Abstract
With growing interest in exploring fundamental phenomena at terahertz (THz) frequencies, the need for controlling the polarization state of THz radiation is indispensable. However, simple optical elements, such as waveplates that allow creating circularly-polarized THz radiation, are scarce. Here, we present THz quarter-wave plates (QWPs) made out of (110)-cut and (001)-cut DyScO3 (DSO) crystals. We examine the complex refractive indices along the in-plane axes and map the birefringence of both DSO crystals. Further, we demonstrate that both 50-μm-thick (110)-cut DSO and 370-μm-thick (001)-cut DSO crystals behave like a QWP over a broad frequency range of 0.50–0.70 THz and 0.50–0.61 THz, respectively, with a phase tolerance of ±3%.
Highlights
THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) has been used to investigate soft vibrational modes in thin ferroelectric SrTiO319 and PbTiO320 films, and the non-Fermiliquid behavior in thin films of heavy-fermion material, YbRh2Si2.21 While these investigations can be performed using linearly-polarized (LP) THz light, there are certain phenomena where the helicity inherent for circularly-polarized (CP) THz light is indispensable, such as in measuring circular dichroism,22 the quasi-particle Hall-effect in superconductors,23 ionization of Rydberg atoms,24 generation of nanoscopic toroidal moments,25 etc
We demonstrate that both 50-lm-thick (110)-cut DSO and 370-lm-thick (001)-cut DSO crystals behave like a quarter-wave plates (QWPs) over a broad frequency range of 0.50–0.70 THz and 0.50–0.61 THz, respectively, with a phase tolerance of 63%
Quarter-wave plates (QWPs) for generating CP THz light can be designed in different ways, such as form birefringence, liquid crystals, and the intrinsic crystal anisotropy
Summary
THz-TDS has been used to investigate soft vibrational modes in thin ferroelectric SrTiO319 and PbTiO320 films, and the non-Fermiliquid behavior in thin films of heavy-fermion material, YbRh2Si2.21 While these investigations can be performed using linearly-polarized (LP) THz light, there are certain phenomena where the helicity inherent for circularly-polarized (CP) THz light is indispensable, such as in measuring circular dichroism,22 the quasi-particle Hall-effect in superconductors,23 ionization of Rydberg atoms,24 generation of nanoscopic toroidal moments,25 etc. We demonstrate that both 50-lm-thick (110)-cut DSO and 370-lm-thick (001)-cut DSO crystals behave like a QWP over a broad frequency range of 0.50–0.70 THz and 0.50–0.61 THz, respectively, with a phase tolerance of 63%.
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