Single-shot spatiotemporal terahertz field imaging

Using an optically chirped pulse in an electro-optic detection system, we image the spatiotemporal distribution of a terahertz (THz) pulse. We demonstrate single-shot THz field imaging of photoconductive emitters.     

电光双折射扫描滤波法提高啁啾脉冲对比度

提出了一种通过扫描滤波来提高啁啾脉冲对比度的方法,并分析了该方法的原理。与传统的非线性滤波技术不同,扫描滤波方法消除预脉冲时,选通原理是基于光的频率而不是强度。以电光双折射扫描滤波器为例,说明了扫描滤波法的具体应用。通过数值模拟及实验研究,发现电光双折射扫描滤波法可以有效地消除主脉冲以前几百ps的预脉冲,并且主脉冲同时还能保证较高的透过率。     

基于内置电光晶体F P标准具的扫描滤波方法

基于内置电光晶体的F-P标准具,利用F-P多光束干涉原理和晶体的线性电光效应,提出了一种能有效提高啁啾脉冲信噪比的扫描滤波方法。给出了电光晶体加载电压的时变函数表达式,分析了影响信噪比提升效果的主要因素,并重点讨论了电光晶体的电压控制参数对信噪比提升效果和滤波器透过率的影响。研究结果表明,利用该扫描滤波方法可将啁啾脉冲激光信噪比提升约2个量级。     

Terahertz polarization imaging

We present a new method to measure the polarization state of a terahertz pulse by using a modified electro-optic sampling setup. To illustrate the power of this method, we show two examples in which the knowledge of the polarization of the terahertz pulse is essential for interpreting the results: spectroscopy measurements on polystyrene foam and terahertz images of a plastic coin. Both measurements show a sample-induced rotation of the terahertz electric field vector, which is surprisingly large and is a strong function of frequency. A promising aspect of our setup is the possibility of simultaneously measuring both transversal electric field components.     

Index of refraction, optical activity and electro-optic coefficient of bismuth titanium oxide (Bi12TiO20)

12 TiO₂₀. The first two can be measured by simple and classical methods, but the coexistence of optical activity, electrogyration, field-induced linear birefringence, and piezoelectric and photoelastic effects in photorefractive materials such as Bi₁₂TiO₂₀ complicate the measurement of the electro-optic coefficient. For normal incidence of linearly polarized light we derive analytic expressions for the polarization of light that has passed through the crystal. The ellipticity of the polarization is a function of the electric-field-induced linear birefringence and hence of the electro-optic coefficient of the crystal. Therefore measurement of the ellipticity as a function of an electric field externally applied to the crystal leads to an electro-optic coefficient r₄₁ of 5.3±0.1 pm/V. Received: 22 December 1996/Revised version: 21 March 1997     

频率调制强吸收光谱中残余幅度调制的理论分析

由电光调制器(EOM)中双折射效应及线偏光不完全沿EOM调制方向诱发的残余幅度调制(RAM)使频率调制(FM)光谱技术在微量气体检测中的应用受到极大的限制。基于光场与晶体相互作用及光学干涉原理推导出存在RAM时FM光谱的线型表达式,确定出输入线偏光角度、EOM中双折射效应、FM系数等是影响线型的主要因素,且当入射EOM光的偏振角度偏离调制方向越大,双折射效应引起的特征偏振方向相位差越大,线型扭曲越严重;同时在FM色散光谱中存在一个受两者影响的直流偏置;最后给出通过伺服控制这两过程可以达到抑制RAM的目的。这些现象及线型的分析将为基于光纤器件的FM光谱提供必要的理论支持。     

利用Mach-Zehnder干涉仪提升啁啾脉冲信噪比

基于内置电光晶体的Mach-Zehnder干涉仪,利用Mach-Zehnder干涉仪双光束干涉原理和晶体的线性电光效应,提出了一种新的能有效提高啁啾脉冲信噪比的扫描滤波方法。定量分析了其扫描滤波谱特性,探讨了预脉冲噪声延时对信噪比提升效果的影响,并讨论了电光晶体的电压控制参数对信噪比提升效果的影响。研究结果表明:预脉冲噪声的延时和控制电压的变化会对滤波效果产生较大影响,利用该扫描滤波方法可将啁啾脉冲激光信噪比提升约2个量级,且信号光透过率高达95%以上。     

电光聚合物在全光技术实现THz波产生与检测中的研究进展

研究和开发基于超短波和低能量激光系统的高振幅、宽频带的太赫兹系统一直是太赫兹应用领域的一个热点。与传统电光晶体材料相比,以电光聚合物薄膜作为太赫兹波产生和检测的最大的优势在于： 一方面电光聚合物不具有晶格结构相应的不存在声子的吸收和太赫兹折射率的散射问题,避免光谱间隙的产生;另一方面电光聚合物薄膜与已用于宽频太赫兹系统中的超薄电光晶体材料相比,更易于加工和处理。另外,可以自行设计得到低相位失配和高电光系数的电光聚合物材料,得到高效率和宽频带的太赫兹辐射源。可以预见,电光聚合物在这一领域的应用必将有宽阔的发展空间和学术研究意义。介绍电光聚合物的电光效应及二阶非线性生色团合成等相关理论问题基础上,综述了近二十多年来,电光聚合物在基于全光技术实现太赫兹波产生与检测系统中的研究进展,主要包括: 掺钛蓝宝石飞秒激光激发下,共聚型和主客体型电光聚合物实现太赫兹波产生与检测;光纤飞秒激光激发下,主客体型电光聚合物实现太赫兹波的产生与检测。     

Laser pulse spectral shaping based on electro-optic modulation

A new spectrum shaping method, based on electro-optic modulation, to alleviate gain narrowing in chirped pulse amplification （CPA） system, is described and numerically simulated. Near-Fourier transform-limited seed laser pulse is chirped linearly through optical stretcher. Then the chirped laser pulse is coupled into integrated waveguide electro-optic modulator driven by an aperture-coupled-stripline （ACSL） electricalwaveform generator, and the pulse shape and amplitude are shaped in time domain. Because of the direct relationship between frequency interval and time interval of the linearly chirped pulse, the laser pulse spectrum is shaped correspondingly. Spectrum-shaping examples are modeled numerically to determine the spectral resolution of this technique. The phase error introduced in this method is also discussed.     

不同中心波长飞秒脉冲激发InAs表面辐射太赫兹波的机理研究

研究了p型(100)InAs在不同中心波长飞秒激发光(750—850nm)作用下的太赫兹(THz)波辐射特性.这种太赫兹辐射的光谱性质与光学Dember效应密切相关,飞秒脉冲激发下产生的载流子在InAs表面的Dember场内做加速运动,从而辐射出THz电磁波.实验结果表明：不同中心波长的激发光作用下,InAs表面产生的Dember电场、光生载流子浓度、谷间散射效应以及处于不同状态的载流子数目都发生了变化,因而激发出太赫兹波的功率、振幅、频谱分布和有效谱宽是不同的.这项研究将有利于THz时域光谱技术以及实验     

不同中心波长飞秒脉冲激发InAs表面辐射太赫兹波的机理研究

研究了p型(100)InAs在不同中心波长飞秒激发光(750—850nm)作用下的太赫兹(THz)波辐射特性.这种太赫兹辐射的光谱性质与光学Dember效应密切相关，飞秒脉冲激发下产生的载流子在InAs表面的Dember场内做加速运动，从而辐射出THz电磁波.实验结果表明：不同中心波长的激发光作用下，InAs表面产生的Dember电场、光生载流子浓度、谷间散射效应以及处于不同状态的载流子数目都发生了变化，因而激发出太赫兹波的功率、振幅、频谱分布和有效谱宽是不同的.这项研究将有利于THz时域光谱技术以及实验     

偏振方向对THz电光探测影响的理论研究

采用线性电光效应耦合波理论，系统地研究了用无中心反演对称性的立方晶系晶体作为探测晶体时，terahertz(THz)辐射信号和探测光的偏振方向对电光探测的影响. 研究结果发现，THz辐射和探测光的偏振方向都对电光探测影响很大，沿(110)方向传播时可以获得最大的探测灵敏度，最适合THz的横场探测. 计算研究的部分结果与已有的实验结果相一致，可为电光探测器的设计提供有用的指导. 关键词： 电光探测 THz辐射 偏振 线性电光效应耦合波理论     

Wide angular range operation of a dielectric multilayer film with a photonic-crystal-type defect

Light can tunnel through a high-reflectivity dielectric multilayer film when a photonic-crystal-type defect is introduced in the structure, which is useful for optical signal processing. We consider chirped structures with a defect in layer thickness for which high reflectivity is achieved over a broad wavelength range except within a narrow spectral window. The useful transmission window, while it shifts toward shorter wavelengths as the angle of incidence of the light beam is increased, does not, in general, survive; i.e., transmission disappears progressively. We show that wide angular range operation can, however, be achieved by a proper design of the chirped structure. Analytical expressions for the design parameters are derived on the basis of a semi-infinite photonic crystal model. Theoretical reflectance spectra of defect SiO2/TiO2 chirped multilayer films are presented and discussed in terms of the dispersion of the electromagnetic radiation modes of the finite photonic crystal. These devices offer a simple way to mechanically tune (through inclination of the film) the wavelength transmitted from a fixed white-light beam.     

一种8行任意扫描的电光扫瞄器

 针对激光的快速智能扫描,综合利用晶体的双折射效应和电光效应,提出一种电控集成8行任意扫瞄的高速光扫描方案。主要由三级数字电光偏转器和8×1的周期性极化电光棱镜组构成,其中3个电光快门和3块双折射晶体构成三级数字偏转器,通过半波电压的控制实现行位置的转换,一定数目的周期性极化电光棱镜级联组成单行偏转器,通过控制电压进行单行扫描,根据电场施加方式可实现数字型或者连续型扫描。利用梯形结构的电光棱镜组设计了最大电压为5.822 kV时,扫描视场为17.256°的可通过联机控制进行任意行扫描的高速激光扫描器。     

Single-shot electron-beam bunch length measurements

We report subpicosecond electro-optic measurements of the length of individual relativistic electron bunches. The longitudinal electron-bunch shape is encoded electro-optically on to the spectrum of a chirped laser pulse. The electron-bunch length is determined by analyzing individual laser-pulse spectra obtained with and without the presence of an electron bunch. Since the length of the chirped laser pulse can be easily changed, the electron bunch can be visualized on different time scales. This single-shot imaging technique is a promising method for real-time electron-bunch diagnostics.     

Detection of the spatiotemporal field of a single-shot terahertz pulse based on spectral holography

According to electro-optical sampling theory, we propose a new method to detect the spatiotemporal field of a single- shot terahertz pulse by spectral holography for the first time. The single-shot terahertz pulse is coupled into a broadened chirped femtosecond pulse according to electro-optical sampling theory in the detecting system. Then the reference wave and the signal wave are split by Dammann grating and spread into the interference band-pass filter. The filtered sub-waves are at different central-frequencies because of the different incident angles. These sub-waves at different central-frequencies interfere to form sub-holograms, which are recorded in a single frame of a charge coupled device （CCD）. The sub-holograms are numerically processed, and the spatiotemporal field distribution of the original terahertz pulse is reconstructed. The computer simulations verify the feasibility of the proposed method.     

Influence of the chirp on the intensity distributions of an apertured pulse

Starting from the Huygens–Fresnel diffraction integral and the Fourier transform, the propagation expression of a chirped pulse passing through a hard-edged aperture is derived. Using the obtained expression, the intensity distributions of the pulse with different chirp in the near and far fields are analyzed in detail. Due to the modulation of the aperture, many intensity peaks emerge in the intensity distributions of the chirped pulse in the near field. However, the amplitudes of the intensity peaks decrease on increasing the chirp, which results in the smoothing effect in the intensity distributions. The beam smoothing brought by increasing the chirp is explained physically. Also, it is found that the radius of the intensity distribution of the chirped pulse decreases when the chirp increases in the far field.     

Study of the surface and far fields of terahertz radiation generated by large-aperture photoconductive antennas

We have studied analytically the temporal characteristics of terahertz radiation emitted from a biased largeaperture photoconductive antenna triggered by an ultrashort optical pulse. We have included the effects of the finite lifetime and transient mobility dynamics of photogenerated carriers in the analysis. Succinct explicit expressions are obtained for the emitted radiation in the surface field and in the far field. The dependence of the waveforms of the radiated field on the fluence and duration of triggering optical pulse, carrier relaxation time and carrier lifetime are discussed in detail using the obtained expressions.     

The generation of terahertz radiation via optical rectification in the self-induced transparency regime

The possibility of efficient terahertz generation via optical rectification in electro-optic crystal doped with the two-level resonant impurities is demonstrated. Under conditions of the self-induced transparency regime the laser pulses slows down to achieve the phase matching condition. The terahertz generation is accompanied by periodic modulation and spectral deformation of the laser pulse. The most efficient generation occurs under condition of small negative detuning from the resonant frequency of the two-level system.