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Researchers developed a compact terahertz (THz) generation system by placing a thin lithium niobate crystal inside a diode-pumped laser oscillator. The system produces single-cycle THz pulses with frequencies up to 3 THz at an 85 MHz repetition rate, generating up to 120 microwatts of THz power using only 21.4 watts of pump power. The approach combines cost-effective components with high performance, achieving excellent signal quality with 60 dB dynamic range in detection.
Why it matters
This configuration offers a more compact and affordable alternative for THz spectroscopy systems, which are used in materials analysis, security screening, and biomedical imaging. The use of low-cost multimode diodes and thin crystal plates could make THz technology more accessible for laboratory and industrial applications requiring high-repetition-rate measurements.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Abstract: We demonstrate intracavity terahertz (THz) generation via optical rectification in a 50-m-thick lithium niobate crystal placed inside a compact diode-pumped Kerr-lens mode-locked (KLM) Yb:CALGO bulk oscillator. The oscillator operates at a repetition rate of 85 MHz and delivers 83-fs pulses with up to 71 W of average intracavity power, obtained with only 21.4 W of low-cost multimode diode pump power. We generate single-cycle THz pulses with a spectrum extending up to 3 THz, detected by electro-optic sampling with 60 dB dynamic range within 156 s of measurement time (313 averaged traces) and up to 120 W of THz average power. This work combines the high damage threshold, power-handling capability, and cost-effectiveness of thin LN plates with simplicity, compactness, and low-cost multimode diode-pumped solid-state bulk lasers, offering an attractive alternative for high-repetition-rate THz time-domain spectroscopy systems.