Method and apparatus for enhanced terahertz radiation from high stacking fault density

US7919764B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army · US

Inventors

• Grace D. Metcalfe · Bethesda, US
• Michael Wraback · Germantown, US
• Paul H. Shen · North Potomac, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 5, 2009
• Grant date: Apr 5, 2011
• Expiry date: Oct 14, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F2203/13
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method and device for generating terahertz radiation comprising a polar crystal material layer operative to emit terahertz radiation; the polar crystal material layer comprising a plurality of stacking faults; the stacking faults lying substantially perpendicular to the polar axis and forming boundaries at which the internal electric polarization terminates leading to charges accumulating at the boundaries, and creation of internal electric fields oriented along the polar axis; a pulsed radiation source for creating photogenerated carriers in the polar crystal material; whereby the photogenerated carriers accelerate in the internal electric fields associated with the termination of the internal electric polarization by the stacking faults to thereby generate terahertz radiation.