Ultrafast plasma-based terahertz modulator

Plasma is the optimal choice for acquiring and modulating the extremely high visible and near-infrared light. However, few attempts have been made to apply this strategy for the terahertz (THz) wave modulation in an ex situ manner. Here, we show a laser-driven plasma-based THz modulator (PTM) to ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optica 2024-10, Vol.11 (10), p.1478
Main Authors: Qu, Xiaomin, Huang, Yindong, Zhou, Bin, Gao, Mingxin, Lou, Jing, Feng, Yifei, Zhao, Zengxiu, Chang, Chao, Shkurinov, Alexander P., Verboncoeur, John
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Plasma is the optimal choice for acquiring and modulating the extremely high visible and near-infrared light. However, few attempts have been made to apply this strategy for the terahertz (THz) wave modulation in an ex situ manner. Here, we show a laser-driven plasma-based THz modulator (PTM) to ex situ control the incident THz waves. The presented PTM allows for the amplification or extinction of the incident THz waves covering 0.1–2.0 THz within a few picoseconds, simply by adjusting its dipole phase. This modulation is a result of the interaction between the PTM’s dipole and THz wave, which can be accurately reproduced by the spectral analysis method. Our technique offers promising opportunities to explore the plasma-based THz optics and potential applications across different disciplines, such as THz-sensing and near-field THz technology.
ISSN:2334-2536
2334-2536
DOI:10.1364/OPTICA.536771