This work discusses the design and fabrication of a dual-plane terahertz (THz) hologram and an extended-depth-of-focus THz diffractive lens. The dual-plane THz hologram consists of 50 × 50 diffractive optical elements with identical element pixel size 1×1 mm, and the extended-depth-of-focus THz diffractive lens is designed with 25 concentric rings with identical ring width of 1 mm, resulting in same device dimension 50 mm × 50 mm. The height of the hologram pixels and concentric rings of the diffractive lens are optimized by nonlinear optimization algorithms with scalar diffraction theory based on Ray-Sommerfeld diffraction equation. Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) simulation results agree with optimization results obtained from the scalar diffraction theory for both the THz hologram and the THz diffractive lens. The demonstrated experimental results show that the proposed THz hologram and THz diffractive lens can generate the desired diffraction patterns. These diffractive structures have the potential to be applied in areas such as THz imaging, data storage, and displays.
more »
« less
Recent advances in terahertz imaging: 1999 to 2021
Abstract We discuss the progress in the field of THz imaging based on time-domain spectroscopy during the last 20 years emphasizing several highlights. These include 3D mapping of the water distribution of plants, THz reflection imaging of samples with arbitrary shape, burn wound imaging and the early diagnosis of diabetic foot disease. These applications greatly benefit from the introduction of fibre-coupled THz time-domain system operated by rugged and portable femtosecond fibre-lasers. THz imaging is a versatile measurement method that has a plethora of practical applications and great promise for the future.
more »
« less
- PAR ID:
- 10362503
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer Science + Business Media
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Applied Physics B
- Volume:
- 128
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 0946-2171
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Abstract Devices designed to dynamically control the transmission, reflection, and absorption of terahertz (THz) radiation are essential for the development of a broad range of THz technologies. A viable approach utilizes materials which undergo an insulator‐to‐metal transition (IMT), switching from transmissive to reflective upon becoming metallic. However, for many applications, it is undesirable to have spurious reflections that can scatter incident light and induce noise to the system. We present an electrically actuated, broadband THz switch which transitions from a transparent state with low reflectivity, to an absorptive state for which both the reflectivity and transmission are strongly suppressed. Our device consists of a patterned high‐resistivity silicon metamaterial layer that provides broadband reflection suppression by matching the impedance of free space. This is integrated with a VO2ground plane, which undergoes an IMT by means of a DC bias applied to an interdigitated electrode. THz time domain spectroscopy measurements reveal an active bandwidth of 700 GHz with suppressed reflection and more than 90% transmission amplitude modulation with a low insertion loss. We utilize finite‐difference time domain (FDTD) simulations in order to examine the loss mechanisms of the device, as well as the sensitivity to polarization and incident angle. This device validates a general approach toward suppressing unwanted reflections in THz modulators and switches which can be easily adapted to a broad array of applications through straightforward modifications of the structural parameters.more » « less
-
Abstract Development of terahertz (THz) sources, detectors, and optical components has been an active area of research across the globe. The interest in THz optoelectronics is driven by the various applications they have enabled, such as ultrawide‐band communication systems, air‐ and space‐borne astronomy, atmospheric monitoring, small‐scale radar, airport security scanners, ultrafast nanodevices, and biomedical imaging and sensing. Here, the aim is to provide a comprehensive review of THz bandpass metamaterials focusing on several areas. First, the design fundamentals and geometrical patterns of THz bandpass metamaterials are summarized. Second, fabrication methods of THz bandpass metamaterials are reviewed, including typical micro‐ and nanofabrication techniques and laser micromachining techniques. More importantly, different engineering methods are reviewed for tuning and modulation of the THz transmission resonance for these metamaterials. Both passive and active modulation methods are included in this discussion; the passive method involves changes in the geometrical pattern of the filter material, and the active method performs in situ modulation of properties by applying an external physical field. Finally, the potential applications and prospects for future research of THz bandpass metamaterials are discussed.more » « less
-
Abstract Terahertz (THz) technology is critical for quantum material physics, biomedical imaging, ultrafast electronics, and next‐generation wireless communications. However, standing in the way of widespread applications is the scarcity of efficient ultrafast THz sources with on‐demand fast modulation and easy on‐chip integration capability. Here the discovery of colossal THz emission is reported from a van der Waals (vdW) ferroelectric semiconductor NbOI2. Using THz emission spectroscopy, a THz generation efficiency an order of magnitude higher than that of ZnTe, a standard nonlinear crystal for ultrafast THz generation is observed. The underlying generation mechanisms associated are further uncovered with its large ferroelectric polarization by studying the THz emission dependence on excitation wavelength, incident polarization, and fluence. Moreover, the ultrafast coherent amplification and annihilation of the THz emission and associated coherent phonon oscillations by employing a double‐pump scheme are demonstrated. These findings combined with first‐principles calculations, inform a new understanding of the THz light–matter interaction in emergent vdW ferroelectrics and pave the way to develop high‐performance THz devices on them for quantum materials sensing and ultrafast electronics.more » « less
-
Abstract Large crystal growth and characterization of the optical and terahertz (THz) properties of organic nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal NMBA (4‐Nitro‐4′‐methylbenzylidene aniline) is presented. The reported method of crystal growth consistently produces high‐quality single crystals. The THz generation efficiency and optical properties of NMBA to other THz generation crystals including BNA and MNA are compared. The low THz absorptions that make NMBA an ideal source for THz time‐domain spectroscopy are highlighted.more » « less
An official website of the United States government
