We report a new highly efficient source of frequency-tunable (0.5–3.5 THz) narrowbandwidth terahertz wave packets with up to 1mW average power, based on parametric downconversion in quasi-phase-matched GaAs. Different lasers were employed as a pump source, including femtosecond OPA/DFG system (wavelength range 2–4 μm), Tm-fiber femtosecond laser (wavelength ~2 μm), and near-degenerate synchronously-pumped picosecond OPO system with extra- and intracavity THz generation. We prove experimentally that the optical-to-terahertz conversion efficiency is fluence–dependent, with the scaling factor being the same for femtosecond (optical rectification) and picosecond (difference frequency generation) pump pulses, with optical-to-terahertz conversion efficiency on the order of 0.1% per μJ.
Keywords: Terahertz wave generation, optical rectification, difference frequency generation, quasiphase- matched, gallium arsenide GaAs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer Science + Business Media B.V
About this paper
Cite this paper
Vodopyanov, K. (2008). Tunable THz Sources Based on Quasi-Phase-Matched Gallium Arsenide. In: Ebrahim-Zadeh, M., Sorokina, I.T. (eds) Mid-Infrared Coherent Sources and Applications. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series B: Physics and Biophysics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6463-0_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6463-0_13
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-6439-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-6463-0
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)