Fast three-dimensional terahertz computed tomography using real-time line projection of intense terahertz pulse.

We demonstrated fast three-dimensional transmission terahertz computed tomography by using real-time line projection of intense terahertz beam generated by optical rectification in lithium niobate crystal. After emphasizing the advantage of intense terahertz pulse generation for two-dimensional spatio-temporal terahertz imaging, peak-to-peak amplitudes of pulsed terahertz electric field have been used to obtain a series of projection images at different rotation angles. Then a standard reconstruction algorithm has been employed to perform final three-dimensional reconstruction. Test samples including a medicine capsule have been investigated with a total acquisition time to only 6 minutes.

Enhancement of spectral resolution and accuracy in asynchronous-optical-sampling terahertz time-domain spectroscopy for low-pressure gas-phase analysis.

The spectral resolution and accuracy of asynchronous-optical-sampling terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (ASOPS-THz-TDS) were evaluated by examining low-pressure gas-phase samples. Use of dual 56-MHz, erbium (Er)-doped, mode-locked femtosecond fiber lasers enhanced the spectral resolution to as low as 50.5 MHz and the spectral accuracy to as low as 6.2 × 10(-6). The results indicate that ASOPS-THz-TDS has the potential to achieve high spectral resolution, high spectral accuracy, and wide spectral coverage at the same time. ASOPS-THz-TDS will open a new door to gas-phase spectroscopy of multiple chemical species in the field of atmospheric gas analysis.

Flexible and Polarization Independent Miniaturized Double-Band/Broadband Tunable Metamaterial Terahertz Filter.

In this paper, the design of a double-band terahertz metamaterial filter with broadband characteristics using a single conducting layer is presented. The design uses a structured top metallic layer over a polyimide material. The proposed design has achieved broadband band-pass transmission characteristics at the resonances of 0.5 THz and 1.65 THz, respectively. The 3-dB bandwidths for these two resonances are 350 GHz and 700 GHz, respectively, which indicates that dual-band resonance with broadband transmission characteristics was obtained. The design has achieved the same transmission characteristics for two different orthogonal polarizations, which was confirmed using numerical simulation. The design was tested for a different angle of incidences and it was observed that this results in angle-independent transmission behavior. In addition, for obtaining tunable resonant behavior, the top conductor layer was replaced by graphene material and a silicon substrate was added below the polymer layer. By varying the Fermi level of graphene, modulation in amplitude and phase was observed in numerical simulation. The physical mechanism of double-band behavior was further confirmed by surface current distribution. The proposed design is simple to fabricate, compact, i.e., the size is λ0/8, and obtained dual-band/broadband operation.

Real-time line projection for fast terahertz spectral computed tomography.

We demonstrated fast terahertz spectral computed tomography by using real-time line projection of a terahertz beam. Two types of cross-sectional images of continuously rotating samples have been measured in only a few seconds. From temporal data, a peak-to-peak sinogram and cross sections have been reconstructed using a filtered backprojection algorithm. Using fast Fourier transform from temporal data, spectral cross sections of the sample have been obtained.

Ladder climbing on the anharmonic intermolecular potential in an amino acid microcrystal via an intense monocycle terahertz pulse.

We experimentally demonstrated 20 ladder climbing steps on the anharmonic intermolecular potential in the amino-acid microcrystals with an intense monocycle terahertz pulse. Absorption spectra show the suppression of the peak and enhancement of the low-frequency absorption for the incident electric field amplitude. These results are reproduced by simulations based on coherent transition processes between quantum levels in the anharmonic potential. The appearance of such nonlinearity allows us to control macroscopic motion via a phase-controlled terahertz pulse.

Broadband and high power terahertz pulse generation beyond excitation bandwidth limitation via chi2 cascaded processes in LiNbO3.

We proposed a novel THz generation technique beyond the limitation of the input optical pulse width, based on phase modulation via cascaded chi((2)) process. When intense THz electric field generated by optical rectification lies in electro-optic (EO) crystal, emitted THz field gives phase modulation to the optical excitation pulse. The phase modulation causes excitation pulse narrowing and consequently gives rise to the enhancement of conversion efficiency and THz wave bandwidth broadening. We experimentally realize this generation technique with high chi((2)) EO crystal LiNbO(3) and with subpicosecond pulse from Yb-doped fiber laser. It opens new concept of THz technologies.