Dependence of THz Time-Domain Spectroscopy on the Crystal Thickness and Optical Width in Electro-Optic Sampling

The processes of electro-optical (EO) sampling of terahertz (THz) pulse were studied theoretically by considering the finite optical probe width and the double-sampling within the same THz pulse. The dependence of THz time-domain waveforms on the crystal thickness and optical width in EO sampling was revealed. Furthermore, the optimal thickness was analyzed, which shows whether or not an antireflection film coated for the optical probe beam is needed.     

Study of broadband THz time-domain spectroscopy at different relative humidity levels

Two detection techniques of broadband terahertz(THz)time-domain spectroscopy-THz air-biased coherent detection(THz-ABCD;from 0.3 to 14 THz)and electro-optical(EO)detection(from 0.3 to 7 THz)-are both performed at several different relative humidity levels.The THz power exponentially decays with the increase in relative humidity.The dynamic range of the main pulse in the time domain linearly decreases as the relative humidity increases from 0%to 40%,and linear fittings show that the slopes are-0.017 and-0.019 for THz-ABCD and EO detection,respectively.Because of the multiple reflections caused by the crystal in the common EO detection,THz-ABCD has better spectral resolution(17 GHz)than that of EO detection(170 GHz).The spectrum of water vapor absorption measured by THz-ABCD is also compared with that measured by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR).     

Single-shot measurement of terahertz electromagnetic pulses by use of electro-optic sampling

We demonstrate a simple scheme for capturing the temporal waveforms of a freely propagating terahertz electromagnetic transient in a single shot. The method relies on electro-optic sampling in a noncollinear geometry for the terahertz radiation and the visible probe beam, coupled with multichannel detection. The approach provides time resolution that is comparable to that of conventional electro-optic sampling measurements.     

Approach to broadband terahertz pulse field detection and recovery with electro-optic sampling measurement

Electro-optic sampling (EOS) measurement of terahertz (THz) pulses inherently leads to distortions, especially for relatively broadband THz pulses. In this paper, we proposed an approach to broadband THz pulse field detection and recovery with EOS measurement. In our approach, we use an EOS measurement utilizing a thick GaP crystal, which has a high transverse optical phonon frequency, to reduce the distortions caused by dispersive propagation, interface reflection and Fabry-Perot effect (multiple reflections within an EO crystal). And a retrieval algorithm is designed to eliminate the distortion of broadband THz pluses after passing through the thick GaP crystal (The distortion in a thick GaP crystal is mainly attributed to phase mismatching between the THz pulse and the sampling laser pulse.), in which preconditioned conjugated gradient method is used.     

太赫兹波光谱特性分析

目前太赫兹技术的研究主要集中在它的产生、探测机理研究上。由于太赫兹波处于微波和可见光之间的频率范围,已有的微波和光波理论是否能适用于太赫兹波或者具有某些共同的特性仍需实验验证。通过实验分析验证了太赫兹波在空气介质中在垂直于传播方向的平面内场振幅是服从高斯函数分布的,测量给出了太赫兹波的能量分布图。根据测试数据推导出太赫兹波在空气介质中能量衰减公式,利用法布里-珀罗(F-P)干涉仪原理设计出太赫兹波长仪,对美国Corehent公司SIFIR-50THz太赫兹激光器发射的1～3THz波长进行了测量。讨论分析了远场发射角、光束入射角度、机械振动、温度波动和折射率n波动等相关因素对测量精度的影响。     

锥形太赫兹量子级联激光器输出功率与光束特性研究

针对锥形太赫兹量子级联激光器, 利用有限差分波束传播法和速率方程法, 建立了准三维的太赫兹有源器件仿真模型, 能够对具有轴向非线性波导结构的激光器进行模拟. 利用此模型, 研究了锥角大小对激光器输出光功率及光束质量的影响. 仿真结果表明, 考虑到器件之间的光耦合效率, 为了达到最大的有效输出光功率, 锥形太赫兹量子级联激光器的锥角存在一个最优值.     

基于量子限制的受主带间跃迁太赫兹探测器的制备与测量

使用分子束外延生长设备,在GaAs（100）衬底上生长了量子阱宽度为3 nm的GaAs/AlAs多量子阱样品,并在量子阱层中央进行了Be受主的δ-掺杂。根据量子限制受主从束缚态到非束缚态之间的跃迁,设计并制备了δ-掺杂Be受主GaAs/AlAs多量子阱太赫兹光探测器原型器件。在4.2 K温度下,分别对器件进行了太赫兹光电流谱和暗电流-电压曲线的测量。在6 V直流偏压下,空穴载流子沿量子阱层方向输运。当正入射激光频率为6.8 THz时,器件响应率为2×10^-4 V/W（2 μA/W）。通过器件的暗电流-电压曲线计算了器件全散粒噪声电流,在4.2 K、6 V直流偏压下,全散粒噪声电流为5.03 fA·Hz^-1/2。     

利用共振无源腔分析和抑制飞秒脉冲激光噪声的理论和实验研究

理论分析了共振无源腔对飞秒脉冲激光的强度和相位噪声的转化模型,分析表明,通过测量无源腔透射场或者反射场相对于输入场强度噪声的变化,可以间接得到输入场飞秒脉冲激光的相位噪声.在此基础上设计了精细度约为1500、自由光谱区为75 MHz的八镜环形共振无源腔,并测量了钛宝石锁模激光经过该共振无源腔后透射场和反射场强度噪声的变化.实验观察到,飞秒脉冲激光经过无源腔透射后,强度噪声特性得到较好改善,在探测频率2 MHz附近达到散粒噪声极限.同时,结合共振无源腔对激光强度和相位噪声的转化模型,间接给出了钛宝石锁模激光的相位噪声及无源腔对相位噪声的有效抑制作用.     

200mJ光泵浦氨气太赫兹激光器北大核心CSCD

利用光栅选支调谐的TEA CO2激光器作为泵浦源设计了高能量脉冲光泵浦太赫兹激光器。太赫兹激光谐振腔由2m长的石英玻璃管、GaAs泵浦光输入窗和SiO2太赫兹光输出窗组成,氨气充入谐振腔内作为增益介质。太赫兹激光的波长由自主设计的金属线栅F-P干涉仪测量。实验中在多个波长处都获得了强烈的太赫兹光输出,其中151.5μm太赫兹光的输出脉冲能量高达204mJ,对应的泵浦光能量为32J。最后,还给出了利用151.5μm太赫兹光进行透视成像的实验结果。     

基于液晶空间光调制器的太赫兹波频谱调制

频谱可调制的太赫兹波具有广泛的应用价值。利用一台纯相位式的液晶空间光调制器对飞秒激光脉冲进行空间整形,通过改变飞秒激光脉冲的横向空间分布,实现太赫兹波频谱的调制。在实验中,利用光泵浦整流方式产生太赫兹波,并利用太赫兹时域光谱系统对太赫兹信号进行探测。通过GS算法在液晶空间光调制器上加载不同的相位图,获得了不同的飞秒激光脉冲横向空间分布。通过改变探测距离和飞秒脉冲的空间分布参数,实现了太赫兹波频谱的调制。还利用菲涅尔衍射算法对这一过程进行了理论模拟,理论模拟结果与实验结果吻合的较好,这充分说明了基于飞秒脉冲空间整形的太赫兹光谱调制技术的可行性。     

太赫兹微弱信号检测系统噪声处理方法研究

为了能够量化物体太赫兹辐射的大小,对黑体辐射中的太赫兹信号进行测量,使测量系统处于真空状态下,并且使用液氮制冷来屏蔽外界杂散辐射。黑体辐射的太赫兹信号由卡塞格林系统聚焦于探测器上。探测器的输出信号用锁相放大器进一步处理,并观察不同时间常数下锁相放大器的输出信号。实验结果表明:当黑体温度为323 k时,实验装置使用液氮制冷前后的测量结果有所不同,前后相差约3 v左右。时间常数对输出结果影响也很大,实验使用3 s比较合适。由于噪声来源复杂、噪声水平很高,黑体在太赫兹波段辐射能量极为微弱,所以系统对温度分辨率要求不是很高。     

Diode laser noise-spectroscopy of low-frequency atomic fluctuations in rubidium vapor

We have observed resonant features in the spectrum of the fluctuations of a linearly polarized diode laser beam transmitted through a rubidium vapor cell, corresponding to the evolution of the atomic spin in the presence of a constant magnetic field. The observed resonances occur at a noise frequency corresponding to twice the Larmor frequency of ground state rubidium atoms and are due to two-photon Raman processes involving the carrier frequency and the noise sideband. We observed noise resonances for frequencies of the order of one MHz via heterodyne detection. Due to nonlinear Faraday rotation, we detected emitted light with polarization orthogonal to the incident field. The influence of the laser light fluctuations on the transmitted light noise spectrum was investigated by using two diode laser sources with different spectral bandwidths. The observed features are in qualitative agreement with a semiclassical theoretical model that treats laser fluctuations up to first order.     

Tailored terahertz pulses from a laser-modulated electron beam

We present a new method to generate steady and tunable, coherent, broadband terahertz radiation from a relativistic electron beam modulated by a femtosecond laser. We have demonstrated this in the electron storage ring at the Advanced Light Source. Interaction of an electron beam with a femtosecond laser pulse copropagating through a wiggler modulates the electron energies within a short slice of the electron bunch with about the same duration of the laser pulse. The bunch develops a longitudinal density perturbation due to the dispersion of electron trajectories, and the resulting hole emits short pulses of temporally and spatially coherent terahertz pulses synchronized to the laser. We present measurements of the intensity and spectra of these pulses. This technique allows tremendous flexibility in shaping the terahertz pulse by appropriate modulation of the laser pulse.     

高功率脉冲激光的远场能量密度分布测试方法研究

在分析现有的激光远场能量密度分布测试方法的基础上提出了一种新的测试方法.采用激光束照射漫反射靶,CCD相机对靶上激光光斑成像并在靶面上布置能量计探头以获取能量抽样绝对值的方法进行激光束远场大气传输后空域分布测试.从基本组成、测试原理、试验结果等方面对新测试方法进行了分析研究,并通过采用532nm脉冲激光照射1Km外的漫反射靶的实验对新测试方法进行了可行性验证,获得了远场激光光斑的图像和能量抽样值.     

Laser seeding of the storage-ring microbunching instability for high-power coherent terahertz radiation

We report the first observation of laser seeding of the storage-ring microbunching instability. Above a threshold bunch current, the interaction of the beam and its radiation results in a coherent instability, observed as a series of stochastic bursts of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) at terahertz frequencies initiated by fluctuations in the beam density. We have observed that this effect can be seeded by imprinting an initial density modulation on the beam by means of laser "slicing." In such a situation, most of the bursts of CSR become synchronous with the pulses of the modulating laser and their average intensity scales exponentially with the current per bunch. We present detailed experimental observations of the seeding effect and a model of the phenomenon. This seeding mechanism also creates potential applications as a high-power source of CSR at terahertz frequencies.     

Off-axis metallic diffractive lens for terahertz beams

A diffractive optical element for off-axis focusing of terahertz radiation is presented. It was designed in a nonparaxial regime and manufactured in a metal slab by laser cutting of curved stripes. The optical function of the structure includes focusing and deflecting the illuminating beam of a chosen frequency in a particular place. Therefore, the element acts as both a spatial and a spectral filter; hence it is especially suitable for separating the terahertz signal from a broadband thermal load in passive detection devices. The experimental evaluation of the proposed diffractive lens by means of time-domain spectroscopy is presented and discussed.     

低分析频率压缩光的实验制备

基于PPKTP晶体的阈值以下光学参量振荡(OPO)过程,制备了共振于铷原子D1线795 nm的压缩真空态光场,研究了分析频率处于千赫兹范围的主要噪声来源,特别是795 nm激光及其二次谐波397.5 nm激光在晶体内吸收引起的非线性损耗增加和系统热不稳定的问题(397.5 nm激光处于PPKTP晶体透光范围边缘,具有高于其他波长数倍的吸收系数).以795 nm和1064 nm为例,分析了非线性损耗及晶体内热效应对压缩度的影响.受限于以上因素,795 nm压缩光很难得到1064 nm波段同样的压缩度.探测系统中的噪声耦合则限制了压缩频带.实验上对分析频率为千赫兹的经典噪声进行了有效控制,通过使用真空注入的OPO、垂直偏振及反向传输的腔长锁定光、低噪声的平衡零拍探测器、高稳定度的实验系统及量子噪声锁定等方法,最终在2.6—100 kHz的分析频段得到了约2.8 dB的795 nm压缩真空.该压缩光可用作磁场测量系统的探测光以提高测量灵敏度.     

基于太赫兹光谱的植物生长调节剂检测技术研究

应用太赫兹时域光谱技术获取了赤霉素、氯吡脲和噻苯隆的太赫兹时域谱图和参考信号的时域谱图,并计算获得了折射率谱和吸收谱。实验结果显示,这三种植物生长调节剂在太赫兹波段内有着明显的特征吸收峰。而后基于最小二乘支持向量机对十九种不同物质的太赫兹时域吸收光谱进行了分类检测,并采用遗传算法和粒子群寻优算法对其进行了优化,最后通过添加噪声测试了模型的鲁棒性。该研究验证了太赫兹时域光谱技术用于药物成分检测的可行性,为植物生长调节剂的检测和鉴别提供了新的实验方法。     

Statistical properties of laser-induced fluorescence signals

We point out the influence of the different noise sources which occur in the detection of the fluorescence signal induced by a laser in an atomic beam. We have developed a theoretical model which takes account of the atomic shot noise, photon noise, laser-frequency noise and a partition noise linked to the imperfect detection of the fluorescence photons. The calculations have been performed for two- and three-level atomic systems. We detail the own contribution of each noise source and give some predictions concerning the value of the fluorescence signal to noise ratio. We determine predominance domains of each noise source which depend on the values of key parameters such as the atomic flux intensity and the laser spectral linewidth. We particularly show that the laser-frequency noise, which induces a coupling between the emission of fluorescence photons by various atoms, leads to a saturation of the S/N ratio for intense atomic fluxes. Moreover, we point out that the optical pumping process associated with a three level atomic system leads to an interesting laser-noise filtering effect.     

Theoretical analysis of suppressing Dick effect in Ramsey-CPT atomic clock by interleaving lock

For most pulsed atomic clocks, the Dick effect is one of the main limits to reach its frequency stability limitation due to quantum projection noise. In this paper, we measure the phase noise of the local oscillator in the Ramsey-CPT atomic clock and calculate the Dick effect induced Allan deviation based on a three-level atomic model, which is quite different from typical atomic clocks. We further present a detailed analysis of optimizing the sensitivity function and minimizing the Dick effect by interleaving lock. By optimizing the duty circle of laser pulses, average time during detection and optical intensity of laser beam, the Dick effect induced Allan deviation can be reduced to the level of 10~(-14).