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Polarization control is essential in terahertz (THz) imaging. Liquid crystals (LCs) have the potential to functionalize tunable polarization-control devices. Here, a twisted nematic (TN) cell using a hydrogen-bonded LC is fabricated, and the influence of dichroism in the THz region is discussed. Our results indicate that the polarization state in the Gooch-Tarry minimum condition is affected by the LC dichroism; a nondichroic LC is required for complete linearly polarized output. The output intensity of the dichroic LC-TN cell changed when electrically switched or when the incident THz wave polarization direction was rotated 90°. These intensity variations disappeared when using the nondichroic hydrogen-bonded LC.

Powerful, broadband terahertz (THz) pulses and its application attract an exponential growth of interests. Dual-color laser filamentation in gases is one of the promising THz sources because of the scalability of the THz energy and wavelength with input parameters. But the additional phase induced by the nonlinearities associated with high intensities cannot be neglected because it may result in modulation of the THz waves. We investigate the influences of the infrared pump energy and air dispersion on the terahertz generation in dual-color laser filament. We observe that optimum dual-color laser relative phase of the THz generation undergoes a linear shift with increasing pump energy due to the intensity-induced refractive index change. This phase shift is verified by the spectral broadening of a two-color laser affected by the same mechanism. The result improves our understanding of the theoretical framework for a higher power THz source.

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a promising wide-bandgap semiconductor, and new characterization tools are needed to study its local crystallinity, carrier dynamics, and doping effects. Terahertz (THz) emission spectroscopy (TES) is an emerging experimental technique that can probe the ultrafast carrier dynamics in optically excited semiconductors. In this work, the carrier dynamics and THz emission mechanisms of GaN were examined in unintentionally doped n-type, Si-doped n-type, and Mg-doped p-type GaN films. The photocarriers excited near the surface travel from the excited-area in an ultrafast manner and generate THz radiation in accordance with the time derivative of the surge drift current. The polarity of the THz amplitude can be used to determine the majority carrier type in GaN films through a non-contact and non-destructive method. Unique THz emission excited by photon energies less than the bandgap was also observed in the p-type GaN film.

Adsorption of gas molecules on the surface of atomically layered two-dimensional (2D) materials, including graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, can significantly affect their electrical and optical properties. Therefore, a microscopic and quantitative understanding of the mechanism and dynamics of molecular adsorption and desorption has to be achieved in order to advance device applications based on these materials. However, recent theoretical calculations have yielded contradictory results, particularly on the magnitude of the adsorption energy. Here, we have experimentally determined the adsorption energy of oxygen molecules on graphene and 2D tungsten disulfide using temperature-programmed terahertz (THz) emission microscopy (TPTEM). The temperature dependence of THz emission from InP surfaces covered with 2D materials reflects the change in oxygen concentration due to thermal desorption, which we used to estimate the adsorption energy of oxygen molecules on graphene (~0.15 eV) and tungsten disulphide (~0.24 eV). Furthermore, we used TPTEM to visualize relative changes in the spatial distribution of oxygen molecules on monolayer graphene during adsorption and desorption. Our results provide much insight into the mechanism of molecular adsorption on the surface of 2D materials, while introducing TPTEM as a novel and powerful tool for molecular surface science.

As novel classes of two-dimensional (2D) materials and heterostructures continue to emerge at an increasing pace, methods are being sought for elucidating their electronic properties rapidly, non-destructively, and sensitively. Terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy is a well-established method for characterizing charge carriers in a contactless fashion, but its sensitivity is limited, making it a challenge to study atomically thin materials, which often have low conductivities. Here, we employ THz parallel-plate waveguides to study monolayer graphene with low carrier densities. We demonstrate that a carrier density of ~2 × 10(11) cm(-2), which induces less than 1% absorption in conventional THz transmission spectroscopy, exhibits ~30% absorption in our waveguide geometry. The amount of absorption exponentially increases with both the sheet conductivity and the waveguide length. Therefore, the minimum detectable conductivity of this method sensitively increases by simply increasing the length of the waveguide along which the THz wave propagates. In turn, enabling the detection of low-conductivity carriers in a straightforward, macroscopic configuration that is compatible with any standard time-domain THz spectroscopy setup. These results are promising for further studies of charge carriers in a diverse range of emerging 2D materials.

Wide-gap semiconductors have received significant attention for their advantages over existing semiconductors in energy-efficient power devices. To realize stable and reliable wide-gap semiconductor devices, the basic physical properties, such as the electric properties on the surface and at the interface, should be revealed. Here, we report visualization of terahertz (THz) emission from the surface of GaN, which is excited by ultraviolet femtosecond laser pulses. We found that the THz emission is enhanced by defects related to yellow luminescence, and this phenomenon is explained through the modification of band structures in the surface depletion layer owing to trapped electrons at defect sites. Our results demonstrate that the surface potential in a GaN surface could be detected by laser-induced THz emission. Moreover, this method enables feasible evaluation of the distribution of non-radiative defects, which are undetectable with photoluminescence, and it contributes to the realization normally-off GaN devices.

A simple approach to generate high energy, frequency and bandwidth tunable multicycle THz pulses by optical rectification (OR) of spatially shaped femtosecond laser pulses in the lithium niobate (LN) crystal is proposed and demonstrated. A one dimensional binary shadow mask is used as a laser beam shaper. By building the mask's image in the bulk LN crystal with various demagnifications, the frequency of THz generation was tuned in the range of 0.3 - 1.2 THz. There exist also an opportunity to tune the bandwidth of THz generation from 20 GHz to approximately 1 THz by changing the optical beam size on the crystal. The energy spectral density of narrowband THz generation is almost independent of the bandwidth and is typically 0.18 μJ/THz for ~1 W pump power at 1 kHz repetition rate.

We have proposed and developed a scanning laser terahertz (THz) near-field imaging system using a 1.56 μm femtosecond fiber laser for high spatial resolution and high-speed measurement. To obtain the two-dimensional (2D) THz images of samples, the laser pulses are scanned over a 2D THz emitter plate [DASC: 4'-dimenthylamino-N-methyl-4- stilbazolium p-chlorobenzenesulfonate] by a galvano meter. In this system, THz wave pulses locally generated at the laser irradiation spots transmit through the sample set on the emitter, and the amplitude of the transmitted THz wave pulse is detected by using a typical THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) technique. Using this system, we have succeeded in obtaining THz transmission images of a triangle shaped metal sheet of millimeter-size and a human hair sample with a spatial resolution of sub-wavelength order up to ~27 μm (~λTHz/28) at an imaging speed of about 47 seconds/image for 512 x 512 pixels.

A new scheme of optical rectification (OR) of femtosecond laser pulses in a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal, which generates high energy and bandwidth tunable multicycle THz pulses, is proposed and demonstrated. We show that the number of the oscillation cycles of the THz electric field and therefore bandwidth of generated THz spectrum can easily and smoothly be tuned from a few tens of GHz to a few THz by changing the pump optical spot size on PPLN crystal. The minimal bandwidth is 17 GHz that is smallest ever of reported in scheme of THz generation by OR at room temperature. Similar to the case of Cherenkov-type OR in single-domain LiNbO₃, the spectrum of THz generation extends from 0.1 THz to 3 THz when laser beam is focused to a size close to half-period of PPLN structure. The energy spectral density of narrowband THz generation is almost independent of the bandwidth and is typically 220 nJ/THz for ~1 W pump power at 1 kHz repetition rate.

A new type of laser-terahertz emission system for noncontact investigations of chemical solutions has been developed. The system monitors terahertz emission from a sensing plate, which consists of silicon oxide and silicon thin film layers on a sapphire substrate. Sensing of chemical solutions with pH values between 1.68 and 10.01 was demonstrated. The amplitude of the terahertz emission from the sensing plate increased with increasing pH value. This change in the amplitude was caused by a change in the depletion layers of the silicon thin film when protons were adsorbed on the surface of the sensing plate. This study demonstrates that full noncontact monitoring of chemical solutions is possible using the laser-terahertz emission system.