Abstract-Transformation of terahertz spectra emitted from dual-frequency femtosecond pulse interaction in gases

                   

                                                      

A. V. Borodin, N. A. Panov, O. G. Kosareva, V. A. Andreeva, M. N. Esaulkov, V. A. Makarov, A. P. Shkurinov, S. L. Chin, and X.-C. Zhang  »View Author Affiliations

http://www.opticsinfobase.org/ol/abstract.cfm?uri=ol-38-11-1906

We demonstrate that the two basic physical mechanisms of terahertz (THz) generation in a femtosecond filament, namely, the free electron photocurrent and the nonlinear polarization of neutrals, can be identified through the spectral analysis of THz radiation. The contribution from the photocurrent peaks at the units of THz, while the neutrals yield the peak at the tens of THz. We suggest the practical implementation of such spectral analysis by varying the initial transform-limited laser pulse duration.

© 2013 Optical Society of America

Handheld THz Instrumentation

http://spie.org/x86630.xml Research is advancing toward THz system miniaturization, once thought nearly impossible to achieve. By X.-C. Zhang and Albert Redo-Sanchez Handheld THz Instrumentation Research is advancing toward THz system miniaturization, once thought nearly impossible to achieve. By X.-C. Zhang and Albert Redo-Sanchez Technological progress in recent years in the area of terahertz (THz) instrumentation and systems has been driven mostly by THz wave spectroscopy applications. THz spectrometers have become more compact and are easier to use for non-expert operators. They also offer improved performance compared to home-made systems built in the laboratory. The trend of accelerated technological progress in THz instrumentation indicates that the gap between application needs and performance and functionality is getting narrower as time advances. The micro-Z, a handheld, battery-operated THz-wave broadband spectrometer, is an example of recent progress in the THz field that realizes devices that were almost unthinkable a few years ago. The trend toward size reduction, higher component integration, and performance improvement is expected to have an impact on high-demanding THz applications such as THz wave sensing, especially in THz pulsed systems for homeland security and nondestructive evaluation (NDE).    Zomega’s Brian Schulkin holding the micro-Z handheld and battery-operated THz TDS spectrometer. Photos courtesy Zomega. THz applications in defense THz wave spectroscopy covers the part of electromagnetic spectrum between 0.1 to 10 THz. Funding agencies have driven much of the recent technological evolution in THz instrumentation and systems, and most of the progress has been toward the development of THz time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) systems. THz TDS has been demonstrated to be an excellent technique for characterizing and identifying many organic compounds, especially explosives and their related compounds.1-4 A TDS system generates and detects a THz pulse (or waveform) in the time domain and computes the spectrum by performing a Fourier Transform on the waveform. Most applications of THz TDS spectroscopy and NDE have been explored intensively in a laboratory environment.5 Industry pushes boundaries In any field, there is always a gap between the demonstration of a new technology in an academic lab and the ability of a wide user base to put the technology into practice for their own particular applications. Usually, it is the role of industry to close that gap by providing user-friendly tools, instruments, and systems to meet practical needs. Companies such as Picometrix (USA), TeraView (UK) and Zomega Terahertz Corp. (USA) have been pushing the boundaries of THz technology to realize promising applications with THz waves. For example, Picometrix was one of the first companies to develop a system targeted to NDE applications. TeraView has focused its efforts on the development of THz spectroscopic systems for the pharmaceutical industry, and Zomega has focused on developing compact and portable THz spectroscopic systems for research and NDE applications.    Terahertz image of moth wings from a Zomega system. THz systems are getting small Most companies offering THz products have been making the technology easier to use for non-expert operators by reducing the size, weight, and power requirements, improving the performance of emitters and receivers, and being sensitive to sample location and shape. For instance, most commercially available THz systems are designed to operate on a laboratory bench or table, and samples have to be prepared and taken to the device. Furthermore, even relatively portable systems require supporting equipment and facilities such as wall-plug power. However, in the last year, a Rensselaer-Zomega team has designed and built a fully integrated, turnkey, handheld, and battery-operated THz wave spectrometer, the micro-Z. The 5-pound device is the size of a cordless drill and was a finalist in the 2011 Prism Awards for Photonics Innovation. Designed to be a lightweight tool for detection and identification of chemicals such as explosives and related compounds in the open field, this compact system is configured to work in normal-incidence reflection in a point-and-shoot fashion. It produces and measures pulsed terahertz waves from 0.1 to 3.0 THz using time-domain techniques in both transmission and reflection geometries, with a waveform acquisition rate of 500 Hz and a time delay >100 ps. Battery life during operation is up to 12 hours. The high waveform acquisition rate allows compensating for the operator hand tremor frequencies, measured to be between 1 to 10 Hz. Although some progress is still necessary for a fully deployable system in a battlefield environment, the headway achieved with micro-Z is just one example of the efforts to address the needs of users. Once thought very difficult or impossible to achieve, we expect that this trend of miniaturization, compact design, and ease of use of THz systems will continue in the future. THz-wave imaging has potential Looking ahead, we anticipate that a major driver for the technological development will be imaging applications. THz-wave imaging has shown its potential in NDE and security applications6-12 because THz waves can penetrate dry, non-metallic, and non-polar materials such as cloth, paper, cardboard, and ceramic, which enables the interrogation of optically non-transparent targets. Moreover, because the wavelength is on the order of millimeters or less, the resolution of the images is also a few millimeters, which can provide great detail in images of macroscopic objects. The use of THz for imaging has also been driven by security applications, such as full-body scanners now being tested at many airports. In this application, companies such as Thruvision (UK) and Brijot (USA), acquired by Microsemi in 2011, have been leading the technical effort. Advantages of CW system The THz technology in such a system is continuous wave (CW) as opposed to the pulsed approach of spectroscopic systems. Because most such imaging systems are single-pixel and therefore require raster scanning to form an image, CW had several advantages over pulsed systems, including faster data acquisition speeds and higher output powers. However, pulsed systems offered unique features for NDE imaging applications, such as spectroscopic imaging. As recently as a few years ago, acquiring a waveform required minutes to complete. This made imaging impractical, as it could take tens of minutes to acquire an image. With recent progress in fast waveform acquisition rates (up to 500 waveforms per second) and smaller footprint sizes, pulsed systems have suddenly become more feasible for imaging applications because system operation is no longer limited by the speed of acquisition but by the scanning speed. We expect technological development targeted at increasing the imaging speed and performance of these THz imaging systems for a variety of applications, including in biomedical testing and clinical trials. SPIE Member X.-C. Zhang is director of the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics and chairman and president of Zomega Terahertz Corp. He is also distinguished professor at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics and the former director of the Center for Terahertz Research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has a PhD in physics from Brown University and frequently teaches courses for SPIE. Albert Redo-Sanchez is director of business development at Zomega Terahertz Corp. Formerly a research assistant professor at the Rensselaer Center for Terahertz Research, he holds a PhD in physics from University of Barcelona. References 1. J. Chen, Y. Chen, H. Zhao, G.J. Bastiaans, and X.-C. Zhang. “Absorption coefficients of selected explosives and related compounds in the range of 0.1-2.8 THz,” Optics Express 15(19), 12060–12067 (2007). 2. Y. Shen, T. Lo, P.F. Taday, B.E. Cole, W. Tribe, and M. Kemp. “Detection and identification of explosives using terahertz pulsed spectroscopic imaging,” Applied Physics Letters 86, 241116 (2005). 3. C. Baker, T. Lo, W. Tribe, B. Cole, M. Hogbin, and M. Kemp. “Detection of Concealed Explosives at a Distance Using Terahertz Technology,” Proceedings of IEEE 95(8), 1559–1565 (2007). 4. Existing and Potential Standoff Explosives Detection Techniques, National Research Council of the National Academies Press. (2004). (ISBN: 10: 0-309-09130-6; ISBN-13: 978-0-309-09130-5) 5. M. Tonouchi. “Cutting-edge terahertz technology,” Nature Photonics 1, 97 (2007). 6. C. Baker, T. Lo, W.R. Tribe, B.E. Cole, M. Hogbin, and M.C. Kemp. “Detection of Concealed Explosives at a Distance Using Terahertz Technology,” Proceedings of the IEEE 95, 1559-1565 (2007). 7. K. Kawase, Y. Ogawa, Y. Watanabe, and H. Inoue. “Non-destructive terahertz imaging of illicit drugs using spectral fingerprints,” Optics Express 11, 20, 2549-2554 (2003). 8. A. Dobroiu, M. Yamashita, Y.N. Ohshima, Y. Morita, C. Otani, and K. Kawase. “Terahertz imaging system based on a backward-wave oscillator,” Applied Optics 43, 30, 5637-5646 (2004). 9. J.P. Dougherty, G.D. Jubic, and W.L. Kiser. “Terahertz imaging of burned tissue,” Proceedings of SPIE 6472, 64720N (2007). 10. N. Karpowicz, D. Dawes, M.J. Perry, and X.-C. Zhang. “Fire damage on carbon fiber materials characterized by THz waves,” Proceedings of SPIE 6212, 62120G (2006). 11. A.J.L. Adam, P.C.M. Planken, S. Meloni, and J. Dik. “Terahertz imaging of hidden paint layers on canvas,” Optics Express 17, 5, 3407-3416 (2009). 12. N. Karpowicz, A. Redo-Sanchez, H. Zhong, X. Li, J. Xu, and X.-C. Zhang. “Continuous-wave terahertz imaging for non-destructive testing applications,” IRMMW-THz, 1, 329-330 (2005).

Abstract-Generation of Elliptically Polarized Terahertz Waves from Laser-Induced Plasma with Double Helix Electrodes

Xiaofei Luhttp://prl.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v108/i12/e123903² and X.-C. Zhang^1,2,* 
1Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
²Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, Center for Terahertz Research, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA

Received 6 June 2011; published 21 March 2012

By applying a helical electric field along a plasma region, a revolving electron current is formed along the plasma and an elliptically polarized far-field terahertz wave pattern is observed. The observed terahertz wave polarization reveals the remarkable role of velocity retardation between optical pulses and generated terahertz pulses in the generation process. Extensive simulations, including longitudinal propagation effects, are performed to clarify the mechanisms responsible for polarization control of air-plasma-based terahertz sources.

© 2012 American Physical Society

URL:

http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.123903

DOI:

10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.123903

PACS:

42.65.Re, 32.80.Fb, 52.50.Jm

Microwave and terahertz wave sensing with metamaterials

MY NOTE: MORE ON USE OF METAMATERIAL FOR THz, GENERATION

http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-19-22-21620

Abstract

We have designed, fabricated, and characterized metamaterial enhanced bimaterial cantilever pixels for far-infrared detection. Local heating due to absorption from split ring resonators (SRRs) incorporated directly onto the cantilever pixels leads to mechanical deflection which is readily detected with visible light. Highly responsive pixels have been fabricated for detection at 95 GHz and 693 GHz, demonstrating the frequency agility of our technique. We have obtained single pixel responsivities as high as 16,500 V/W and noise equivalent powers of 10⁻⁸ W/Hz^1/2 with these first-generation devices.

© 2011 OSA

» View Full Text: Acrobat PDF (2403 KB)

Listening to terahertz electromagnetic waves

http://thznetwork.net/index.php/archives/1287                                                                                                           A technique for detecting short bursts of terahertz radiation through the use of laser plasma-induced acoustic waves should enable the detection of hazardous materials at a safe distance.
Terahertz (THz) electromagnetic waves have remarkable and unique abilities for imaging, chemical identification, and penetration of many optically opaque barriers. Photon energies at these frequencies are relatively small (meV), which means the radiation is non-ionizing and therefore considered biologically innocuous. With the growing list of applications and demand for THz technology, THz sources and detectors have improved significantly, creating opportunities for realizable commercial and national defense related devices.

Figure 1. Plasma acoustic wave enhancement when a THz pulse interacts with a bichromatic field-induced plasma. Free electrons have acquired a net drift velocity through the laser field that is either antiparallel, symmetric, or parallel to the applied THz field. The THz pulse is scanned in time relative to the plasma formation while the acoustic emission is monitored for each scenario. Curves are offset for clarity. arb: Arbitrary.
Despite its advantages, THz radiation also presents several challenges. First, absorption of THz waves in the atmosphere at habitable altitudes can be greater than 100dB/km due to fundamental vibrational and rotational resonant modes of water molecules that absorb the waves’ energy. In comparison, visible light is attenuated about 0.02dB/km. For this reason, THz radiation is only operated at either extremely short distances (several centimeters), or under dry nitrogen-purged laboratory environments. Second, with traditional measurement techniques, it is only possible to obtain THz wave information in the forward propagating direction, which is impractical for remote applications. Third, existing detection methods require either electro-optic crystals or electrodes at the point of detection, meaning they must be performed on a very local scale. Therefore, there is a need to use the powerful yet non-invasive material and vapor identification abilities of THz waves while extending the effective distances over which the technology can be used.

Figure 2. THz pulses retrieved through acoustic detection and traditional methods using an electro-optic crystal. a.u.: Arbitrary units.
Recently, we demonstrated that two intense optical beams focused into the air can generate intense broadband THz radiation at distances up to 30m and with pulse energies up to 250nJ through the photoionization process. While this is a step towards realizing remote THz sensing, obtaining information on the wave from these distances is still a problem. It is well known that when a laser plasma is formed through photoionization, it releases energy in the form of acoustic waves. After photoionization, the remaining portion of the laser pulse accelerates freed electrons inside the plasma. Collisions between hot electrons and their surrounding air molecules produce an increase in localized gas temperature that results in the release of a shock wave that quickly relaxes into a broadband acoustic pulse. What is less known is that THz wave information, on the picosecond time scale, can be encoded into these acoustic waves, making it possible to retrieve this information from any direction without electro-optic crystals, electrodes, or the penalty of high water vapor attenuation of the encoded signal.
To encode THz information into acoustic waves, it is first necessary to create asymmetric electron motion inside the plasma by introducing a second optical field at twice the frequency. By carefully selecting the phase between these two optical pulses, a dominant electron motion parallel or antiparallel to the laser pulse polarization can make the electron drift velocity asymmetric. Figure 1 shows the acoustic amplitude of the plasma as the THz pulse is scanned in time relative to the plasma formation for the three aforementioned scenarios of electron motion relative to the THz electric field.
When a pulse is introduced into each respective scenario for which the freed electrons have acquired antiparallel, symmetric, or parallel drift in relation to the THz field before the first collision event, electrons are either slightly accelerated, unaltered, or decelerated by the field, respectively. Taking the difference in acoustic emission for parallel and antiparallel scenarios eliminates acoustic enhancement contributed by electron kinetic energy transfer after the first collision event (for which electron trajectory is randomized and no longer coherent). The resulting information reveals this energy transfer, which is directly proportional to the field. Ultimately, this means we can recover a coherent waveform by ‘listening’ to the interaction between THz waves and an asymmetric laser-induced plasma. Figure 2 shows the pulse retrieved through acoustics and through traditional methods for comparison.
In conclusion, our acoustic technique uses the powerful capabilities of THz radiation for non-invasive imaging and chemical identification, and it uncovers new opportunities for overcoming some of the greatest limitations of THz wave technology. In the future, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the collisional energy transfer process by imaging the photoacoustic shock wave using a gated, intensified, charge-coupled device that will allow us to visualize the evolution of the pressure waves under the influence of high-field THz radiation.
Benjamin Clough, Jingle Liu, X.-C. Zhang
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
Source: SPIE.org.