Vector beams, enabling spatially dependent polarization states in the radial and azimuthal directions, have been intensively studied for various applications such as imaging, communication, and optical manipulation of magnetic materials. While liquid crystal-based Q-plates have been routinely employed to convert linearly polarized light to vector beams efficiently, their utility diminishes in the terahertz (THz) spectrum due to excessive absorption and large wavelengths. Alternatively, resonant metasurface-based Q-plates have been employed to demonstrate THz-vector beam generation, however, these Q-plates suffer from narrow operational bandwidth. We propose a method to design and fabricate twisted effective media-based Q-plate generating broadband terahertz vector beams. The twisted media consisted of stacked multiple layers of 270-um thick Si substrates with rotated line and space patterns following a specific twisting power- the angle per unit length along the beam propagation direction. By calculating the effective media with Berreman 4x4 method, we obtained the operating bandwidth of 0.5-1.5 THz (0.5-2.5 THz) with the twisting power of 22.5°/mm (4.5°/mm).
We investigate polarization-dependent ultrafast photocurrents in theWeyl semimetal TaAs using terahertz (THz) emission spectroscopy. Our results reveal that highly directional, transient photocurrents are generated along the non-centrosymmetric c-axis regardless of incident light polarization, while helicity-dependent photocurrents are excited within the ab-plane. Such findings are consistent with earlier static photocurrent experiments, and demonstrate on the basis of both the physical constraints imposed by symmetry and the temporal dynamics intrinsic to current generation and decay that optically induced photocurrents in TaAs are inherent to the underlying crystal symmetry. Such generality in the microscopic origin of photocurrent generation in the transition metal monopnictide family of Weyl semimetals makes these materials promising candidates as next generation sources or detectors in the mid-IR and terahertz frequency ranges.
Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is a nondestructive method that has the ability to identify many hazardous materials by investigating their low frequency vibrational modes (0.1-6.0 THz). Ammonium nitrate (AN), often used in improvised explosives, exhibits featureless reflection/transmission spectrum at THz frequencies at room temperature. However, the low frequency vibrational modes exhibit strong temperature dependence below room temperature (<240k) due to the polymorphic phase transitions. In this work, we study the effective dielectric properties of AN embedded in a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) host medium using terahertz time domain spectroscopy in the temperature ranging from 5K to 300K. The dielectric properties of pure AN were extracted using three different effective medium theories (EMT): (i) the simple effective medium approach, (ii) the Maxwell-Garnett (MG) model, and (iii) the Bruggeman (BR) model. The dielectric properties obtained from theoretical approximations agree well with the experimental values. We identified six lattice vibrational modes between 0.2-3.0 THz that are associated with the polymorphic phase transitions at low temperature.
Reliable detection of energetic materials is still a formidable challenge which requires further investigation. The remote standoff detection of explosives using molecular fingerprints in the terahertz spectral range has been an evolving research area for the past two decades. Despite many efforts, identification of a particular explosive remains difficult as the spectral fingerprints often shift due to the working conditions of the sample such as temperature, crystal orientation, presence of binders, etc. In this work, we investigate the vibrational spectrum of energetic materials including RDX, PETN, AN, and 1,3-DNB diluted in a low loss PTFE host medium using terahertz time domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) at cryogenic temperatures. The measured absorptions of these materials show spectral shifts of their characteristic peaks while changing their operating temperature from 300 to 7.5 K. We have developed a theoretical model based on first principles methods, which is able to predict most of the measured modes in 1, 3-DNB between 0.3 to 2.50 THz. These findings may further improve the security screening of explosives.
Electromagnetic metamaterials (MMs) consisting of highly conducting sub-wavelength metallic resonators enable many unusual electromagnetic properties at designed frequencies which are not permissible with the naturally occurring materials. The electromagnetic properties of metamaterial are typically controlled by the clever design of the MM unit cell, often termed as meta-molecule, consisting of metallic split ring resonators (SRRs) or meta-atoms. The near field coupling between meta-atoms plays a vital role in tuning the natural resonances of individual SRR and, therefore, has the ability to modify the far-field radiation properties significantly. It is shown that near field coupling between the meta-atoms could lead to resonance tuning, mode splitting, and ultrafast switching in passive and active resonators. In this article, we present a brief review on tuning the metamaterial properties by active and passive manipulation of near field coupling between neighboring split ring resonators.
George Rodriguez, Marcelo Jaime, Chuck Mielke, Fedor Balakirev, Abul Azad, Richard Sandberg, Bruce Marshall, Brandon La Lone, Bryan Henson, Laura Smilowitz, Mark Marr-Lyon, Tom Sandoval
A 100 MHz fiber Bragg grating (FBG) interrogation system is described and applied to strain, pressure, and shock position sensing. The approach relies on coherent pulse illumination of the FBG sensor with a broadband short pulse from a femtosecond modelocked erbium fiber laser. After interrogation of the FBG sensor, a long multi-kilometer run of single mode fiber was used for chromatic dispersion to temporally stretch the spectral components of the reflected pulse from the FBG sensor. Dynamic strain or pressure induced spectral shifts in the FBG sensor were detected as a pulsed time domain waveform shift after encoding by the chromatic dispersive line. Signals were recorded using a single 35 GHz photodetector and a 25 GHz bandwidth digitizing oscilloscope. Application of this approach to high-speed strain sensing of magnetic materials in pulsed magnetic fields to ~150 T is demonstrated. The FBG wavelength shifts were used to study magnetic field driven magnetostriction effects in LaCoO3. A sub-microsecond temporal shift in the FBG sensor wavelength attached to the sample under first order phase change appears as a fractional length change (strain: ΔL/L<10-4) in the material. A second application to FBG sensing of pressure dynamics to nearly 2 GPa in the thermal ignition of the high explosive PBX-9501 is also demonstrated. Then, as final demonstration, we use a chirped FBG (CFBG) to resolve shock propagation dynamics in 1-D from an explosive detonation that produces fragmentation in an inert confinement vessel. These applications demonstrate the use of this FBG interrogation system in dynamical extreme conditions that would otherwise not be possible using traditional FBG interrogation approaches that are deemed too slow to resolve such events.
We demonstrate thermal and ultrafast optical tuning in planar terahertz (THz) superconducting metamaterials. The
fundamental resonance of an array of split-ring resonators (SRRs) fabricated from a 50-nm-thick high-temperature
superconducting (HTS) YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) film is characterized as a function of temperature and near-infrared
photoexcitation fluence. The HTS metamaterial exhibits a very strong resonant response at temperatures much lower
than the transition temperature Tc. Increasing the temperature reduces the density of Cooper pairs, which results in a
dramatically decreasing imaginary part of the complex conductivity, and thereby tunes the metamaterial resonance. We
observe switched resonance strength and large red shift of resonance frequency when the temperature increases from 20
K to Tc. Similar resonance switching and frequency tuning is also demonstrated in an ultrafast time scale through near-infrared
femtosecond laser excitation. We further compare the thermal tuning behaviour of the 50-nm-thick HTS
metamaterial with a metamaterial sample comprised of gold SRRs with identical geometry and dimensions, which has
negligible tunability.
Extraordinary optical transmission through subwavelength metallic hole-arrays has been an active research area
since its first demonstration. The frequency selective resonance properties of subwavelength metallic hole arrays,
generally known as surface plasmon polaritons, have potential use in functional plasmonic devices such as filters,
modulators, switches, etc. Such plasmonic devices are also very promising for future terahertz applications. Ultrafast
switching or modulation of the resonant behavior of the 2-D metallic arrays in terahertz frequencies is of particular
interest for high speed communication and sensing applications. In this paper, we demonstrate ultrafast optical control of
surface plasmon enhanced resonant terahertz transmission in two-dimensional subwavelength metallic hole arrays
fabricated on gallium arsenide based substrates. Optically pumping the arrays creates a thin conductive layer in the
substrate reducing the terahertz transmission amplitude of both the resonant mode and the direct transmission. Under low
optical fluence, the terahertz transmission is more greatly affected by resonance damping than by propagation loss in the
substrate. An ErAs:GaAs nanoisland superlattice substrate is shown to allow ultrafast control with a switching recovery
time of ~10 ps. We also present resonant terahertz transmission in a hybrid plasmonic film comprised of an integrated
array of subwavelength metallic islands and semiconductor hole arrays. Optically pumping the semiconductor hole
arrays favors excitation of surface plasmon resonance. A large dynamic transition between a dipolar localized surface
plasmon mode and a surface plasmon resonance near 0.8 THz is observed under near infrared optical excitation. The
reversal in transmission amplitude from a stop-band to a pass-band and up to π/ 2 phase shift achieved in the hybrid
plasmonic film make it promising in large dynamic phase modulation, optical changeover switching, and active terahertz
plasmonics.
The terahertz (THz) region has been shown to have considerable application potential for spectroscopic imaging,
nondestructive imaging through nonpolar, nonmetallic materials and imaging of biological materials. These applications
have all been possible due to the recent progress in THz sources, detectors and measurement techniques. However, only
moderate progress has been made in developing passive and active devices to control and manipulate THz radiation,
which can enhance current imaging capabilities. One promising approach for implementing passive and active devices at
THz frequencies are metamaterials - composite materials designed to have specific electromagnetic properties not found
in naturally occurring materials. The most common implementation utilizes a metallic resonant particle periodically
distributed in an insulator matrix where the periodicity is significantly smaller than the wavelength of operation. We
have designed and implemented three metamaterial based devices with potential applications to THz imaging. We
present an electrically-driven active metamaterial which operates as an external modulator for a ~2.8 THz CW quantum
cascade laser. We obtained a modulation depth of ~60%. We also demonstrate a polarization sensitive metamaterial
which can be used as a continuously variable attenuator or as a wave plate. The latter may be useful for the development
of THz phase contrast imaging.
The novel properties of semiconductor nanowires, along with their potential for device applications in areas including
nanoscale lasers and thermoelectrics, have led to a resurgence of interest in their growth and characterization over the
past decade. However, the further development and optimization of nanowire-based devices will depend critically on an
understanding of carrier relaxation in these nanostructures. For example, the operation of GaN-based photonic devices is
often influenced by the presence of a large defect state concentration. Ultrafast optical spectroscopy can address this
problem by measuring carrier transfer into and out of these states, which will be important in optimizing device
performance.
In this work, we use ultrafast wavelength-tunable optical spectroscopy to temporally resolve carrier dynamics in
semiconductor nanowires. Wavelength-tunable optical pump-probe measurements enable us to independently measure
electron and hole dynamics in Ge nanowires, revealing that the lifetime of both electrons and holes decreases with
decreasing nanowire diameter. Similar measurements on CdSe nanostructures reveal that the surface-to-volume ratio
strongly influences carrier relaxation. Finally, ultrafast optical experiments on GaN nanowires probe carrier dynamics in
the defect states that influence device operation. These experiments provide fundamental insight into carrier relaxation in
these nanosystems and reveal information critical to optimizing their performance for applications.
In this paper we present our recent developments in terahertz (THz) metamaterials and devices. Planar THz metamaterials and their complementary structures fabricated on suitable substrates have shown electric resonant response, which causes the band-pass or band-stop property in THz transmission and reflection. The operational frequency can be further tuned up to 20% upon photoexcitation of an integrated semiconductor region in the split-ring resonators as the metamaterial elements. On the other hand, the use of semiconductors as metamaterial substrates enables dynamical control of metamaterial resonances through photoexcitation, and reducing the substrate carrier lifetime further enables an ultrafast switching recovery. The metamaterial resonances can also be actively controlled by application of a voltage bias when they are fabricated on semiconductor substrates with appropriate doping concentration and thickness. Using this electrically driven approach, THz modulation depth up to 80% and modulation speed of 2 MHz at room temperature have been demonstrated, which suggests practical THz applications.
The fascinating properties of plasmonic structures have had significant impact on the development of next
generation ultracompact photonic and optoelectronic components. We study two-dimensional plasmonic structures
functioning at terahertz frequencies. Resonant terahertz response due to surface plasmons and dipole localized surface
plasmons were investigated by the state-of-the-art terahertz time domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) using both
transmission and reflection configurations. Extraordinary terahertz transmission was demonstrated through the
subwavelength metallic hole arrays made from good conducting metals as well as poor metals. Metallic arrays made
from Pb, generally a poor metal, and having optically thin thicknesses less than one-third of a skin depth also contributed
in enhanced THz transmission. A direct transition of a surface plasmon resonance from a photonic crystal minimum was
observed in a photo-doped semiconductor array. Electrical controls of the surface plasmon resonances by hybridization
of the Schottky diode between the metallic grating and the semiconductor substrate are investigated as a function of the
applied reverse bias. In addition, we have demonstrated photo-induced creation and annihilation of surface plasmons
with appropriate semiconductors at room temperature. According to the Fano model, the transmission properties are
characterized by two essential contributions: resonant excitation of surface plasmons and nonresonant direct
transmission. Such plasmonic structures may find fascinating applications in terahertz imaging, biomedical sensing,
subwavelength terahertz spectroscopy, tunable filters, and integrated terahertz devices.
We present experimental studies of extraordinary terahertz (THz) transmission in subwavelength plasmonic hole arrays patterned on both metals and doped semiconductors. Transmission efficiency higher than unity was achieved when it was normalized to the area occupied by the holes. The effects of hole shape, dielectric function of metals and surrounding media, polarization dependence, and array thickness on the enhanced THz transmission in both metals and plasmonic semiconductors were demonstrated by use of THz time-domain spectroscopy. Extraordinary THz transmission was also realized in metallic arrays having thickness of only one-third of the skin depth. THz surface plasmon resonance has potential applications in THz imaging, biosensing, interconnects, and the development of next generation photoconductive antennas for THz generation and detection.
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