Real-time absolute frequency measurement of continuous-wave terahertz radiation based on dual terahertz combs of photocarriers with different frequency spacings.
OPTICS EXPRESS 2015;
23:11367-11377. [PMID:
25969231 DOI:
10.1364/oe.23.011367]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Real-time measurement of the absolute frequency of continuous-wave terahertz (CW-THz) radiation is required for characterization and frequency calibration of practical CW-THz sources. We proposed a method for real-time monitoring of the absolute frequency of CW-THz radiation involving temporally parallel, i.e., simultaneous, measurement of two pairs of beat frequencies and laser repetition frequencies based on dual THz combs of photocarriers (PC-THz combs) with different frequency spacings. To demonstrate the method, THz-comb-referenced spectrum analyzers were constructed with a dual configuration based on dual femtosecond lasers. Regardless of the presence or absence of frequency control in the PC-THz combs, a frequency precision of 10(-11) was achieved at a measurement rate of 100 Hz. Furthermore, large fluctuation of the CW-THz frequencies, crossing several modes of the PC-THz combs, was correctly monitored in real time. The proposed method will be a powerful tool for the research and development of practical CW-THz sources, and other applications.
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