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We present an electrooptic (EO) terahertz imaging technique providing a demodulating detector array for phase-sensitive multipixel terahertz detection. The terahertz radiation from a quartz-stabilized microelectronic emitter is mixed with the synchronized laser beat signal of a continuous-wave distributed-feedback diode laser pair. A fast laser current control loop provides stable phase locking between the terahertz emitter and the laser difference frequency, whereby a demodulating near-infrared photonic-mixer-device camera is used for depth-resolving EO terahertz imaging. Alternatively, a femtosecond laser is used for the EO read-out.

Die moderne optische Mikroskopie und die Lasertechnik sind eng miteinander verzahnt. Im Unterschied zur klassischen Lichtmikroskopie, in der fur die uberwiegende Zahl von Untersuchungen noch traditionelle, inkoharente Lichtquellen eingesetzt werden, dominiert in der konfokalen Mikroskopie langst der Laser. Hier liegt das Hauptinteresse vor allem in der dreidimensionalen Untersuchung von Proben im Bereich Biotechnologie und Life Science.

We present difference-frequency stabilization of free-running distributed-feedback (DFB) diode lasers, maintaining a stable phase-lock to a local oscillator (LO) signal. The technique has been applied to coherent hybrid THz imaging which employs a high-power electronic radiation source emitting at 0.62 THz and electro-optic detectors. The THz radiation of the narrow-band emitter is mixed with the difference frequency of the DFB diode laser pair. The resulting intermediate frequency is phase-locked to the LO signal from a radio-frequency generator using a fast laser-current control loop. The stabilization scheme can be adapted readily to a wide range of applications which require stabilized laser beat-notes.