 在自由电子近似下求得了弹道区二能级电子波函数解析表达式,发现电子概率在两个能态间随线轴坐标作Rabi振荡, 其幅度与外场强度和频率有关. 利用热力学统计算符方法并利用波函数计算出了传导电子对量子线中张力贡献的大小. 其计算结果可表示成与外场无关和与外场有关的两部分之和,前者与已有的实验观测和理论计算结果一致, 而与外场参量有关的部分可用量子相干理论解释. 关键词： 量子线 THz电磁场 纳米电子力     

Investigation of Ag2O Thermal Decomposition by Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy

Application of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy is demonstrated to study the process of Ag2O thermal decomposition. In the process of decomposition, the time-resolved signals are characterized by broad oscillations and decreased intensity, and Tttz pulse essentially contains two broad spectral components： one centered at around 0.35 THz and a band with a maximum at around 0.81 THz shift to 0.71 THz. Optical absorption spectra of different specimens are studied in the frequency range 0.3-1.4 THz and the data are analyzed by the relevant theory of the effective medium approach combined with the Drude-Lorentz model. The analysis suggests that optical properties stem from the Drude term for the metallic phase and the Lorentz term for the insulator phase in the complex system.     

宽频段太赫兹光谱技术的抗坏血酸和硫胺素研究

采用太赫兹时域光谱(THz-TDS)和傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR),测量了L-抗坏血酸与硫胺素在0.10~3.50 THz的光谱特性。给出了两种维生素的分子模型,详细分析比较了抗坏血酸与硫胺素在两种方法测量下吸收光谱的异同。结果表明：利用太赫兹时域光谱和傅里叶红外光谱测得的特征吸收谱在0.70~3.00 THz完全吻合,而在较低频段0.30~0.50 THz,两种样品的傅里叶红外光谱展现了太赫兹时域光谱所没有的特征峰,同时硫胺素样品在8.00~12.00 THz范围内,8.75,8.85,9.00,9.30和10.30 THz出现指纹峰;研究了样品掺杂不同比例聚乙烯粉末时THz吸收光谱的差异,抗坏血酸对太赫兹吸收较弱,总结了两种维生素的折射率曲线与其吸收峰的对应关系;结果对抗坏血酸和硫胺素的分析识别以及维生素太赫兹光谱数据库的建立具有重要参考意义。     

RNA碱基的太赫兹光谱和拉曼光谱特征研究

应用傅里叶红外光谱仪和激光拉曼光谱仪测试了RNA碱基在太赫兹波段(1～10 THz)的红外和拉曼光谱,同时结合Guassian09软件和周期性边界条件下基于能量的分块方法(PBC—GEBF),分析了RNA碱基晶体的红外和拉曼光谱特征,得到了所有特征峰位置及其对应的振动模式,且计算光谱与测试光谱一致吻合,表明碱基粉末样品为无定形晶体结构。通过对红外光谱的分析可知,在太赫兹波段,腺嘌呤和鸟嘌呤都有6个红外活性振动模式,胞嘧啶和尿嘧啶分别为6个和3个红外活性振动模式,与实验结果相比,除了鸟嘌呤6.35 THz处的弱吸收峰没能重现,4.83和5.39 THz处的吸收峰简并;胞嘧啶4.3和4.79 THz处吸收峰简并;尿嘧啶3.32和3.82 THz处的吸收峰简并外,其他吸收峰的位置和强度均被准确地模拟重现。通过对拉曼光谱的分析可知,理论和实验光谱基本一致,除了尿嘧啶3.52和4.48 THz处特征峰简并;鸟嘌呤7.26和8.03 THz,3.57,4.02,4.49,4.89和5.98 THz处特征峰简并外,其他特征峰的位置和强度均被准确的模拟重现。通过对特征峰的分析和辨认,可知在1～10 THz,RNA碱基的振动模式均来源于晶格内分子的集体振动,分子间的氢键和弱相互作用力对振动模式的贡献很大,进一步分析可知,在1～5.5 THz,其振动模式来自所有原子参与的集体振动,在5.5～10 THz,振动模式来自于部分原子参与的集体振动。此项研究对揭示RNA碱基在构成生物大分子结构、生物大分子鉴定以及太赫兹波段光谱的形成机制等方面,具有重要的理论和实际参考价值。     

太赫兹技术在农产品品质检测中的研究进展

农产品质量安全日益受到关注。由于传统检测方法存在耗时长、操作复杂、消耗大量溶剂、成本高等问题,因而迫切需要开发快速无损检测技术。在电磁波谱中位于微波和红外辐射之间的太赫兹波,因其所处波段的特殊性,使其具有了瞬态性、高穿透性、宽带性、相干性和低能性等一系列特性,太赫兹技术可以有效反映有机生物分子的结构和性质,作为物质“指纹”谱,该技术逐渐应用于有机生物分子的定性、定量分析,在近红外光谱、拉曼光谱、X射线等众多光谱类快速无损检测技术中成为一种极具竞争力的新兴检测技术。首先介绍了太赫兹波特点,太赫兹光谱及其成像技术原理;其次,在其基础上总结了太赫兹数据处理一般流程及其主要步骤中的常用分析方法,着重对定量、定性分析步骤中模型搭建方法、评估方法、评估指标进行了阐述;再次,讨论了近几年来太赫兹技术在农产品品质检测中的几个关键领域应用和研究进展,具体包括农药残留、抗生素、毒素等微量有害物质检测,掺假、转基因和外源异物的鉴别以及农产品内部营养成分含量预测等;最后,系统探讨了太赫兹技术在农产品品质检测领域尚需解决的问题,以此为导向总结需要进一步加强的研究方向,并对太赫兹技术在农产品品质领域未来发展作出展望。已有研究文献表明太赫兹技术在农产品品质检测领域的有效性。尤其,对非极性物质不敏感的特性,使其对已包装农产品的品质检测与评估具有得天独厚的优势。随着机器学习、强化学习等信息科学技术发展,一方面进一步加强太赫兹数据分析技术研究,通过数据自主学习,从数据角度揭示科学规律,构建精度更高、运算开销更小、实时性更强、泛化能力更好的分析模型;另一方面从分子振动理论出发,结合化学、物理学知识,研究太赫兹光谱特性的形成机理,并将获取的先验知识应用于分析模型的构建,通过数据与机理二者有机结合,提高太赫兹光谱分析软实力。未来硬件系统开发上以便携、低成本、灵敏度高为目标,最终实现太赫兹技术应用从实验室研究阶段逐渐走向商用工程化应用。     

Single-shot spatiotemporal measurements of high-field terahertz pulses

The electric field profiles of broad-bandwidth coherent terahertz (THz) pulses, emitted by laser-wakefield-accelerated electron bunches, are studied. The near-single-cycle THz pulses are measured with two single-shot techniques in the temporal and spatial domains. Spectra of 0-6 THz and peak fields up to approximately or = 0.4 MV cm(-1) are observed. The measured field substructure demonstrates the manifestation of spatiotemporal coupling at focus, which affects the interpretation of THz radiation as a bunch diagnostic and in high-field pump-probe experiments.     

Performance analysis of LDPC codes on OOK terahertz wireless channels

Atmospheric absorption, scattering, and scintillation are the major causes to deteriorate the transmission quality of terahertz(THz) wireless communications. An error control coding scheme based on low density parity check(LDPC) codes with soft decision decoding algorithm is proposed to improve the bit-error-rate(BER) performance of an on-off keying(OOK) modulated THz signal through atmospheric channel. The THz wave propagation characteristics and channel model in atmosphere is set up. Numerical simulations validate the great performance of LDPC codes against the atmospheric fading and demonstrate the huge potential in future ultra-high speed beyond Gbps THz communications.     

GaSe晶体的双光子吸收对太赫兹输出的影响

根据光整流效应,利用超快激光脉冲泵浦GaSe晶体实现了0.2~2.5 THz的宽带太赫兹辐射输出。禁带中的电子在两个800 nm光子的作用下激发到导带中形成自由载流子,进而吸收所产生的太赫兹辐射,最终导致太赫兹的输出随泵浦功率的增加而趋于饱和。为了研究双光子吸收对太赫兹输出的影响,测量了800 nm处的GaSe晶体的双光子吸收系数,结果为 0.165 cm/GW。通过对太赫兹输出实验数据的拟合,得到GaSe晶体中自由载流子对太赫兹输出的吸收截面为1×10^-15 cm²。本文的研究结果可用于优化GaSe晶体在强激光泵浦下的太赫兹转换效率。