Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026
10:54
Design, Fabrication, and Experimental Characterization of Plasmonic Photoconductive Terahertz Emitters
Published on: July 8, 2013
Highly efficient optical-to-terahertz conversion in a sandwich structure with LiNbO3 core
S B Bodrov1, A N Stepanov, M I Bakunov
1Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. bosbor@ufp.appl.sci-nnov.ru
Optics Express
|February 4, 2009
Summary
Researchers achieved high efficiency in terahertz generation using Cherenkov emission. This method utilizes ultrashort laser pulses in a novel sandwich structure, demonstrating a record conversion efficiency over 0.1%.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Solid-State Physics
- Electromagnetism
Background:
- Terahertz (THz) generation is crucial for various scientific and technological applications.
- Cherenkov emission offers a potential pathway for efficient THz wave production.
- Previous schemes required complex setups or suffered from low efficiencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally validate a novel scheme for THz generation.
- To investigate the efficiency of Cherenkov emission in a specific sandwich structure.
- To optimize THz pulse generation using ultrashort laser pulses.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a sandwich structure comprising Silicon (Si), Lithium Niobate (LiNbO3), and BK7 glass.
- Utilizing a 50 microm thick LiNbO3 nonlinear core within an 8 mm long structure.
- Irradiating the structure with 40 microJ, 50 fs Ti:sapphire laser pulses.
Main Results:
- Successful generation of terahertz pulses with a bandwidth of approximately 3 THz.
- Achieved a record experimental conversion efficiency exceeding 0.1% for THz generation.
- Demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed Cherenkov emission scheme.
Conclusions:
- The demonstrated sandwich structure is highly efficient for THz generation via Cherenkov emission.
- This method provides a promising route for developing compact and efficient THz sources.
- The results pave the way for advanced applications in THz spectroscopy and imaging.
