T-ray topography by time-domain polarimetry

A room-temperature polarization-sensitive CMOS terahertz camera based on quantum-dot-enhanced terahertz-to-visible photon upconversion

Detection of terahertz (THz) radiation has many potential applications, but presently available detectors are limited in many aspects of their performance, including sensitivity, speed, bandwidth and operating temperature. Most do not allow the characterization of THz polarization states. Recent observation of THz-driven luminescence in quantum dots offers a possible detection mechanism via field-driven interdot charge transfer. We demonstrate a room-temperature complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor THz camera and polarimeter based on quantum-dot-enhanced THz-to-visible upconversion mechanism with optimized luminophore geometries and fabrication designs. Besides broadband and fast responses, the nanoslit-based sensor can detect THz pulses with peak fields as low as 10 kV cm^-1. A related coaxial nanoaperture-type device shows a to-date-unexplored capability to simultaneously record the THz polarization state and field strength with similar sensitivity.

Terahertz Polarization Imaging and Its Applications

This review focuses on several recent research activities regarding precise and fast polarization-sensitive terahertz time-domain spectroscopy systems for imaging purposes, and explains three interesting application examples. Owing to modulation techniques that have recently been developed for the evaluation of the instantaneous terahertz electric-field (E-field) vector, fast and precise terahertz polarization imaging becomes feasible. This terahertz technology enables high-resolution surface topography, precise understanding of the spatial E-field vector distribution of the focused terahertz pulse, and examination of strain-induced birefringence in polymeric materials. These examples constitute a new application area of terahertz photonics with emphasis on both fundamental optics and industrial applications.

Polarization-tunable terahertz radiation in the high-field regime

Polarization control of terahertz (THz) pulses in the high-field regime is a challenging subject. Here we propose and numerically demonstrate an all-optical scheme to generate a polarization-tunable high-field THz source based on relativistic laser plasma interactions. By adjusting the polarization state of the driving laser, collective oscillation of the plasmas can be steered. Phase difference between the laser field components is inherited in the plasma dynamics, as well as in the resulting THz generation process. Single-cycle extremely intense THz pulses with field strength ∼  GV/cm can be generated. The THz polarization state can be tuned from linear through elliptical to circular by changing the polarization state of the driving laser.

Achromatic prism-type wave plate for broadband terahertz pulses

We demonstrated achromatic half- and quarter-wave plates for broadband terahertz pulses using phase retardation by internal total reflection. Prism-type wave plates realized ultra-broadband retardation stability up to 2.5 THz, which was the limitation of our experimental setup. Novel aspects of our work were use of a 3λ/4 plate as a quarter-wave plate and a multistacked prism-type (MSP) wave plate for a large-aperture THz beam. Real-time polarization imaging of two crossed bunches of hairs was performed to show the efficiency of the MSP wave plate. We clearly observed polarization dependence of the hair direction.

Achromatic THz wave plate composed of stacked parallel metal plates

We propose a simple achromatic terahertz wave plate composed of stacked parallel metal plates with a hole array. It consists of an ensemble of designed parallel plate waveguides; the high and low propagation speeds of waves in TE and TM waveguide modes with the same group velocity cause a constant phase difference over a wide frequency region. Using that wave plate, we obtained intense single- and multi-cycle THz pulses with circular polarization.

A real-time terahertz time-domain polarization analyzer with 80-MHz repetition-rate femtosecond laser pulses

We have developed a real-time terahertz time-domain polarization analyzer by using 80-MHz repetition-rate femtosecond laser pulses. Our technique is based on the spinning electro-optic sensor method, which we recently proposed and demonstrated by using a regenerative amplifier laser system; here we improve the detection scheme in order to be able to use it with a femtosecond laser oscillator with laser pulses of a much higher repetition rate. This improvement brings great advantages for realizing broadband, compact and stable real-time terahertz time-domain polarization measurement systems for scientific and industrial applications.

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopic ellipsometry: instrumentation and calibration

We present a new instrumentation and calibration procedure for terahertz time-domain spectroscopic ellipsometry (THz-TDSE) that is a newly established characterization technique. The experimental setup is capable of providing arbitrary angle of incidence in the range of 15°-85° in the reflection geometry, and with no need for realignment. The setup is also configurable easily into transmission geometry. For this setup, we successfully used hollow core photonic band gap fiber with no pre-chirping in order to deliver a femtosecond laser into a THz photoconductive antenna detector, which is the first demonstration of this kind. The proposed calibration scheme can compensate for the non-ideality of the polarization response of the THz photoconductive antenna detector as well as that of wire grid polarizers used in the setup. In the calibration scheme, the ellipsometric parameters are obtained through a regression algorithm which we have adapted from the conventional regression calibration method developed for rotating element optical ellipsometers, and used here for the first time for THz-TDSE. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, results are presented for a high resistivity silicon substrate as well as an opaque Si substrate with a high phosphorus concentration. We also demonstrate the capacity to measure a few micron thick grown thermal oxide on top of Si. Each sample was characterized by THz-TDSE in reflection geometry with different angle of incidence.