Methods and apparatus for generating terahertz radiation

摘要

Methods and apparatus for generating terahertz radiation are disclosed herein. In addition, methods for forming orientation-patterned nonlinear semiconductor crystals are disclosed herein. For example, according to an example implementation, a method for generating terahertz radiation may include: providing an optical pulse having a wavelength less than approximately 1.0 μm; and illuminating an orientation-patterned nonlinear semiconductor crystal with the optical pulse.

主权项

1. An orientation-patterned nonlinear semiconductor crystal for generating terahertz radiation by illumination with an optical pulse having a wavelength less than approximately 1.0 μm, comprising:
a plurality of alternately-inverted crystal domains arranged in a contiguous linear array, each crystal domain having a crystal orientation inverted with respect to adjacent crystal domains, wherein widths of the alternately-inverted crystal domains vary as a function of the wavelength of the optical pulse, wherein the widths of the alternately-inverted crystal domains achieve quasi-phase-matching between the optical pulse and the terahertz radiation when the optical pulse has a wavelength greater than a threshold for two-photon absorption in a material that comprises the orientation patterned nonlinear semiconductor crystal; and a substrate comprising a surface having at least a first region and a second region, wherein the first region of the surface of the substrate is treated to modify a chemical structure of the surface of the substrate in the first region while the second region of the surface of the substrate remains untreated, and wherein a first domain of the nonlinear semiconductor crystal is formed over the first region of the surface of the substrate and a second domain of the nonlinear semiconductor crystal is formed over the second untreated region of the surface of the substrate, wherein the first domain has a first crystal orientation and the second domain has a second crystal orientation that is opposite to the first crystal orientation.