Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 29, 2026
10:54
Design, Fabrication, and Experimental Characterization of Plasmonic Photoconductive Terahertz Emitters
Published on: July 8, 2013
15.3K
Nonlinearity in the Dark: Broadband Terahertz Generation with Extremely High Efficiency
Ming Fang1,2, Nian-Hai Shen1, Wei E I Sha3
1Ames Laboratory-U.S. DOE and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|February 6, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed a novel nonlinear metasurface for efficient terahertz generation. This plasmonic device overcomes limitations of conventional materials by eliminating radiation damping, enabling enhanced terahertz energy extraction.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Plasmonic metamaterials and metasurfaces enable advanced terahertz (THz) emitters and detectors.
- Conventional nonlinear materials face limitations in symmetry breaking and local-field enhancement due to inherent radiation damping in resonant modes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel concept for nonlinear metasurfaces that overcomes the trade-offs hindering terahertz generation efficiency.
- To eliminate the restriction of radiation damping in metallic nanoresonator-based metasurfaces for improved THz generation.
Main Methods:
- Combining a resonant dark-state metasurface with specific spatial symmetry.
- Utilizing near-field driving of nonlinear nanoresonators.
- Achieving destructive interference of linear moments and critical coupling for pump absorption.
Main Results:
- Elimination of linear radiation damping while maintaining constructive interference of nonlinear components.
- Demonstration of a giant second-order nonlinear susceptibility (∼10⁻¹¹ m/V), an order of magnitude improvement.
- Expected two orders of magnitude enhancement in terahertz energy extraction compared to previous designs.
Conclusions:
- The proposed concept offers a paradigm for high-efficiency tunable nonlinear metadevices.
- This breakthrough paves the way for revolutionary terahertz technologies and optoelectronic nanocircuitry.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Causes of Nonlinearity
724
Nonlinearity in drug pharmacokinetics is caused by various factors influencing how a drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and excreted. Understanding these nonlinear processes is crucial for predicting drug behavior in the body and optimizing drug dosing regimens.
Nonlinear drug absorption can occur when the process is rate-limited by solubility, carrier-mediated transport systems, or saturation of the presystemic gut wall or hepatic metabolism. For instance, high doses of riboflavin...
Nonlinear drug absorption can occur when the process is rate-limited by solubility, carrier-mediated transport systems, or saturation of the presystemic gut wall or hepatic metabolism. For instance, high doses of riboflavin...
724
01:29Dark Triad and Person Perception
291
Person perception is influenced by both external behaviors and the observer’s internal characteristics, including personality traits. Individuals with dark personality traits, comprising psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism — collectively known as the dark triad – exhibit manipulative and exploitative tendencies in social contexts. These traits affect how they perceive others and how they are perceived.The Role of Dark Personality Traits in Person PerceptionBlack et...
291
01:29Application of Nonlinear Inequalities
249
A nonlinear inequality describes a comparison involving an expression that curves or behaves more complexly than a straight line. These inequalities often appear in forms that include squares, products, or variables in the denominator.To solve such an inequality, one starts by rewriting it so that zero appears on one side. For example, the inequality: can be factored as: This form makes it easier to identify the values that cause the expression to equal zero. In this case, the...
249
01:25Introduction to Nonlinear Inequalities
222
Linear and nonlinear inequalities are fundamental for analyzing variable relationships and identifying ranges satisfying specific conditions. A linear inequality involves variables raised only to the first power, resulting in a straight-line graph. This line partitions the coordinate plane into two distinct regions: one that satisfies the inequality and one that does not. Each region represents a set of solutions where the linear relationship holds true under the specified constraint.Nonlinear...
222
01:19Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Overview
1.1K
Nonlinear or dose-dependent pharmacokinetics is a phenomenon that occurs when the pharmacokinetic parameters of certain drugs deviate from linear pharmacokinetics at higher doses. These drugs do not follow the expected first-order kinetics, where the rate of drug elimination is directly proportional to the drug concentration. Instead, they exhibit a nonlinear relationship, which can be attributed to several factors.
Nonlinearity can arise due to the saturation of plasma protein-binding or...
Nonlinearity can arise due to the saturation of plasma protein-binding or...
1.1K
01:22Absolute and Local Extreme Values
68
The highest and lowest values of a function, relative to a reference axis, are known as extreme values. These include absolute maximum and absolute minimum values, which represent the highest and lowest points the function reaches across its entire domain. Within a restricted portion of the function, the highest and lowest values are referred to as local maximum and local minimum values, respectively.Periodic functions, such as sine and cosine, show extreme values at infinitely many points due...
68