Abstract
We review our up-to-date result on the development of widely tunable monochromatic THz sources, implemented based on difference-frequency generation (DFG) in GaSe, ZnGeP2, and GaP. Using a GaSe crystal, the output wavelength was tuned in the range from 66.5 μm to 5664 μm (from 150 cm−1 to 1.77 cm−1) with the highest peak power 389 W. This tuning range is the widest ever produced for a continuously tunable and coherent tabletop THz source. Moreover, the conversion efficiency 0.1% is also the highest ever achieved for a tabletop system. On the other hand, based on DFG in a ZnGeP2 crystal, the output wavelength was tuned in the ranges 83.1–1642 μm and 80.2–1416 μm for two phase-matching configurations. The output power has reached 134 W so far. Finally, using a GaP crystal, the output wavelength was tuned in the range 71.1–2830 μm, whereas the highest peak power was 15.6 W. The advantage of using GaP over GaSe and ZnGeP2 is that crystal rotation is no longer required for wavelength tuning. Instead, one just needs to tune the wavelength of one mixing beam within the bandwidth of as narrow as 15.3 nm.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
W. Gordy and R. L. Cook, Microwave Molecular Spectra, 3rd ed. (Wiley, London, 1984).
R. A. McClatchey, R. W. Fenn, J. E. A. Selby, F. E. Volz, and J. S. Gating, “Optical Properties of the Atmosphere,” in Handbook of Optics, Ed. by W. G. Driscoll (McGraw Hill, New York, 1978).
C. Tomasi, “Vertical Mass Loading of Aerosol Particles by Sun-Photometric Measurements,” in Optical Remote Sensing of Air Pollution, Ed. by P. Camagni and S. Sandroni (Elsevier, New York, 1984).
K. H. Yang, P. L. Richards, and Y. R. Shen, Appl. Phys. Lett. 19, 320 (1971).
D. H. Auston, K. P. Cheung, and P. R. Smith, Appl. Phys. Lett. 45, 284 (1984).
M. Bass, P. A. Franken, J. F. Ward, and G. Weinreich, Phys. Rev. Lett. 9, 446 (1962); D. H. Auston, K. P. Cheung, J. A. Valdmanis, and D. A. Kleinman, Phys. Rev. Lett. 53, 1555 (1984).
M. van Exter, C. Fattinger, and D. Grischkowsky, Opt. Lett. 14, 1128 (1989).
R. Köhler, A. Tredicucci, F. Beltram, et al., Nature 417, 156 (2002).
H. R. Fetterman, P. E. Tannenwald, B. J. Clifton, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 33, 151 (1978).
W. Shi, Y. J. Ding, N. Fernelius, and K. L. Vodopyanov, Opt. Lett. 27, 1454 (2002).
W. Shi and Y. J. Ding, Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 1635 (2004).
W. Shi and Y. J. Ding, “Tunable Coherent Radiation from Terahertz to Microwave by Mixing Two Infrared Frequencies in a 47-mm-Long GaSe Crystal,” submitted to Int. J. High Speed Electron. Syst.
W. Shi and Y. J. Ding, “Coherent and Widely-Tunable THz and Millimeter Waves Based on Difference-Frequency Generation in GaSe and ZnGeP2,” Opt. Photonics News, 57 (2002).
W. Shi and Y. J. Ding, Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 848 (2003).
W. Shi, Y. J. Ding, and P. G. Schunemann, Opt. Commun. 233, 183 (2004).
W. Shi and Y. J. Ding, Opt. Lett. 30, 1030 (2005).
W. Shi, X. Mu, Y. J. Ding, and N. Fernelius, Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 3889 (2002).
W. Shi and Y. J. Ding, Laser Phys. Lett. 1, 560 (2004).
H. Sun, W. Shi, Z. Fu, Y. J. Ding, and Y. B. Zotova, “Bragg Reflectors and 2-D Photonic Crystals in the THz Region,” in Terahertz for Military and Security Applications III, Ed. by R. J. Hwu, D. L. Woolard, and M. J. Rosker (SPIE, Bellingham, WA, London, 2005), Proc. SPIE 5790, 104–115 (2005).
E. D. Palik, Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids III (Academic, New York, 1998).
V. G. Dmitriev, G. G. Gurzadyan, and D. N. Nikogosyan, Handbook of Nonlinear Optical Crystals (Springer, Berlin, 1999).
P. D. Mason, D. J. Jackson, and E. K. Gorton, Opt. Commun. 110, 163 (1994).
G. C. Bhar, L. K. Samanta, D. K. Ghosh, and S. Das, Sov. J. Quantum Electron. 17, 860 (1987).
G. D. Boyd, T. J. Bridges, C. K. N. Patel, and E. Buehler, Appl. Phys. Lett. 21, 553 (1972).
D. E. Zelmon, E. A. Hanning, and P. G. Schunemann, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 18, 1307 (2001).
A. Yariv, Quantum Eletronics (Wiley, New York, 1988; Sov. Radio, Moscow, 1973).
Y. J. Ding and I. B. Zotova, J. Nonlinear Opt. Phys. Mater. 11, 75 (2002).
Y. J. Ding and W. Shi, J. Nonlinear Opt. Phys. Mater. 12, 557 (2003).
W. L. Fraust and C. H. Henry, Phys. Rev. Lett. 17, 1265 (1966).
T. Tanabe, K. Suto, J. Nishizawa, K. Saito, and T. Kimura, Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 237 (2003).
E. D. Palik, Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids (Academic, New York, 1985).
D. Zhang, L. A. Gordon, Y. S. Wu, et al., Opt. Lett. 23, 1010 (1998).
W. Shi, Y. J. Ding, N. Fernelius, and F. K. Hopkins, “A Novel Detection Scheme for THz Waves Based on Upconversion at Room Temperature,” in CWM5, CLEO/QELS, Baltimore, MD, 2005.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Original Text © Astro, Ltd., 2006.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ding, Y.J., Shi, W. Widely tunable monochromatic THz sources based on phase-matched difference-frequency generation in nonlinear-optical crystals: A novel approach. Laser Phys. 16, 562–570 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1054660X06040050
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1054660X06040050