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Linearity of Air-Biased Coherent Detection for Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy

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Abstract

The performance of air-biased coherent detection (ABCD) in a broadband two-color laser-induced air plasma system for terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) has been investigated. Fundamental parameters of the ABCD detection, including signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), dynamic range (DR), and linearity of detection have been characterized. Moreover, the performance of a photomultiplier tube (PMT) and an avalanche photodiode (APD) as photodetector in the ABCD have been compared. We have observed nonlinear behavior of PMT detector, which leads to artificial gain factor in TDS spectroscopy. The APD turns out to have superior linearity and three times higher dynamic compared to the PMT.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Danish Council for Independent Research under FNU Project THz-BREW, FTP Project HI-TERA, and FTP Postdoc Project 64092.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DTU Fotonik—Department of Photonics Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark

    Tianwu Wang, Krzysztof Iwaszczuk, Emil Astrup Wrisberg, Emil Vosmar Denning & Peter Uhd Jepsen

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  1. Tianwu Wang
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Correspondence to Tianwu Wang.

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Wang, T., Iwaszczuk, K., Wrisberg, E.A. et al. Linearity of Air-Biased Coherent Detection for Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy. J Infrared Milli Terahz Waves 37, 592–604 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10762-015-0242-9

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