Performance analysis of table-top single-pulse terahertz detection up to 1.1 MHz

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a high-speed, table-top single-pulse terahertz detection system capable of real-time data acquisition at up to 1.1 MHz, enabling the study of microsecond-scale dynamics previously inaccessible.

Contribution

It introduces a novel combination of spectral encoding, photonic time-stretch, and high-speed electronics for rapid THz detection on a tabletop setup, surpassing prior speed limitations.

Findings

Achieved THz detection at 1.1 MHz rate

Analyzed noise, dynamic range, and SNR at different speeds

Paved the way for real-time monitoring of fast phenomena

Abstract

Slow data acquisition in terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) has hindered the technique's ability to resolve "fast" dynamics occurring on the microsecond timescale. This timescale, arguably too slow to be accessed via standard optical pump-probe techniques relying on ultrafast sources, hosts a range of phenomena that has been left unexplored due to a lack of proper real-time monitoring techniques. In this work, chirped-pulse spectral encoding, a photonic time-stretch technique, and high-speed electronics are used to demonstrate time-resolved THz detection at a rate up to 1.1 MHz. This configuration relies on a table-top source and a setup able to resolve every THz transient that it can generate. We investigate the performance of this system at different acquisition rates in terms of experimental noise, dynamic range, and signal-to-noise ratio. Our results pave the way towards single-pulse THz-TDS at arbitrarily fast rates to monitor complex dynamics in real-time.