Phys.org May 28, 2024 Terahertz (THz) waves can ionize atoms and molecules when a sufficiently large number of THz photons are concentrated in time and space. An international team of researchers (South Korea, USA – University of Maryland) demonstrated the generation of ionizing, multicycle, 15-THz waves emitted from large-area lithium niobate crystals via phase-matched optical rectification of 150-terawatt laser pulses. A complete characterization of the generated THz waves in energy, pulse duration, and focal spot size showed that the field strength could reach up to 260 megavolts per centimeter. The intense THz pulses were irradiated onto various solid targets to […]
Tag Archives: THz waves
Researchers observe extremely squeezed directional THz waves in thin semiconductor crystals
Phys.org May 4, 2023 Thin layers of in-plane anisotropic materials can support ultra confined polaritons, whose wavelengths depend on the propagation direction. Such polaritons hold potential for the exploration of fundamental material properties and the development of novel nanophotonic devices. However, the real-space observation of ultra confined in-plane anisotropic plasmon polaritons (PPs)—which exist in much broader spectral ranges than phonon polaritons—has been elusive. An international team of researchers (Spain, China, Czech Republic, UK, Germany) imaged and analyzed THz waves that propagate in the form of plasmon polaritons along thin anisotropic semiconductor platelets with wavelengths reduced by up to 65 times […]