Terahertz Generation Efficiency Research Articles

Easily variable and scalable terahertz pulse source based on tilted-pulse-front pumped semiconductors

A new type of terahertz source containing only two optical elements - a volume phase holographic grating, and a semiconductor nonlinear slab - is proposed. The setup does not require any microstructuring, has only one diffraction order, and can be scaled to large pump sizes without any principal limitations. Furthermore, it can be easily adapted to different pump wavelengths and THz phase-matching frequencies. The Fresnel loss at the boundary of the materials can be significant at conventional pump polarizations (s-pol), but a single-layer anti-reflection (AR) coating can reduce it. Pumping such a setup with polarization in the dispersion plane (p-pol, TM mode) can reduce the effective nonlinear polarization and consequently the terahertz generation efficiency. However, in the absence of AR coating, this reduction is overcompensated by the reduced Fresnel loss.

Intense THz Generation with New Organic NLO Crystal NMBA

AbstractLarge crystal growth and characterization of the optical and terahertz (THz) properties of organic nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal NMBA (4‐Nitro‐4′‐methylbenzylidene aniline) is presented. The reported method of crystal growth consistently produces high‐quality single crystals. The THz generation efficiency and optical properties of NMBA to other THz generation crystals including BNA and MNA are compared. The low THz absorptions that make NMBA an ideal source for THz time‐domain spectroscopy are highlighted.

THz Generation via Optical Rectification in Nanomaterials: Universal Modeling Approach and Effective χ¯¯(2)$\bar{\bar{\chi }}^{(2)}$ Description

AbstractOptical 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.

High-field THz source centered at 2.6 THz.

We demonstrate a table-top high-field terahertz (THz) source based on optical rectification of a collimated near-infrared pulse in gallium phosphide (GaP) to produce peak fields above 300 kV/cm with a spectrum centered at 2.6 THz. The experimental configuration, based on tilted-pulse-front phase matching, is implemented with a phase grating etched directly onto the front surface of the GaP crystal. Although the THz generation efficiency starts showing a saturation onset as the near-infrared pulse energy reaches 0.57 mJ, we can expect our configuration to yield THz peak fields up to 866 kV/cm when a 5 mJ generation NIR pulse is used. This work paves the way towards broadband, high-field THz sources able to access a new class of THz coherent control and nonlinear phenomena driven at frequencies above 2 THz.

Demonstration of an imaging-free terahertz generation setup using segmented tilted-pulse-front excitation.

A novel, to the best of our knowledge, compact, imaging-free, tilted-pulse-front (TPF) pumped terahertz (THz) source based on a LiNbO3 slab with a small wedge angle (< 8°) and with an echelon microstructure on its input surface has been demonstrated. Single-cycle pulses of more than 40-µJ energy and 0.28-THz central frequency have been generated by 100-mJ, 400-fs pump pulses with 4.1 × 10-4 efficiency and excellent focusability. The peak electric field value focused by a single parabolic mirror was 540 kV/cm. Using 200-fs-long pump pulses, the efficiency increased to 1.0 × 10-3, which is in qualitative agreement with the measured increased diffraction efficiency in the velocity matched diffraction order. A further ∼8x increase in efficiency is expected by pumping a cryogenically cooled wedged echelon with appropriate step sizes, better microstructured surface quality, and antireflection coating on both the input and the output sides. THz generation efficiency maxima were found at ∼2.7-mm crystal thickness for both pump pulse durations. The focused THz beam was diffraction limited within 5% accuracy. Compared to conventional THz sources, this setup is very compact, easy to align, can be pumped by larger beam sizes maintaining the high THz generation efficiency, and produces THz pulses with superior focusability.

Generation of terahertz radiation by a Hermite–Gaussian laser beam inside magnetoplasma with a density ramp

In the present scheme of work, the Hermite–Gaussian (HG) laser beam dynamics has been investigated under the influence of an upward density ramp inside magnetized plasma, where both relativistic and ponderomotive nonlinearities are operative. One can achieve self-focusing of laser beam due to the change in the medium's dielectric function, which comes into operation due to the expulsion of plasma electrons from the high intensity to the low-intensity region by ponderomotive force and their motion at relativistic speeds. The dynamics of the laser beam and terahertz generation have been investigated by using the moment theory approach. It has been observed from the present analysis that the dynamics of the laser beam and the production of terahertz radiations strongly depends upon the HG laser beam and plasma parameters. In addition to this, the effect of density ramp and magnetic field has also been investigated on the efficiency of terahertz generation. It has been observed that higher-order modes of the HG laser beam play a dominant role in the production of terahertz radiations.

Generation of High-Power Terahertz Waves in a Collisional and Magnetized Plasma by Two-Color Femtosecond Laser Beams

Terahertz (THz) radiation generation based on a nonlinear induced electron current density in the interaction of two-color femtosecond laser beams with collisional and magnetized plasma is investigated. The nonlinear electron current density that is responsible for THz radiation includes a share from nonlinear ponderomotive force and a part from relativistic term. In this work, relativistic effects along with the effects of variation of interacting plasma density, external magnetic field, and electron collision frequency on THz wave generation have been considered. The reduction of electron collision frequency along with rising in the magnitude of the external magnetic field generates more power without any deformation of radiation patterns. The angular distribution showing the radiation pattern of THz radiation in the forward direction is obtained and the effect of laser pulse second harmonic and variation of electric field on the directivity of generated waves is examined. The change in two-color laser beam intensities both in relativistic and nonrelativistic regimes leads to the generation of THz wave electric fields with different orders of magnitude. The numerical analysis indicated that the utilization of laser pulse second harmonic in a two-color scheme enhances the THz electric field leading to more intense radiation compared to single-color mechanism. The model also shows the effect of external magnetic field and electron collision frequency on the radiation efficiency of THz generation for linear and circular polarizations of two-color laser pulses.

Investigation of terahertz pulse generation in semiconductors pumped at long infrared wavelengths

We present designs of semiconductor contact grating high energy terahertz pulse sources pumped by femtosecond pulses in the 1 to 5 µm wavelength range. Nearly wavelength-independent diffraction efficiencies as high as 69% and 75% in the ± 1 st diffraction orders in the transverse electric field polarization state were predicted in GaAs and GaP, respectively, based on a rectangular grating. Numerical simulations—including, for the first time, to our knowledge, the effects of both a nonlinear refractive index and free carrier absorption—were performed to investigate the possible advantage of using longer pumping wavelengths to suppress the two- to seven-photon absorption. Conversion efficiency larger than 1.0% is predicted for both crystals. We also recognized that the nonlinear refractive index and the wavelength-dependent optical parametric amplifier efficiency can significantly reduce the overall terahertz generation efficiency; thus, optimum pump wavelengths exist for the highest conversion efficiency, which are 2 and 3 µ m for GaP and GaAs, respectively.

Терагерцевая генерация в эпитаксиальных пленках InAs

We present the results of terahertz generation studies under excitation via femtosecond lasers pulses epitaxial films of InAs, which were synthesized on semi-insulating and highly doped GaAs substrates. It is shown that a terahertz emitter based on epitaxial InAs film grown on a heavily doped GaAs n-type substrate, has the same terahertz generation efficiency as the InAs-film emitter grown on a semi-isolating GaAs substrate, but it has a significantly better spectral resolution, which is mainly determined by the parameters of the optical delay line and the femtosecond laser’s stability.

Terahertz generation in InAs epitaxial films

We present the results of terahertz generation studies under excitation via femtosecond lasers pulses epitaxial films of InAs, which were synthesized on semi-insulating and highly doped GaAs substrates. It is shown that a terahertz emitter based on epitaxial InAs film grown on a heavily doped GaAs n-type substrate, has the same terahertz generation efficiency as the InAs-film emitter grown on a semi-isolating GaAs substrate, but it has a significantly better spectral resolution, which is mainly determined by the parameters of the optical delay line and the femtosecond laser's stability. Keywords: coherent terahertz emitter, InAs epitaxial film, molecular beam epitaxy

Increasing the Efficiency of a Spintronic THz Emitter Based on WSe2/FeCo.

We report an increase in terahertz (THz) radiation efficiency due to FeCo/WSe2 structures in the reflection geometry. This can be attributed to an absorption increase in the alloy FeCo layer at the input FeCo/WSe2 interface due to constructive interference, as well as to the backward transport of hot carriers from FeCo to WSe2. In contrast to the transmission geometry, the THz generation efficiency in the reflection is much less dependent on the magnetic layer thickness. Our results suggest a cheap and efficient way to improve the characteristics of THz spintronic emitters with the conservation of a full set of their important properties.

Enhanced Transmission from Visible to Terahertz in ZnTe Crystals with Scalable Subwavelength Structures.

The zinc blend nonlinear crystal of zinc telluride (ZnTe) is currently one of the most commonly used electro-optical material for terahertz (THz) probe and imaging. We report herein how to engineer the surface behavior of a ZnTe single crystal to design subwavelength structures (SWSs) for enhancing ultrabroadband transmission. Polystyrene (PS) nanoparticle monolayers with a maximum coverage of 85.2% were produced on the ZnTe crystal by an eccentric spin-coating technique combined with surface wettability engineering. Subsequently, the well-defined conical SWS arrays were fabricated on the ZnTe crystal by reactive ion etching over the PS monolayer template, with the size of the SWS arrays customized by optimizing the etching process. Finally, we demonstrated ultrabroadband antireflection on the surface structured ZnTe crystals in the visible-near-infrared, infrared, and terahertz regions with transmittance increase of 11.6%, 10.0%, and 24.8%, which are attributed to the decrease of surface Fresnel reflection by SWS. Notably, in 0.2-1.0 THz, the transmittance reached over 70%. Our work provides a new strategy to enhance the THz generation efficiency and detection sensitivity based on ZnTe crystals by surface engineering.

Laser terahertz emission microscopy revealing the local fluctuation of terahertz generation induced by Te inclusion

As a state-of-the-art electro-optical crystal, zinc telluride (ZnTe) is widely used in terahertz (THz) emission by optical rectification. However, the efficiency of THz generation in ZnTe is usually degraded by factors such as harmonic generation, two-photon absorption, and free-carrier absorption. In this work, we first report the effect of micro-scale Te inclusions in ZnTe on the local area THz emission. Unusual THz time-domain waveforms emitted from Te inclusions are observed to last longer than 400 ps, which is attributed to the photocurrent surge (PS) effect. This Te inclusion-associated THz radiation is proved consistent with the incident power and polarization angle dependences. Simultaneously, the Te inclusions embedded in the ZnTe matrix are visualized by laser THz emission microscopy (LTEM). According to the LTEM images, the driving force of the carrier movement is revealed, which is ascribed to the heterojunction field composed of Te and p-ZnTe. Our results not only afford a comprehensive understanding of the THz characteristics of Te inclusions but also put forward LTEM as a promising non-contact evaluation method for evaluating the bulk defects in semiconductors.

Simulation of Hot-Carrier Dynamics and Terahertz Emission in Laser-Excited Metallic Bilayers

Metallic bilayer structures have been shown to emit strong terahertz (THz) pulses. We present a predictive multiscale mode that simulates optically induced spin-currents in a Fe/Pt-heterostructure and the emitted electric field. Electronic effects are treated on the nano scale using the Boltzmann transport equation for the dynamics of out-of-equilibrium charge carriers, numerically solved with a particle-in-cell code. The optical effects are simulated with a formalism that bridges the nanometer scale of the structure to the micrometer scale of the emitted waves. The approach helps to understand recent experimental findings on the basis of microscopic scattering effects and transport phenomena. Our theory's versatility allows it to be readily adapted to a wide spectrum of spintronic THz emitter designs. As an example, we show how the THz generation efficiency, defined as output to input power ratio, can be improved and optimized using serially stacked layers in conjunction with THz anti-reflection coatings.

Terahertz radiation generation by three-color laser pulses in air filament

We demonstrated terahertz (THz) radiation generated from a three-color laser-excited filament in air for a wide tuning range and various wavelength ratios of the pump laser pulses. As a pump source, the radiation of the femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser and infrared output of the optical parametric generator were used. It was found that the spectrum of generated THz pulses spans up to 50 THz, while the overall THz generation efficiency is of an order of magnitude larger than the one produced by two-color pulses in an analogous configuration. Our results support the idea that three-color pulses are more suitable for broadband THz generation, since the corresponding waveforms can produce faster free electrons in larger quantities. We have found that the conversion efficiency is significantly limited due to intensity clamping. The spectral broadening of THz radiation is explained by aperiodicity of ionization events in time.

Numerical investigation of imaging-free terahertz generation setup using segmented tilted-pulse-front excitation.

Recently a hybrid-type terahertz (THz) pulse source was proposed for high energy terahertz pulse generation. It is the combination of the conventional tilted-pulse-front setup and a nonlinear crystal with a transmission stair-step echelon of period in the hundred-micrometer range etched into the front face. The tilt angle introduced by the conventional tilted-pulse-front setup (pre-tilt) was chosen to be equal to the tilt-angle needed inside the nonlinear crystal (62° for lithium niobate (LN)) in order to fulfill velocity-matching. In this case, plane-parallel nonlinear optical crystals can be used. The possibility of using a plane-parallel nonlinear optical crystal for producing good-quality, symmetric THz beams was considered the most important advantage of this setup. In the present paper, a thorough numerical investigation of a modified version of that setup is presented. In the new version, the tilted pulse-front is created by a transmission grating without any imaging optics, and a wedged nonlinear optical crystal with a small wedge angle is supposed. According to a 1D numerical code, significantly higher THz generation efficiency can be achieved with a transmission stair-step echelon-faced nonlinear crystal having a 5 - 15-degree wedge angle than with a plane-parallel one or with the conventional tilted-pulse-front setup. Because of the spatially-dependent group-delay dispersion introduced by the transmission grating, a small wedge in the nonlinear crystal improves the spatial homogeneity of the THz-generation process, resulting in higher efficiencies and better beam profiles. At 100 K temperature, and by using 800 nm pump pulses with 20 mJ pulse energy, 100 fs pulse length and 8 mm beam spot radius, approximately 4.5% conversion efficiency and close to 1 mJ terahertz pulse energy can be reached with the newly-proposed setup.

Nonlinearity in the Dark: Broadband Terahertz Generation with Extremely High Efficiency.

Plasmonic metamaterials and metasurfaces offer new opportunities in developing high performance terahertz emitters and detectors beyond the limitations of conventional nonlinear materials. However, simple meta-atoms for second-order nonlinear applications encounter fundamental trade-offs in the necessary symmetry breaking and local-field enhancement due to radiation damping that is inherent to the operating resonant mode and cannot be controlled separately. Here we present a novel concept that eliminates this restriction obstructing the improvement of terahertz generation efficiency in nonlinear metasurfaces based on metallic nanoresonators. This is achieved by combining a resonant dark-state metasurface, which locally drives nonlinear nanoresonators in the near field, with a specific spatial symmetry that enables destructive interference of the radiating linear moments of the nanoresonators, and perfect absorption via simultaneous electric and magnetic critical coupling of the pump radiation to the dark mode. Our proposal allows eliminating linear radiation damping, while maintaining constructive interference and effective radiation of the nonlinear components. We numerically demonstrate a giant second-order nonlinear susceptibility ∼10^{-11} m/V, a one order improvement compared with the previously reported split-ring-resonator metasurface, and correspondingly, a 2 orders of magnitude enhanced terahertz energy extraction should be expected with our configuration under the same conditions. Our study offers a paradigm of high efficiency tunable nonlinear metadevices and paves the way to revolutionary terahertz technologies and optoelectronic nanocircuitry.

A mixture of vortex terahertz radiation generation in inhomogeneous plasma by considering pump depletion

An attempt to extend helical terahertz radiation generation based on pump depletion is presented here. By considering an upward plasma density ramp, such a reasonable extension is examined to improve the results. It is claimed that the output terahertz energy is saturated which is attributed to laser pump divergence. The saturation effect is enhanced by considering suitable laser and plasma parameters. The adjustable slope of the density ramp is an important parameter for tuning terahertz generation efficiency, which is restricted to the up and down limit. For the resonant excitation of terahertz radiation, the ripple wave number is suitably chosen to satisfy the phase matching condition. Furthermore, as plasma frequency increases and approaches beat frequency, terahertz generation efficiency increases. Various laser and plasma parameters are employed and we report an efficiency of the order of for the current scheme.

High efficiency terahertz generation in a multi-stage system.

We describe a robust system for laser-driven narrowband terahertz generation with high conversion efficiency in periodically poled Lithium Niobate (PPLN). In the multi-stage terahertz generation system, the pump pulse is recycled after each PPLN stage for further terahertz generation. By out-coupling the terahertz radiation generated in each stage, extra absorption is circumvented and effective interaction length is increased. The separation of the terahertz and optical pulses at each stage is accomplished by an appropriately designed out-coupler. To evaluate the proposed architecture, the governing 2-D coupled wave equations in a cylindrically symmetric geometry are numerically solved using the finite difference method. Compared to the 1-D calculation which cannot capture the self-focusing and diffraction effects, our 2-D numerical method captures the effects of difference frequency generation, self-phase modulation, self-focusing, beam diffraction, dispersion and terahertz absorption. We found that the terahertz generation efficiency can be greatly enhanced by compensating the dispersion of the pump pulse after each stage. With a two-stage system, we predict the generation of a 17.6 mJ terahertz pulse with total conversion efficiency ηtotal = 1.6% at 0.3 THz using a 1.1 J pump laser with a two-lines spectrum centered at 1 μm. The generation efficiency of each stage is above 0.8% with the out-coupling efficiencies above 93.0%.

Alkynyl Pyridinium Crystals for Terahertz Generation

AbstractThe design and synthesis of three organic nonlinear optical crystals is presented for terahertz (THz) generation that incorporates the optimal characteristics of known organic nonlinear optical crystals 4‐(4‐(dimethylamino)styryl)‐1‐methylpyridinium 4‐methylbenzenesulfonate (DAST) and 2‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxystyryl)‐1‐methylquinolinium 2,4,6‐trimethylbenzenesulfonate (HMQ‐TMS). The three crystals feature the 4‐((4‐(dimethylamino)phenyl)ethynyl)‐1‐methylpyridin‐1‐ium (4DEP) cation and three different anion combinations. Gas phase ab initio calculations of the cation show that 4DEP has a larger hyperpolarizability than cations from both DAST and HMQ‐TMS. To obtain the molecular packing needed for large nonlinear optical susceptibility and efficient THz generation, three anions are tested that result in noncentrosymmetric crystals: 4‐methylbenzenesulfonate, 3‐nitrobenzenesulfonate, and napthalene‐2‐sulfonate. After synthesis and crystallization, the crystal structure is characterized via X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and the relative THz generation efficiency for ideal crystals is predicted. 4DEP‐N2S shows a roughly 30% larger relative second‐order nonlinear optical susceptibility compared to HMQ‐TMS and DAST and, therefore, shows promise as a new advanced THz generation crystal.