Electro-optic Detection Research Articles

Investigation of CdZnTe and LiNbO 3 as electro-optic neutron detectors

An alternative method for the detection of thermal neutrons has been investigated utilizing the Pockels effect with CdZnTe and LiNbO 3. A photodiode was used to indicate a change in light intensity transmitted through an assembly consisting of polarizer, Pockels cell, and analyzer. Ionization due to neutron reaction products can perturb an established electric field within the cell, thus changing the transmitted light intensity through the assembly. The CdZnTe cell demonstrated a repeatable change in transmitted light intensity, increasing with neutron flux, marking the first recorded use of this technology to detect neutrons. However, the LiNbO 3 cell gave no response to neutron irradiation, and is assumed to be a result of the extremely short carrier lifetimes found in the material.

Quasi-phase-matched probe-energy electro-optic sampling as a method of narrowband terahertz detection

Implementation of free-space quasi-phase-matched electro-optic detection is reported, based on measuring the energy variation of a femtosecond laser pulse induced by a terahertz field. Narrowband probe-energy type of detection is demonstrated using wide-aperture periodically poled Mg:Y:LiNbO3 crystals with as-grown domain gratings. Spectra of air plasma generation measured by this method are compared with the spectrum measured by the conventional ZnTe-based probe-phase ellipsometry scheme. Besides, the conventional method was performed for both types of sources, for the air plasma generation, and for the quasi-phase-matched optical rectification in the same periodically poled Mg:Y:LiNbO3 crystals.

Electro-optic measurement of terahertz pulse energy distribution

An accurate and direct measurement of the energy distribution of a low repetition rate terahertz electromagnetic pulse is challenging because of the lack of sensitive detectors in this spectral range. In this paper, we show how the total energy and energy density distribution of a terahertz electromagnetic pulse can be determined by directly measuring the absolute electric field amplitude and beam energy density distribution using electro-optic detection. This method has potential use as a routine method of measuring the energy density of terahertz pulses that could be applied to evaluating future high power terahertz sources, terahertz imaging, and spatially and temporarily resolved pump-probe experiments.

High signal-to-noise-ratio electro-optical terahertz imaging system based on an optical demodulating detector array

We present a 64x48 pixel 2D electro-optical terahertz (THz) imaging system using a photonic mixing device time-of-flight camera as an optical demodulating detector array. The combination of electro-optic detection with a time-of-flight camera increases sensitivity drastically, enabling the use of a nonamplified laser source for high-resolution real-time THz electro-optic imaging.

Active Balance in Free-Space Electro-Optic Detection of Terahertz Waves

A method for increasing the stability of terahertz (THz) time-domain spectrometers utilizing electro-optic balanced detection is presented in this paper. The stability of these systems is sensitive to optical alignment and polarization quality; small changes in temperature, pressure, stress, and strain can all affect SNR. High stability is achieved by precise rotation of the quarter-wave plate (QWP) balance position during the operation of the THz spectrometer. Providing feedback via QWP rotation optimizes the noise floor with minimal modulation to the THz signal in a nonideal optical system. Applying active balance control eliminates constant tuning by the operator between scans, after purging with dry nitrogen, applying vacuum, and during system setup.

Bandwidth enhancement of electro-optic sensing using high-even-order harmonic sidebands

We demonstrate that the bandwidth of an electro-optic sensing system can be significantly enhanced by the use of even-order harmonic sidebands (order > 2) produced on an optical-carrier probe beam with two cascaded electro-optic modulators. The sensing frequency range may be routinely expanded by at least four times, with respect to the use of fundamental-harmonic sidebands, by enhancing the nonlinearity of high-order-harmonic electro-optic modulation. The creation of harmonic modulation sidebands up to the sixth order of the drive frequency on a laser-diode output is described analytically, as is photonic heterodyne down-conversion of microwave signals using these high-order even harmonics within an electro-optic sensor crystal. The nonlinear harmonics serve as beneficial local-oscillator modulations for broadband electro-optic detection of microwave fields without nonlinear distortion. Transverse near-field distributions from an 18.5 GHz patch antenna are extracted using the fourth- (sixth-) order-harmonic sidebands at the output of the cascaded electro-optic modulators driven with a 4.6- (3.1-) GHz continuous-wave input.

Electro-optic time profile monitors for femtosecond electron bunches at the soft x-ray free-electron laser FLASH

Precise measurements of the temporal profile of ultrashort electron bunches are of high interest for the optimization and operation of ultraviolet and x-ray free-electron lasers. The electro-optic (EO) technique has been applied for a single-shot direct visualization of the time profile of individual electron bunches at FLASH. This paper presents a thorough description of the experimental setup and the results. An absolute calibration of the EO technique has been performed utilizing simultaneous measurements with a transverse-deflecting radio-frequency structure that transforms the longitudinal bunch charge distribution into a transverse streak. EO signals as short as 60 fs (rms) have been observed using a gallium-phosphide (GaP) crystal, which is a new record in the EO detection of single electron bunches and close to the physical limit imposed by the EO material properties. The data are in quantitative agreement with a numerical simulation of the EO detection process.

Field-resolved detection of phase-locked infrared transients from a compact Er:fiber system tunable between 55 and 107 THz

We demonstrate phase-stable generation and ultrabroadband electro-optic detection of few-cycle multi-terahertz transients tunable from 55 to 107 THz based on a versatile telecom compatible three-branch Er:fiber laser system. Difference frequency mixing of two laser pulse trains at the full repetition rate of 49 MHz provides passively phase-locked multi-terahertz transients with peak fields of 69 kV/cm and average powers of up to 1.4 mW. 8 fs gating pulses from the third laser port allow for field-sensitive sampling throughout the midinfrared with a signal to noise ratio of up to 104 Hz1/2. A leadoff application in trace gas detection is discussed.

Dependence on chirp rate and spectral resolution of the terahertz field pulse waveform measured by electro-optic detection using a chirped optical pulse and a spectrometer and its effect on terahertz spectroscopy

Single-shot measurement of a terahertz field pulse waveform by electro-optic sampling using a chirped optical pulse and a spectrometer was demonstrated by and Jiang and Zhang [Appl. Phys. Lett. 72, 1945 (1998)]. We have performed an experimental and theoretical investigation into the dependence of the waveform thus measured on the chirp rate and spectral resolution. It was found that the waveform exhibits multicyclic behavior at a chirp rate of −0.24 THz2, which corresponds to a chirped-pulse width of over 10 ps, for the monocyclic original terahertz field, while it approaches the monocyclic behavior with decreasing pulse width. Further, broadening of the spectral resolution of the spectrometer gives rise to a monocyclic waveform in the chirp rate range where the waveform is expected to be multicyclic. In addition, we have derived an analytical expression for the terahertz field pulse waveform thus measured without using the method of stationary phase. The theoretical results were found to be consistent with measured ones. Finally, we examined the spectral bandwidth and resolution of terahertz spectroscopy using this method.

Single shot linear detection of 0.01–10 THz electromagnetic fields

We demonstrate widely tunable and broadband single shot electro-optic detection of THz waveforms with a linear response to the electric field over a wide range. The THz field is encoded to the temporally dispersed spectrum of a supercontinuum whose polarization state is analyzed in balanced detection. With the probe bandwidth corresponding to a Fourier Transform-limited duration below 5 fs, the time window can easily be adjusted in the fs to 100 ps range to be several times longer than the THz pulse without signal distortion. Thanks to a laser fluctuation-free design, the phase retardation (Γ) is measured under shot noise limited conditions with a rms noise below 0.005 over the whole spectral (i.e., temporal) window. The method allows the direct determination of the absolute amplitude of the THz field for the first time in a single shot EO-experiment. The performance of the diagnostic can be achieved with state-of-the-art fs to ps laser sources.

Intensity detection of terahertz quantum cascade laser radiation using electro-optic sampling

We demonstrate intensity detection of terahertz radiation from a 2 THz quantum cascade laser with nonsynchronized electro-optic (EO) sampling under crossed polarizers. The detection sensitivity is limited by the residual birefringence of the EO detection crystal. With 100 fs fiber laser pulses and a CdTe EO crystal, terahertz radiation with power less than 100 μW was detected. A femtosecond gating pulse provides an ultrashort detection response that is potentially very useful for analyzing temporal performance of short pulsed radiation or observing fast phenomena probed by terahertz pulses.

Investigation of p-GaAsSb as a THz Emitter

Our purpose was to determine if GaAsSb might be made to emit THz-frequency electromagnetic radiation. Our result is that, with a suitable electric field imposed and under illumination by ultrashort pulses of near-infrared radiation, GaAsSb indeed emits THz radiation. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of high-temperature-grown GaAsSb acting as a THz source. THz emission has been observed both by incoherent (pneumatic Golay cell) and by coherent (time-domain spectroscopy using electro-optic detection) experimental configurations. Both simple Ag paint and photolithographically formed Au on Ti antenna structures have been found to produce THz radiation. We compare our results with those from the better-known THz emitter, GaAs. In the case of GaAs, THz radiation is emitted even in the absence of applied bias. This is not the case for GaAsSb. We conclude that the photoconductive mechanism dominates in the emission of THz radiation from epitaxial single-crystal GaAsSb. A further proposal is made that such materials can be used with nanostructured surfaces for special THz-emission characteristics.

Terahertz generation in an actively controlled femtosecond enhancement cavity

We report on terahertz generation by Cherenkov-type optical rectification in lithium niobate using an actively controlled femtosecond pumped enhancement cavity. In this way a much higher pump power is available inside the cavity and an increased terahertz output power is obtained. The advantages of terahertz generation in the Cherenkov geometry are verified by comparing it with other types of emitters by means of electro-optical detection as well as by bolometer measurements.

Numerical studies on the electro-optic detection of femtosecond electron bunches

The electro-optic (EO) effect is a powerful diagnostic tool for determining the time profile of ultrashort relativistic electron bunches. When a relativistic bunch passes within a few mm of an electro-optic crystal, its transient electric field is equivalent to a half-cycle THz pulse passing through the crystal. The induced birefringence can be detected with polarized femtosecond laser pulses. A simulation code has been written in order to understand the faithfulness and the limitations of electron bunch shape reconstruction by EO sampling. The THz pulse and the laser pulse are propagated as wave packets through the EO crystal. Alternatively, the response function method is applied. Using experimental data on the material properties of zinc telluride (ZnTe) and gallium phosphide (GaP), the effects of velocity mismatch, pulse shape distortion, and signal broadening are explicitly taken into account. The simulations show that the most severe limitation on the time resolution is given by the transverse-optical (TO) lattice oscillation in the EO crystal. The lowest TO frequency is 5.3 THz in ZnTe and 11 THz in GaP. Only the Fourier components below the TO resonance are usable for the bunch shape reconstruction. This implies that the shortest rms bunch length which can be resolved with moderate distortion amounts to $\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\approx}90\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{fs}$ in ZnTe and $\ensuremath{\sigma}\ensuremath{\approx}50\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{fs}$ in GaP. The influence of the crystal thickness on the amplitude and width of the EO signal is studied. The optimum thickness is in the range from 100 to $300\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ for ZnTe and from 50 to $100\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ for GaP.

A Theoretical and Experimental Research on Terahertz Electro-Optic Sampling at Near-Zero Optical Transmission Point

We report an improved theoretical model to characterize terahertz electro-optic (EO) sampling detection operating at near crossed-polarizer design by considering the nonzero minimal transmission of polarizers and the polarization purity of laser beam. The proof-of-concept experiments show that the model can give quiet reasonable explanations on many experimental phenomena in THz EO detection, e.g. the modulation depth vs the different optical biases, the noise level from the balance detector vs the input probe beam power, the main origin of the background light and the incomplete cancellation of noise from the laser intensity fluctuation in balanced detection. The terahertz signals and the noises are also measured based on two different EO sampling schemes for comparison. The measured results support our model very well.

Measurement of local specific interfacial area in bubble columns via a non-isokinetic withdrawal method coupled to electro-optical detector

Precise measurement of gas–liquid interfacial surface area is essential to reactor design and operation. Mass transfer from the gas phase to the liquid phase is often a key feature that controls the overall process. Measurement of gas–liquid interfacial area is often made through a separate measurement of the gas holdup and bubble size with complex and/or sophisticated methods. In this work, an inexpensive method is presented for the simultaneous determination of both local gas holdup and bubble diameter. The method is based on the withdrawal of the air–liquid dispersion under non-isokinetic conditions and on bubble counting via a simple optical device. The method was calibrated in a bubble column with several withdrawal pressures using coalescing and non-coalescing media. During the same calibration experiment, gas holdup was also measured manometrically and individual bubble diameters were measured by a photographic method. With a vacuum pressure of 3 kPa, local interfacial area measured with the withdrawal method produced a relative error below 13%, compared to the manometric/photographic method. The method was then used to characterize local specific interfacial area in a bubble column under several operating conditions with coalescing and non-coalescing media. In coalescing media and with superficial gas velocities ( v g ) from 0.25 to 3.5 cm/s, the average interfacial area ranged from 17 to 197 m - 1 . With non-coalescing media the average interfacial area ranged from 40 to 560 m - 1 . Under the test condition it was observed that gas holdup is a parameter that has a greater distribution (standard deviation from 30% to 70%) than the volume-mean bubble diameter (standard deviation from 6% to 12%). It is shown that a model previously developed for characterizing gas holdup homogeneity is also suitable for characterizing interfacial area homogeneity.

Benchmarking of Electro-Optic Monitors for Femtosecond Electron Bunches

The longitudinal profiles of ultrashort relativistic electron bunches at the soft x-ray free-electron laser FLASH have been investigated using two single-shot detection schemes: an electro-optic (EO) detector measuring the Coulomb field of the bunch and a radio-frequency structure transforming the charge distribution into a transverse streak. A comparison permits an absolute calibration of the EO technique. EO signals as short as 60 fs (rms) have been observed, which is a new record in the EO detection of single electron bunches and close to the limit given by the EO material properties.

Phase-resolved measurements of stimulated emission in a laser

Lasers are usually described by their output frequency and intensity. However, laser operation is an inherently nonlinear process. Knowledge about the dynamic behaviour of lasers is thus of great importance for detailed understanding of laser operation and for improvement in performance for applications. Of particular interest is the time domain within the coherence time of the optical transition. This time is determined by the oscillation period of the laser radiation and thus is very short. Rigorous quantum mechanical models predict interesting effects like quantum beats, lasing without inversion, and photon echo processes. As these models are based on quantum coherence and interference, knowledge of the phase within the optical cycle is of particular interest. Laser radiation has so far been measured using intensity detectors, which are sensitive to the square of the electric field. Therefore information about the sign and phase of the laser radiation is lost. Here we use an electro-optic detection scheme to measure the amplitude and phase of stimulated radiation, and correlate this radiation directly with an input probing pulse. We have applied this technique to semiconductor quantum cascade lasers, which are coherent sources operating at frequencies between the optical (>100 THz) and electronic (<0.5 THz) ranges. In addition to the phase information, we can also determine the spectral gain, the bias dependence of this gain, and obtain an insight into the evolution of the laser field.

Continuous-wave terahertz imaging with a hybrid system

The authors have developed a hybrid system for coherent raster-scan imaging at 0.6THz. It combines a high-power electronic source (a multiplied Gunn emitter) with a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser in order to achieve a high dynamic range via electro-optic detection. The single-scan dynamic range of 60db at a lock-in time constant of 10ms is sufficient to permit detection of scattered terahertz radiation in addition to specularly reflected/transmitted light. Active synchronization of the electronic source and the laser is not needed because of the remarkably low jitter between the two radiation sources.

Examination of the spatial and temporal field distributions of single-cycle terahertz pulses at a beam focus

Measurements of spatially resolved beam profiles of single-cycle terahertz pulses are presented. In the approach here the terahertz beam is scanned over the stationary electro-optic detector using a gimbal-mounted mirror. A detailed study of the temporal- and frequency-dependent field in the region of the terahertz focus reveals field patterns which are dominated by diffraction and absorption. The observed field distribution is reproduced in model calculations. The exceptionally high signal to noise ratio and the high frequency and spatial resolution of the experiment here facilitate the observation of minute field distortions caused by the anomalous dispersion of absorbers in the beam path from the spatially resolved field pattern.