Single Terahertz Research Articles

Multi-functional terahertz nano-metasurface for beam-splitting and nonlinear resonance frequency shifting

The emergence of terahertz (THz) nanoscale resonance metasurface devices represents an innovative method for modulating THz waves by utilizing the intense, high-frequency alternating electric field in THz radiation. However, compared to traditional modulation methods that employ electrical, optical, and other techniques, the potential of these devices still necessitates further exploration. In this work, we achieved THz beam-splitting and field-induced nonlinear frequency shifting functions within a single THz nano-metasurface device. The device consists of single split-ring resonators (s-SRRs) with a nanogap on GaAs substrate. The pattern design based on the Pancharatnam–Berry (P-B) phase principle can split the incident wave into three beams. Meanwhile, its frequency shifting capability, which varies with the E-field, has been thoroughly investigated. The device performance was experimentally evaluated by an angle-resolved THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) system and a strong-field THz-TDS system. This device could serve as a promising research platform for integrating THz with nano-optics and holds the potential for ultrafast modulation, offering application prospects in radar, wireless communication, and electromagnetic protection.

Fast determination of terahertz polarization azimuth angle based on the core-anti-resonant effect

The azimuth angle of linearly polarized light plays a crucial role in optical mechanism investigations and various applications. However, in the terahertz (THz) band, traditional detection methods suffer from low efficiency or require complex apparatus. In this work, based on the core-anti-resonant reflection (CARR) principle, we propose a polarization-sensitive CARR cavity, namely, a simple 3D-printed tube with an Archimedean spiral structure of the cross section, which links the input linear polarization azimuth angle to the output resonant frequencies. In this way, the spatial polarization angle can be rapidly resolved via the Fourier-transformed THz spectrum from the detected single THz temporal pulse. Therefore, the experimental system configuration is simplified, and more importantly, the detection efficiency has been significantly enhanced.

Point-to-multipoint beam-steering terahertz communications using a photonics-based leaky-wave transmit antenna

Abstract We report on the successful implementation of a photonic-based beam steering approach for point-to-multipoint terahertz (THz) communications. The frequency-agile radiation properties of a THz leaky-wave antenna connected to a photodiode are utilized in the remote transmitter for generating multiple individually steerable THz beams. The approach benefits from the ultra-wide frequency tunability of optical heterodyne systems for frequency-agile THz beam steering. Moreover, the approach allows to exploit high performance and mature optical modulation techniques for generating THz beams with a high data capacity. In the THz receiver, a carrier frequency insensitive envelope THz detector based upon a single Schottky-barrier diode is used. In detail, THz communications in the 300 GHz band (WR3.4) with a maximum steering angle up to 90° is reported. Experimentally, for single steerable THz beam operation, a record high data rate of 35 Gbit/s at a wireless distance of 30 cm is achieved using two-level pulse amplitude modulation. Also, longer wireless distances up to 110 cm with 5 Gbit/s are demonstrated. Furthermore, point-to-multipoint THz communications is reported using two individually steerable THz beams carrying 10 Gbit/s and 5 Gbit/s over 70 cm and 50 cm, respectively.

Superconducting quasiparticle-amplifying transmon: A qubit-based sensor for meV-scale phonons and single terahertz photons

With great interest from the quantum computing community, an immense amount of R&D effort has been invested into improving superconducting qubits. The technologies developed for the design and fabrication of these qubits can be directly applied to applications for ultralow-threshold particle detectors, e.g., low-mass dark matter and far-infrared photon sensing. We propose a novel energy-resolving sensor based on the transmon qubit architecture combined with a signal-enhancing superconducting quasiparticle amplification stage. We refer to these sensors as SQUATs: superconducting quasiparticle-amplifying transmons. We detail the operating principle and design of this new sensor and predict that, with minimal R&D effort, solid-state-based detectors patterned with these sensors can achieve sensitivity to single terahertz photons, and sensitivity to 1meV phonons in the detector absorber substrate on the microsecond timescale. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Cylindrical aperture three-dimensional synthetic aperture imaging with pulsed terahertz waves.

In this paper, we report a three-dimensional synthetic aperture imaging method with pulsed terahertz waves realized by a terahertz time-domain spectrometer. In contrast to synthetic aperture imaging systems operating at microwave or millimeter-wave frequencies where the frequency of the transmitter is scanned in the frequency domain, in our imaging system, all the frequency components are contained in a single terahertz pulse that can be generated and detected by photoconductive antennas. The image algorithm was analyzed theoretically and confirmed numerically using the finite-difference time-domain method. A key with plentiful detailed structures was used as the object to be imaged to demonstrate the three-dimensional imaging capabilities of this method. The resolution of the imaging system is 0.3 mm for the linear dimension and 0.1 mm for the circular dimension, as tested by the experimental setup. Finally, an optically opaque plastic pen with and without the cartridge was imaged, and the shape and location of the cartridge could be observed from the reconstructed three-dimensional terahertz images, demonstrating the non-destructive evaluation capabilities of this imaging method. Benefiting from the improvements in the experimental setup in this study, the imaging speed was significantly improved compared with that of the step-by-step scanning method commonly used in terahertz imaging systems with a single transmitter/receiver pair. This imaging method avoids the image degradation caused by specular reflections in active quasi-optical focal plane imaging and the lack of semiconductor devices working at several THz frequencies for synthetic aperture imaging, and may be used for non-destructive evaluation of objects with complex surfaces and internal structures.

InAs Terahertz Metalens Emitter for Focused Terahertz Beam Generation

Metasurfaces have opened doors to combining multiple photonic functionalities in a single compact device. In particular, the ability to generate short terahertz (THz) pulses with precise wavefront engineering in a single THz metasurface redefined the role metasurfaces can play in THz systems. Here, an InAs metalens emitter which generates and focuses a THz pulse beam is demonstrated using a 130 nm thick InAs metasurface designed as a binary‐phase Fresnel zone plate. The THz beam is focused to a spot of ≈430 μm at 1 THz with a short focal length of 5 mm and large numerical aperture of 0.5. Nanoscale InAs Mie resonators comprising the metasurface enable THz generation with an amplitude as high as 20 times compared to plasmonic THz emitters and several times compared to a 1 mm thick ZnTe crystal. This InAs metasurface emitter provides a new paradigm for designing THz imaging, spectroscopy, and communication systems, where THz beam generation and shaping are performed with a single device without compromising the generation efficiency, while eliminating losses and avoiding limitations of phase matching of conventional nonlinear optics approaches.

Avalanche Terahertz Photon Detection in a Rydberg Tweezer Array.

We propose a protocol for the amplified detection of low-intensity terahertz radiation using Rydberg tweezer arrays. The protocol offers single photon sensitivity together with a low dark count rate. It is split into two phases: during a sensing phase, it harnesses strong terahertz-range transitions between highly excited Rydberg states to capture individual terahertz photons. During an amplification phase it exploits the Rydberg facilitation mechanism which converts a single terahertz photon into a substantial signal of Rydberg excitations. We discuss a concrete realization based on realistic atomic interaction parameters, develop a comprehensive theoretical model that incorporates the motion of trapped atoms and study the many-body dynamics using tensor network methods.

Zeptojoule detection of terahertz pulses by parametric frequency upconversion.

We combine parametric frequency upconversion with the single-photon counting technology to achieve terahertz (THz) detection sensitivity down to the zeptojoule (zJ) pulse energy level. Our detection scheme employs a near-infrared ultrafast source, a GaP nonlinear crystal, optical filters, and a single-photon avalanche diode. This configuration is able to resolve 1.4 zJ (1.4 × 10-21 J) THz pulse energy, corresponding to 1.5 photons per pulse, when the signal is averaged within only 1 s (or 50,000 pulses). A single THz pulse can also be detected when its energy is above 1185 zJ. These numbers correspond to the noise-equivalent power and THz-to-NIR photon detection efficiency of 1.3 × 10-16 W/Hz1/2 and 5.8 × 10-2%, respectively. To test our scheme, we perform spectroscopy of the water vapor between 1 and 3.7 THz and obtain results that are in agreement with those acquired with a standard electro-optic sampling (EOS) method. Our technique provides a 0.2 THz spectral resolution offering a fast alternative to EOS THz detection for monitoring specific spectral components in spectroscopy, imaging, and communication applications.

Intrinsic 1{T}^{{prime} } phase induced in atomically thin 2H-MoTe2 by a single terahertz pulse

The polymorphic transition from 2H to 1{T}^{{prime} }-MoTe2, which was thought to be induced by high-energy photon irradiation among many other means, has been intensely studied for its technological relevance in nanoscale transistors due to the remarkable improvement in electrical performance. However, it remains controversial whether a crystalline 1{T}^{{prime} } phase is produced because optical signatures of this putative transition are found to be associated with the formation of tellurium clusters instead. Here we demonstrate the creation of an intrinsic 1{T}^{{prime} } lattice after irradiating a mono- or few-layer 2H-MoTe2 with a single field-enhanced terahertz pulse. Unlike optical pulses, the low terahertz photon energy limits possible structural damages. We further develop a single-shot terahertz-pump-second-harmonic-probe technique and reveal a transition out of the 2H-phase within 10 ns after photoexcitation. Our results not only provide important insights to resolve the long-standing debate over the light-induced polymorphic transition in MoTe2 but also highlight the unique capability of strong-field terahertz pulses in manipulating quantum materials.

High-intensity single-pulse extraction using a laser-activated GaAs reflective switch for a terahertz free-electron laser

Single-pulse extraction from a terahertz (THz) pulse train is demonstrated for a free-electron laser oscillator using the laser-activated semiconductor switching technique with gallium arsenide (GaAs). Using a GaAs wafer as the switching substrate and a titanium sapphire laser (Ti:sapphire laser), a single THz pulse can be extracted with a high contrast from the pulse train at intervals of 37 ns in a simple experimental setup due to a short decay time of the electron–hole plasma. For a single THz pulse with a duration of a few to a few tens of picoseconds and a nominal wavelength of 70μm, we achieve an extracted single pulse energy of 76 μJ.

High Q and sub-wavelength THz electric field confinement in ultrastrongly coupled THz resonators

The control of light–matter coupling at the single electron level is currently a subject of growing interest for the development of novel quantum devices and for studies and applications of quantum electrodynamics. In the terahertz (THz) spectral range, this raises the particular and difficult challenge of building electromagnetic resonators that can conciliate low mode volume and high quality factor. Here, we report on hybrid THz cavities based on ultrastrong coupling between a Tamm cavity and an LC circuit metamaterial and show that they can combine high quality factors of up to Q=37 with a deep-subwavelength mode volume of V=3.2×10−4λ3. Our theoretical and experimental analysis of the coupled mode properties reveals that, in general, the ultrastrong coupling between a metamaterial and a Fabry–Perot cavity is an effective tool to almost completely suppress radiative losses and, thus, ultimately limit the total losses to the losses in the metallic layer. These Tamm cavity-LC metamaterial coupled resonators open a route toward the development of single photon THz emitters and detectors and to the exploration of ultrastrong THz light–matter coupling with a high degree of coherence in the few to single electron limit.

Terahertz single pixel imaging with frequency-multiplexed metasurface modulation

Single-pixel imaging is a very attractive technique at the terahertz band due to the lack of mature array detectors, over which the spatial light modulator is the most crucial component. Metasurfaces are usually introduced into the modulator to enhance the modulation depth of active materials. Here we take advantage of the flexible spectral response of pixelated metasurface resonators to encode different spatial masks into different frequency windows, without active materials and external stimuli. The measurements are obtained in parallel as opposed to in sequence in the time-domain spectroscopy system through a single terahertz signal. Images with 2 × 2 pixels as proof of the concept are reconstructed with high fidelity and plenty of choices of the frequency windows. As the measurement time does not increase with the number of pixels, this scheme can be generalized for imaging with higher resolution and increased number of pixels for practical applications in noninvasive inspection and detection.

Quantum classical approach to spin and charge pumping and the ensuing radiation in terahertz spintronics: Example of the ultrafast light-driven Weyl antiferromagnet Mn3Sn

The interaction of a femtosecond laser pulse with magnetic materials has been intensely studied for more than two decades in order to understand ultrafast demagnetization in single magnetic layers or terahertz emission from their bilayers with nonmagnetic spin-orbit (SO) materials. However, in contrast to well-understood spin and charge pumping by dynamical magnetization in spintronic systems driven by microwaves or current injection, analogous processes in light-driven magnets and radiation emitted by them remain largely unexplained due to the multiscale nature of the problem. Here we develop a multiscale quantum-classical formalism---where conduction electrons are described by quantum master equation (QME) of the Lindblad type, classical dynamics of local magnetization is described by the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation, and incoming light is described by classical vector potential, while outgoing electromagnetic radiation is computed using the Jefimenko equations for retarded electric and magnetic fields---and apply it to a bilayer of antiferromagnetic Weyl semimetal ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{3}\mathrm{Sn}$, hosting noncollinear local magnetization, and SO-coupled nonmagnetic material. Our $\mathrm{QME}+\mathrm{LLG}+$Jefimenko scheme makes it possible to understand how a femtosecond laser pulse directly generates spin and charge pumping and electromagnetic radiation by the ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{3}\mathrm{Sn}$ layer, including both odd and even high harmonics (of the pulse center frequency) up to order $n\ensuremath{\le}7$. The directly pumped spin current then exerts spin torque on local magnetization whose dynamics, in turn, pumps additional spin and charge currents radiating in the terahertz range. By switching on and off LLG dynamics and SO couplings, we unravel which microscopic mechanism contributes the most to emitted terahertz radiation---charge pumping by local magnetization of ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{3}\mathrm{Sn}$ in the presence of its own SO coupling is far more important than standardly assumed (for other types of magnetic layers) spin pumping and subsequent spin-to-charge conversion within the adjacent nonmagnetic SO-coupled material.

Quantum Coherent Control of a Single Molecular-Polariton Rotation.

We present a combined analytical and numerical study for coherent terahertz control of a single molecular polariton, formed by strongly coupling two rotational states of a molecule with a single-mode cavity. Compared to the bare molecules driven by a single terahertz pulse, the presence of a cavity strongly modifies the postpulse orientation of the polariton, making it difficult to obtain its maximal degree of orientation. To solve this challenging problem toward achieving complete quantum coherent control, we derive an analytical solution of a pulse-driven quantum Jaynes-Cummings model by expanding the wave function into entangled states and constructing an effective Hamiltonian. We utilize it to design a composite terahertz pulse and obtain the maximum degree of orientation of the polariton by exploiting photon blockade effects. This Letter offers a new strategy to study rotational dynamics in the strong-coupling regime and provides a method for complete quantum coherent control of a single molecular polariton. It, therefore, has direct applications in polariton chemistry and molecular polaritonics for exploring novel quantum optical phenomena.

Controllable waveform terahertz generation using rippled plasma driven by an inhomogeneous electrostatic field.

We theoretically present the waveform controls of terahertz (THz) radiations generated from homogeneous and rippled plasma within inhomogeneous external electrostatic field. The Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations is implemented to demonstrate generation and controllability of three types of THz pulses: single frequency THz pulse in homogeneous plasma, broadband THz pulse and dual frequency THz pulse in rippled plasma. The single frequency THz pulse can be tuned via shifting the knob of electron density of homogeneous plasma. Waveform of broadband THz pulse can be regulated into an envelope-like shape by varying amplitude of electron density of rippled plasma. The two center frequencies' interval of dual frequency THz pulse can be controlled by wave numbers of density distribution of rippled plasma. This work provides a potential means to generate the dual frequency THz pulses with two harmonic frequencies (ω+Ωω, Ω=2) or incommensurate frequencies (ω+Ωω, Ω=1.7,1.8, 2.2…).

Determination of a High-Power THz Detector for EA-FEL Radiation Using Optical Sampling of GaAs and ZnTe Crystals

This paper presents a diagnostic method for THz pulses produced by EA-FEL. Experimental results present a comparison between ZnTe and GaAs crystals for the detection of a single terahertz pulse using electro-optic sampling. In order to match an electro-optic detector for the EA-FEL radiation, the THz pulse from a source was simultaneously detected by ZnTe and GaAs electro-optic detectors. The GaAs detection system was found to have a shorter response time but low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared to the ZnTe system. The GaAs crystal is suitable for the detection of short THz pulses due to fiber coupling, and the SNR of the GaAs system can be improved using a faster and more sensitive photodetector.

Detection of Single Nanoparticles inside a Single Terahertz Resonator

With the rapid advancement of 5G/6G communications using millimeter wavelengths, the concomitant usage of these long wavelength radiation for remote sensing and monitoring of biological and chemical agents is anticipated. However, the ability to detect and identify these agents with sizes ranging from nanometers to microns is hampered by its millimeter wavelength, which drastically reduces the interaction cross‐section. Herein, it is reported that single gold nanoparticles (NPs) drop‐casted on the nanoresonator can be observed by monitoring the far‐field transmitting spectra of individual terahertz (THz) nanoresonators, which enhance the electric field hundreds of times on the nanoscale. Despite the enormous mismatch in length scales, full‐wave 3D numerical modeling of the single THz nanoresonator is also performed to interpret the experimental results, indicating the possibility to turn off the resonance using only one NP embedded in the hotspot of the nanoresonator. Such NP detection becomes the most sensitive when the particle, whose size is comparable to the gap width, is tightly fitted into the nanoresonator. This work unveils the potential associated with refractive index sensing and hyperspectral absorption spectroscopy for detecting and fingerprinting ultra‐low density of bio/chemical molecules such as viruses, lipid vesicles, and explosives.

Performance Analysis of Dual-Hop THz Transmission Systems Over α-μ Fading Channels With Pointing Errors

In this article, the performance of a dual-hop relaying terahertz (THz) wireless communication system is investigated. In particular, the behaviors of the two THz hops are determined by three factors, such as the deterministic path loss, fading effects, and pointing errors. Assuming that both THz links are subject to the <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\alpha $ </tex-math></inline-formula> - <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula> fading with pointing errors, we derive exact expressions for the cumulative distribution function (CDF) and probability density function (PDF) of the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). With these statistical expressions, some important performance metrics are evaluated, such as the outage probability (OP), average bit error rate (BER), and average channel capacity (ACC). Moreover, the asymptotic analyses are presented to obtain more insights. The results show that the dual-hop relaying scheme has better performance than the single THz link. Furthermore, the system diversity order depends on the fading parameters and pointing errors of both THz links. In addition, we extend the analysis to a multirelay cooperative diversity system and derive the asymptotic symbol error rate (SER) expressions. Finally, the derived analytical expressions are verified by the Monte Carlo simulation.

Generation of broadband terahertz focused vector beam using multifunctional metasurface

Focused vector beams are special beams with spatially inhomogeneous polarization distribution, which have broad application prospects in photonics applications such as high-resolution imaging, communications, and optical sensing. Recently, multifunctional metasurfaces for generating focused vector beams have attracted great interest due to their highly integratable, miniaturized, and compact properties. However, in terahertz (THz) range, related research remains largely unexplored. In this paper, a multifunctional broadband metasurface with an all-dielectric structure is proposed for generating focused vector beams in the terahertz region, enabling efficient linear polarization conversion and complete phase control of the transmitted field. Without the help of a polarization diversity scheme, this planar focused vector beam metasurface (FVBM) can simultaneously convert x- and y-polarized incident beams into focused radially polarized (RP) and azimuthally polarized (AP) beams, respectively. The simulation results show that the proposed metasurface exhibits excellent average conversion efficiencies (CEs) higher than 85.47% and 80.94% in the frequency range of 1.7 THz - 2.0 THz under linear x-polarized and y-polarized excitation, respectively. At 1.85 THz, the proposed metasurface can focus RP and AP beams with focusing efficiencies of 70.25% and 69.88%, respectively. The proposed metasurface has potential applications in integrating multiple functionalities into single, compact and ultrathin terahertz devices.

Fusion of THz-TDS and NIRS Based Detection of Moisture Content for Cattle Feed

As an essential index to evaluate feed quality, feed moisture content which is too high or too low will impose an adverse impact on feed nutritional value. Therefore, the quantitative analysis of feed moisture content is significant. In this paper, the detection of feed moisture content based on terahertz (THz) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and data fusion technology of THz and NIR (THz-NIR) was investigated. First, feed samples with different water content (29.46%–49.46%) were prepared, and THz (50–3000 μm) and NIR (900–1700 nm) spectral data of samples was collected and preprocessed, and the feed samples were divided into correction set and verification set by 2:1. Second, the spectral data was fused through the head-to-tail splicing, and the feed moisture content prediction model was established combined with partial least squares regression (PLSR). Third, competitive adaptive reweighting sampling (CARS) was applied to extract spectral characteristic variables for feature layer fusion, and the feed moisture content prediction model in feature level was constructed combined with PLSR. Finally, the evaluation parameters validation set correlation coefficient (Rp), the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), and the residual predictive deviation (RPD) were employed to evaluate the prediction effect of the model. The results indicated that THz, NIR spectra, and data fusion technology could quickly and effectively predict feed moisture content. Among them, the characteristic layer spectral data fusion model achieved the optimal prediction effect while Rp, RMSEP, and RPD reached 0.9933, 0.0069, and 8.7386 respectively. In conclusion, compared with the prediction model established by single THz and NIR spectrum, THz-NIR spectrum data fusion could more accurately predict feed moisture content and provide certain theoretical and technical support for inspirations and methods for quantitative analysis of feed moisture content of livestock and poultry.