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Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Design, Fabrication, and Experimental Characterization of Plasmonic Photoconductive Terahertz Emitters
Published on: July 8, 2013
Imaging of terahertz surface plasmon waves excited on a gold surface by a focused beam
Raimund Mueckstein1, Oleg Mitrofanov
1Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7JE, UK. raimund.mueckstein.09@ucl.ac.uk
Abstract:
Surface plasmon polariton (SPP) waves formed near a tightly focused THz beam on a metallic surface are detected by an integrated sub-wavelength aperture THz near-field probe. The probe allows mapping the electric field pattern of the SPP wave and tracking the SPP propagation from the center of the focal spot. The SPP nature of the observed wave is confirmed by time-resolved measurements. Analysis of the detected patterns leads to an explanation of how THz SPP waves can be detected by the integrated sub-wavelength aperture probe.

