Waveguided Approach for Difference Frequency Generation of Broadly-Tunable Continuous-Wave Terahertz Radiation

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a waveguided approach using Lithium Niobate for difference frequency generation, enabling a room-temperature, broadly tunable continuous-wave terahertz spectrometer with high spectral purity and wide coverage.

Contribution

It introduces a novel waveguide design and theoretical analysis that significantly improve the efficiency and power handling of THz generation in Lithium Niobate for spectroscopic applications.

Findings

Achieved up to 7.5 THz spectral coverage in THz generation.

Demonstrated high optical power handling capability (10^7 W/cm^2).

Provided a theoretical model explaining nonlinear efficiency improvements.

Abstract

The 1-10 terahertz (THz) spectral window is emerging as a key region for plenty of applications, requiring not yet available continuous-wave room-temperature THz spectrometers with high spectral purity and ultra-broad tunability. In this regard, the spectral features of stabilized telecom sources can actually be transferred to the THz range by difference frequency generation, considering that the width of the accessible THz spectrum generally scales with the area involved in the nonlinear interaction. For this reason, in this paper we extensively discuss the role of Lithium Niobate (LN) channel waveguides in the experimental accomplishment of a room-temperature continuous wave (CW) spectrometer, with uW-range power levels and a spectral coverage of up to 7.5 THz.To this purpose, and looking for further improvements, a thought characterization of specially-designed LN waveguides is presented, whilst discussing its nonlinear efficiency and its unprecedented capability to handle high optical power (10 7 W/cm 2 ), on the basis of a three-wave-mixing theoretical model.