This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 9585 including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, Introduction, and Conference Committee listing.

We present the recent development of high performance compact THz sources based on intracavity nonlinear frequency mixing in mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers. Significant performance improvements of our THz sources with respect to the continuous wave THz power output, monolithic THz tuning, and widely frequency are achieved by systematic optimization of the device's active region, waveguide design, and chip bonding strategy. Room temperature continuous wave THz power of more than 10 μW at 3.4 THz is demonstrated at room temperature. Monolithic THz tuning of a chip-based THz source from 2.6 to 4.2 THz with power up to 0.1 mW is achieved. Surface emission from the substrate via a diffraction grating with THz power up to 0.5 mW is also obtained. The developing characteristics show the potential for these THz sources as local oscillators for many astronomical and medical applications.

Nitride semiconductor is a material having potentials for realizing wide frequency range of quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs), i.e., 3～20 THz and 1～8 μm, including an unexplored terahertz frequency range from 5 to 12 THz, as well as realizing room temperature operation of THz-QCL. The merit of using an AlGaN-based semiconductor is that it has much higher longitudinal optical phonon energies (E_LO> 90meV) than those of GaAs-based semiconductors (~ 36 meV). In this study, we demonstrate the first lasing action of GaN-based QCLs. We introduced an unique quantum design active region, i.e., “pure 3-level system design”, which is consisting of 2 quantum wells (QWs) per one period. We grew GaN/AlGaN QC structures by using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The layer structure of the GaN/AlGaN QCL was consisting of 100~200 periods of QC active layers sandwiched by Si-doped (Al)GaN upper and lower contact layers, which were grown on a high-quality AlGaN/AlN template grown on a c-plane sapphire substrate. After the crystal growth, we fabricated QCL sample with single metal plasmon waveguide structure. Lasing spectrum was obtained at 5.39 THz measured under pulsed current injection at 5.8K. The threshold current density J_th and the threshold voltage V_th were 1.75 kA/cm² and 14.5 V, respectively. We also fabricated similar design GaN/AlGaN QCL by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and obtained lasing at 6.97 THz. The J_th and V_th of the MOCVD grown QCL were 0.75 kA/cm² and 27 V, respectively, measured at 5.2 K.

Resonant slot-antennas were integrated with uni-traveling-carrier photodiodes (UTC-PDs) for increasing THz-wave output power with relatively broad bandwidths. The measured output power was two to three times larger at its peak frequency than that of a non-resonant bowtie-antenna-integrated device. Output power enhancement was achieved at frequencies from 900 GHz to 1.6 THz for a narrow-slot UTC-PD and from 350 to 850 GHz for a wide-slot UTC-PD. Typical output power was 3.5 μW at 1.25 THz and 28 μW at 700 GHz for a photocurrent of 10 mA with a bias voltage of -0.4 V.

This paper discusses the principles of operation, state of the art, and future potential of active two-terminal devices for generation of low-noise, continuous-wave terahertz radiation. These devices use transit-time, transferred-electron, and quantum-mechanical effects (or a combination of them) to create a negative differential resistance (NDR) at the frequency of interest. Many different types of NDR devices have been proposed since the earliest days of semiconductor devices and studied in detailed simulations for their power generation potential, but have yet to be demonstrated experimentally. The paper focuses on NDR devices that not only yielded significant output powers at millimeter waves frequencies and higher, but also have the strong potential of generating radiation at terahertz frequencies. Examples of such NDR devices are resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs), superlattice electronic devices (SLEDs), and InP Gunn devices. Examples of their state-of-the-art results are output powers of 0.2 mW at 443 GHz and 5 μW at 1.53 THz from InGaAs/AlAs double barrier RTDs on InP substrate; 5.0 mW at 123.3 GHz, 1.1 mW at 155.1 GHz, and 0.52 mW at 252.8 GHz from GaAs/AlAs superlattice electronic devices on GaAs substrate; and 330 μW at 412 GHz, 86 μW at 479 GHz, and 18 μW at 502 GHz from InP Gunn devices.

Intense Terahertz waves generated from air-induced plasma and serving as broadband THz source provide a promising broadband source for innovative technology. Terahertz generation in selected gases has attracted more and more researchers’ interests in recent years. In this research, the THz emission from different atoms is described, such as nitrogen, argon and helium in Michelson. The THz radiation is detected by a Golay Cell equipped with a 6-mm-diameter diamond-inputting window. It can be seen in the first time that when the pump power lies at a stable level, the THz generation created by the femtosecond laser focusing on the nitrogen is higher than which focusing on the helium, and lower than that produced in the argon gas environment. We believe that the THz intensity is Ar > N > Ne because of its atomic mass, which is Ar > N > Ne as well. It is clear that the Gas molecular decides the release of free electrons ionized from ultra short femtosecond laser through the electronic dynamic analysis. The higher the gas mass is, the stronger the terahertz emission will be. We further explore the THz emission at the different laser power levels, and the experimental results can be commendably quadratic fitted. It can be inferred that THz emission under different gas medium environment still complies with the law of four-wave mixing (FWM) process and has nothing to do with the gas environment: the radiation energy is proportional to the quadratic of incident laser power.

In this paper we investigate the interaction of THz radiation with intervalence band transitions. The strong nonparabolicity and k-dependence of the transition dipole moment combined with many body effects leads to interesting features that strongly the polartonic branches as the excitation power increases. The numerical results presented can stimulate further experimental investigations for a deeper understanding of the intervalence band coupling scenario and have potential for polaritonic devices.

Considering the two-photon light shift (TPLS) effect and the Doppler shift effect, the model of the output frequency of the optically pumped THz gas laser has been built up. The influence of the TPLS and the Doppler shift effects on THz output frequency stability has been analyzed theoretically and numerically. Results indicate that, increasing the pump laser power may degrade the THz output frequency stability to some extent. When only considering the TPLS, with certain pump laser power, the THz frequency shift increases first and then decreases with the increasing of the pump laser frequency offset. In addition, the THz frequency shift tends to decrease gradually with the increasing of the gas pressure and the operating temperature. However, further considering the influence of the Doppler shift effect simultaneously, the THz frequency shift tends to increase nearly linearly with the pump frequency offset. The results provide reference to improve output frequency stability of the optically pumped THz gas laser.

We investigate the carrier dynamics in Landau-quantized graphene within the density matrix formalism. In particular, we focus on the carrier-light interaction addressing the impact of higher-order polarizations beyond the optical selection rules. We find that these terms are in general negligible, however, there are regimes, where they even become crucial for the carrier dynamics. Our calculations show that for short excitation pulses, very small Landau level broadenings, and certain configurations of magnetic field strength, Fermi energy, and excitation energy, higher-order polarizations need to be taken into account.

We have recently proposed and investigated the use of the relativistic Doppler reflection to up-shift the frequency of incident THz pulses, where the reflecting boundary is realized by a charge-carrier plasma front generated by a counter-propagating optical pump pulse in a semiconductor medium. In light of experimental results with high-resistivity silicon as the medium, here we employ numerical simulations to examine the effects of (i) the scattering time and (ii) pre-excitation of the plasma before the main pulse, which both can have a profound impact on the frequency up-conversion. These results also suggest that the initial effective Drude scattering time in silicon (before thermalization) may be below 10 femtoseconds, exemplifying the use of the Doppler reflective geometry as a novel probe of initial charge-carrier dynamics.

Principal limitations of the standard THz-TDS method for the detection and identification are demonstrated under real conditions (at long distance of about 3.5 m and at a high relative humidity more than 50%) using neutral substances thick paper bag, paper napkins and chocolate. We show also that the THz-TDS method detects spectral features of dangerous substances even if the THz signals were measured in laboratory conditions (at distance 30-40 cm from the receiver and at a low relative humidity less than 2%); silicon-based semiconductors were used as the samples. However, the integral correlation criteria, based on SDA method, allows us to detect the absence of dangerous substances in the neutral substances. The discussed algorithm shows high probability of the substance identification and a reliability of realization in practice, especially for security applications and non-destructive testing.

We developed a reflection type ultra-broad band terahertz time-domain spectroscopic ellipsometry covering the frequency range from 0.5 to 30 THz. The system utilizes two nonlinear optical crystals of GaP and GaSe as terahertz and mid-infrared sources, respectively, and employs a detector based on a photoconductive antenna switch using a low temperature grown GaAs (LT-GaAs) epitaxial layer transferred on Si substrate. By switching the emitter, the measurable frequency range can be easily changed from the 0.5-7.8 THz range to the 7.8-30 THz range without additional optical alignment. We measured the dielectric function of a p-type InAs wafer and the complex optical conductivity of an indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film. The obtained carrier density and the mobility of the ITO thin film show good agreement with that obtained by the Hall

This paper summarizes an efficient numerical method to design terahertz photomixers. The method is illustrated by comparisons with designs in the literature. Next we deliver complementary results to the study of two recently introduced photomixer designs based on the high impedance T-match antenna. The estimated output power of the improved design is 9.0μW, which is an improvement of three times over reference photomixers .

Due to the difficulties faced in fabricating robust Terahertz (THz) optical components with low Fresnel reflection loss, the need to increase the efficiency of THz system with reduced cost is still considered as one of the most essential tasks. In this report, a new low cost THz polarizer with robust structure is proposed and demonstrated. This new THz wire grid polarizer was based on an anti-reflection (AR) layer fabricated with low temperature metal bonding and deep reactive ion etching (DRIE). After patterning Cu wire gratings and the corresponding In/Sn solder ring on the individual silicon wafers, the inner gratings were sealed by wafer-level Cu to In/Sn guard ring bonding, providing the protection against humidity oxidation and corrosion. With the low eutectic melting point of In/Sn solder, wafers could be bonded face to face below 150°C. Two anti-reflection layers on both outward surfaces were fabricated by DRIE. With the mixing of empty holes and silicon, the effective refractive index was designed to be the square root of the silicon refractive index. The central frequency of the anti-reflection layers was designed between 0.5THz to 2THz with an approximate bandwidth of 0.5THz. The samples were measured with a commercial free-standing wire grid polarizer by a THz time domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) from 0.2THz to 2.2THz. The power transmittance is close to 100% at central frequency. Extinction ratio of the polarizer is between 20dB to 40dB depending on the frequency. The advantages of this new polarizer include high transmittance, robust structure and low cost with no precision optical alignment required.

On-chip integrated solutions employing properties of Fresnel zone plates with integrated band-pass filters for the room temperature terahertz imaging systems are discussed. Finite-difference time-domain simulations were used to predict properties of conventional zone plates and ones with resonant filter areas as flat optics components. They are produced employing the laser direct writing and characterized by electronic THz sources and an optically pumped terahertz laser. It was shown that more than one order of magnitude detection enhancement can be observed of bow-tie-shaped InGaAs-based terahertz detectors by on-chip incorporation of the secondary diffractive optics.

We demonstrate enhancement of sensitivity in terahertz photoconductive detectors achieved by incorporation of plasmonic structures into the photo-conductive region of the detector. Auston switches based on lowtemperature grown GaAs (LT GaAs) have been reliably used for detection of THz pulses over two decades. This material exhibits high electron mobility with sub-picosecond carrier lifetimes and high dark resistivity. This combination is difficult to achieve in other materials. Application of LT GaAs in THz devices is nevertheless limited due to absorption characteristics of this material. Plasmonic structures can be employed to modify the distribution of the optical field in the photoconductive region and hence modify the response of the THz photoconductive detectors. We will discuss design of plasmonic structures to enhance the response of THz detectors based on LT GaAs and demonstrate incorporation of such structures into THz detectors. We also apply the developed design in integrated photo-conductive probes for THz near-field microscopy, where the enhancement of the material absorption translates into an increase of the detector sensitivity and an improvement in spatial resolution. Performance on these near-field probes that provide a spatial resolution of 3- 5 micrometers (~1/100 of the wavelength) will be discussed and demonstrated.

In this paper we demonstrated a coherent raster-scan imaging system that can acquire phase information based on continuous terahertz imaging. It mixes the terahertz with a Fs-laser by a electro-optic crystal of ZnTe to make a hybrid modulation on the crystal to achieve continuous terahertz detection. In this way, it can not only propagate for a long distance but also achieve phase detection for continuous terahertz imaging. The surface images of objects that are under test can be obtained by the Backward-Wave Oscillator, which the output power is 10mW at 205.994GHz. With the repetition frequency of 80MHz, the output power of the MaiTai is 1.65W and 100fs pulse light at 800nm. The images can achieve diffraction-limited resolution approximately. And the simulated results show that the system can obtain phase imaging of test objects based on continuous terahertz source. The way to get the phase of the signal has significant meaning for coherent detection of continuous terahertz source.

As it is well-known, the passive THz camera allows seeing concealed object without contact with a person and this camera is non-dangerous for a person. Obviously, efficiency of using the passive THz camera depends on its temperature resolution. This characteristic specifies possibilities of the detection for concealed object: minimal size of the object; maximal distance of the detection; image quality. Computer processing of the THz image may lead to many times improving of the image quality without any additional engineering efforts. Therefore, developing of modern novel computer code for its application to THz images is urgent problem. Using appropriate new methods one may expect such temperature resolution which will allow to see banknote in pocket of a person without any real contact. Modern algorithms for computer processing of THz images allow also to see object inside the human body using a temperature trace on the human skin. This circumstance enhances essentially opportunity of passive THz camera applications for counterterrorism problems.

We developed new real-time algorithm, based on the correlation function, for the detection of cancelled objects by using computer processing of the passive THz images without their viewing. This algorithm allows us to make a conclusion about presence of forbidden objects on the human body. To see this object with high quality we propose one more algorithm which allows to increase the image quality. Current approach for computer processing of the THz images differs from approaches developed by us early.

We apply new algorithms with success to the images captured by passive THz camera TS4 manufactured by ThruVision Inc. The distance between the camera and person is changed from 4 to 10 metres.

Terahertz spectroscopy plays a key role in understanding ultrafast carrier dynamics in nanomaterials. Diffraction, however, limits time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy to ensemble measurements. By combining time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy in the multi-terahertz range with scattering-type near-field scanning optical microscopy, we show that we can directly trace ultrafast local carrier dynamics in single nanoparticles with sub-cycle temporal resolution (10 fs). Our microscope provides both 10 nm lateral resolution and tomographic sensitivity, allowing us to observe the ultrafast build-up of a local surface depletion layer in an InAs nanowire.

The high contrast resolution afforded by terahertz (1 THz = 1012 Hz) imaging of physiologic tissue continues to drive explorations into the utility of THz technology for burn wound detection. Although we have previously reported the use of a novel, reflective THz imaging technology to sense spatiotemporal differences in reflectivity between partial and full thickness burn wounds, no evidence exists of a one-to-one correlation between structural damage observed in histological assessments of burn severity and THz signal. For example, varying burn induction methods may all result in a common burn wound severity, however, burn features observed in parallel THz imagery may not be identical. Successful clinical translation of THz technology as a comprehensive burn guidance tool, therefore, necessitates an understanding of THz signal and its relation to wound pathophysiology. In this work, longitudinal THz imagery was acquired with a quartz (n = 2.1, 500 μm) window of cutaneous wounds induced with the same brand geometry and contact pressure but varying contact times (5, 7, and 10 seconds) in in vivo, pre-clinical rat models (n=3) over a period of 3 days. Though all burn wounds were evaluated to be deep partial thickness with histology, THz contrasts observed for each burn contact time were intrinsically unique. This is the first preliminary in vivo evidence of a many-to-one relationship between changes in THz contrast and burn severity as ascertained by histology. Future large-scale studies are required to assess whether these observed changes in THz contrast may be interpreted as physiological changes occurring over time, morphometric changes related to anatomical change, or electromagnetic changes between dielectric substrate windows and the underlying tissue.

Several pharmaceutical drugs, such as alprazolam, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, activated carbon and others, and caffeine-containing foods were tested using terahertz (THz) time domain spectroscopy in the range from 0.3 to 2 THz. The dry powder of pharmaceutical drugs was mixed with HDPE and pressed into the pellets using hydraulic press. The coffee grounds were also pressed into the pellets after ball-milling and mixing with HDPE. The caffeine containing liquid foods were dried out on the paper strips of various stacking. Experiments allow one to determine characteristic spectral signatures of the investigated substances within THz range caused by active pharmaceutical ingredients, like in the case of caffeine, as well as supporting pharmaceutical ingredients. Spectroscopic THz imaging approach is considered as a possible option to identify packaged pharmaceutical drugs. The caffeine spectral features in the tested caffeine containing foods are difficult to observed due to the low caffeine concentration and complex caffeine chemical surrounding.

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy permits the excitations of novel materials to be examined with exquisite precision. Improper ferroelectric materials such as cupric oxide (CuO) exhibit complex magnetic ground states. CuO is antiferromagnetic below 213K, but has an incommensurate cycloidal magnetic phase between 213K and 230K. Remarkably, the cycloidal magnetic phase drives ferroelectricity, where the material becomes polar. Such improper multiferroics are of great contemporary interest, as a better understanding of the science of magnetoelectric materials may lead to their application in actuators, sensors and solid state memories. Improper multiferroics also have novel quasiparticle excitations: electromagnons form when spin-waves become electric-dipole active. By examining the dynamic response of spins as they interact with THz radiation we gain insights into the underlying physics of multi-ferroics. In contrast to improper ferroelectrics, where magnetism drives structural inversion asymmetry (SIA), two-dimensional electronic systems can exhibit non-degenerate spin states as a consequence of SIA created by strain and/or electric fields. We identify and explore the influence of the Rashba spin-orbit interaction upon cyclotron resonance at terahertz frequencies in high-mobility 2D hole gases in germanium quantum wells. An enhanced Rashba spin-orbit interaction can be linked to the strain of the quantum well, while a time-frequency decomposition method permitted the dynamical formation and decay of spin-split cyclotron resonances to be tracked on picosecond timescales. Long spin-decoherence times concurrent with high hole mobilities highlight the potential of Ge quantum wells in spintronics.

This paper describes the basic design, implementation, and testing of a polarization difference imaging system for use on aqueous targets. The ultimate performance limitation of THz imaging in many active areas of research is clutter from surface geometry. While the signal to nose ratio (SNR) of standard THz imaging systems is quite large, the signal to clutter ratio (SCR) often faced in an imaging application is orders of magnitude lower and, in many cases, lower than the contrast to noise (CNR) resulting in imagery where the contrast mechanism of interest does not significantly contribute to the overall observed contrast. To overcome these limitations we develop a system that uses a circularly polarized source and linearly polarized detectors to acquire images of transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) reflectivities of the target over the same field of view. Geletin based tissue mimicking phantoms are fabricated with spatially varying water content and modified with a range of surface topologies and surface roughness. TE and TM images are combined to yield self-calibrated clutter-suppressed images. The resulting image indicates that the imaging field clutter affected both polarization channels nearly equally allowing the system to resolve differences in phantom water content. This design is a step toward windowless THz imaging capability critical for clinical translation where patient imaging is dominated by clutter.

In this paper magnetic system with a localized high-intensity magnetic field due to giant magnetic anisotropy magnets was proposed for THz time-domain spectroscopy. The magnetic system consists of two hemispheres which are made from two types of magnets. The both hemispheres will be used for an improvement of THz generation and one hemisphere will be used for investigation of spectral and optical properties of an object at strong magnetic field. The proposed magnetic system was numerically calculated in COMSOL MultiPhysics using AC/DC Module. These results may be used for development of real magnetic THz time-domain spectroscopy system.