High-power few-cycle THz generation at MHz repetition rates in an organic crystal
Ultrafast terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is a potent tool for studying the fundamental properties of matter. Limitations of current THz sources, however, preclude the technique being applied in certain advanced configurations or in the measurement of, e.g., strongly absorbing samples. In response to t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AIP Publishing LLC
2020-10-01
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| Series: | APL Photonics |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0022762 |
| _version_ | 1828839019594645504 |
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| author | Tobias Olaf Buchmann Edmund John Railton Kelleher Mojca Jazbinsek Binbin Zhou Jin-Hong Seok O-Pil Kwon Fabian Rotermund Peter Uhd Jepsen |
| author_facet | Tobias Olaf Buchmann Edmund John Railton Kelleher Mojca Jazbinsek Binbin Zhou Jin-Hong Seok O-Pil Kwon Fabian Rotermund Peter Uhd Jepsen |
| author_sort | Tobias Olaf Buchmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ultrafast terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is a potent tool for studying the fundamental properties of matter. Limitations of current THz sources, however, preclude the technique being applied in certain advanced configurations or in the measurement of, e.g., strongly absorbing samples. In response to this problem, here we demonstrate the generation of 1.38 mW broadband THz radiation at 10 MHz repetition rate by combining the highly efficient nonlinear organic crystal HMQ-TMS with ultrafast pump pulses generated using a simple and stable external pulse compression of a high power, near-infrared (NIR) femtosecond ytterbium-doped fiber (Yb:fiber) laser. Utilizing spectral broadening in a large core, polarization maintaining photonic crystal fiber and a pair of SF11 prisms, we achieve a tenfold pulse compression of the Yb:fiber laser, yielding compressed 0.35 µJ pulses with a full-width at half maximum pulse duration of 22 fs, exerting a peak power of 13.8 MW at a repetition rate of 10 MHz. THz generation through optical rectification of the NIR pulses is explored in two distinct thicknesses of the organic crystal, leading to a maximum conversion efficiency of ∼5.5 · 10−4, an order of magnitude higher than that achieved with inorganic nonlinear crystals, e.g., gallium phosphide, for similar pump parameters. The focused THz beam has a peak on-axis field strength greater than 6.4 kV cm−1 in unpurged atmosphere. We believe that our moderately strong-field THz source is well suited to a variety of applications in ultrafast THz spectroscopy, in particular THz-enabled scattering-type near-field, and scanning tunneling spectroscopy, where multi-MHz repetition rate sources are required. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T19:14:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6cab21809bd8442785a96ff1156e8962 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2378-0967 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T19:14:20Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | AIP Publishing LLC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | APL Photonics |
| spelling | doaj.art-6cab21809bd8442785a96ff1156e89622022-12-22T00:14:46ZengAIP Publishing LLCAPL Photonics2378-09672020-10-01510106103106103-1110.1063/5.0022762High-power few-cycle THz generation at MHz repetition rates in an organic crystalTobias Olaf Buchmann0Edmund John Railton Kelleher1Mojca Jazbinsek2Binbin Zhou3Jin-Hong Seok4O-Pil Kwon5Fabian Rotermund6Peter Uhd Jepsen7Department of Photonics Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads 343, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, DenmarkDepartment of Photonics Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads 343, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, DenmarkInstitute of Computational Physics, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Technikumstrasse 9, 8400 Winterthur, SwitzerlandDepartment of Photonics Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads 343, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, DenmarkDepartment of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, 443-749 Suwon, South KoreaDepartment of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, 443-749 Suwon, South KoreaDepartment of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 34141 Daejeon, South KoreaDepartment of Photonics Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads 343, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, DenmarkUltrafast terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is a potent tool for studying the fundamental properties of matter. Limitations of current THz sources, however, preclude the technique being applied in certain advanced configurations or in the measurement of, e.g., strongly absorbing samples. In response to this problem, here we demonstrate the generation of 1.38 mW broadband THz radiation at 10 MHz repetition rate by combining the highly efficient nonlinear organic crystal HMQ-TMS with ultrafast pump pulses generated using a simple and stable external pulse compression of a high power, near-infrared (NIR) femtosecond ytterbium-doped fiber (Yb:fiber) laser. Utilizing spectral broadening in a large core, polarization maintaining photonic crystal fiber and a pair of SF11 prisms, we achieve a tenfold pulse compression of the Yb:fiber laser, yielding compressed 0.35 µJ pulses with a full-width at half maximum pulse duration of 22 fs, exerting a peak power of 13.8 MW at a repetition rate of 10 MHz. THz generation through optical rectification of the NIR pulses is explored in two distinct thicknesses of the organic crystal, leading to a maximum conversion efficiency of ∼5.5 · 10−4, an order of magnitude higher than that achieved with inorganic nonlinear crystals, e.g., gallium phosphide, for similar pump parameters. The focused THz beam has a peak on-axis field strength greater than 6.4 kV cm−1 in unpurged atmosphere. We believe that our moderately strong-field THz source is well suited to a variety of applications in ultrafast THz spectroscopy, in particular THz-enabled scattering-type near-field, and scanning tunneling spectroscopy, where multi-MHz repetition rate sources are required.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0022762 |
| spellingShingle | Tobias Olaf Buchmann Edmund John Railton Kelleher Mojca Jazbinsek Binbin Zhou Jin-Hong Seok O-Pil Kwon Fabian Rotermund Peter Uhd Jepsen High-power few-cycle THz generation at MHz repetition rates in an organic crystal APL Photonics |
| title | High-power few-cycle THz generation at MHz repetition rates in an organic crystal |
| title_full | High-power few-cycle THz generation at MHz repetition rates in an organic crystal |
| title_fullStr | High-power few-cycle THz generation at MHz repetition rates in an organic crystal |
| title_full_unstemmed | High-power few-cycle THz generation at MHz repetition rates in an organic crystal |
| title_short | High-power few-cycle THz generation at MHz repetition rates in an organic crystal |
| title_sort | high power few cycle thz generation at mhz repetition rates in an organic crystal |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0022762 |
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