Intralaser-enhanced Broadband Terahertz Spectrometer

Objective

The terahertz frequency region (ca. 300 GHz to 30 THz) is gaining in popularity across a wide range of fields, with different technologies being deployed in commercial systems and industrial applications. One of the largest and fastest growing markets for THz technologies are imaging systems for non-destructive testing. Among the multiple technologies advancing this frequency region and application, ultrafast laser-driven broadband THz time-domain spectrometers (THz-TDS) offer several unique advantages such as ultra-broad bandwidths and high spatial resolution; however these systems are not widely adopted in commercial imaging applications, due to critical bottlenecks of speed and cost that prevent their widespread deployment. It is this market “gap” that we target to explore in this proof-of-concept project, based on findings made in our recently completed ERC St.G. project. Our innovative concept is based on enhancing the typically low nonlinear conversion of a high-power solid-state laser to the THz region by operating the nonlinear crystal inside the resonator of a long wavelength ultrafast laser, thus significantly increasing efficiency and reducing cost. Together with advanced fast detection methods, this will allow to demonstrate a broadband THz spectrometer operating at unprecedented high speed and high power levels to enable high dynamic range fast imaging, thus significantly improving performance, without increasing complexity and cost. The innovative system we plan to demonstrate and validate with strategic partnerships promises to be disruptive for applications in Terahertz imaging and sensing and opens the door to real-time broadband imaging in inspection.