A tutorial on meta-materials

and THz technology

Thomas Feurer
thomas.feurer@iap.unibe.ch

Institute of Applied Physics

Sidlerstr. 5, 3012 Bern
Switzerland

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Outline
Outline
Meta-materials
Super-lenses
Photonic crystals and fibers
Extreme guiding
THz technology
THz applications
Integrated THz signal processing
Summary

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I. Meta-materials
and super-lenses

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Meta-materials
Meta-materials
Material properties are determined by the properties
of the subunits plus their spatial distribution.
For a  effective medium theory.
For a photonic effects.

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Meta-materials (cont.)
(cont.)
Meta-materials

 =

q
p
i
i
i
(||)(||) = e ||e || = e
|| = n

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Meta-materials (cont.)
(cont.)
Meta-materials
electronic/magnetic resonance
electron/spin plasma
scattering resonance (i.e. Mie)
...

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Meta-materials (cont.)
(cont.)
Meta-materials

Distance between the single slabs a is much less than a

wavelength . Typically a /10, ideally a /1000

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Negative index
index materials:
materials: NIM
NIM
Negative

Snells law:
n1 sin 1 = n2 sin 2

with one medium being air n1 = 1 and the other a NIM

n2 = n we find
sin 1 = n sin 2 2 < 0
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Imaging properties
properties of
of aa NIM
NIM slab
slab
Imaging

A slab of NIM produces two images of an object, one inside and one outside of the slab.

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Fabry-Perot
Fabry-Perot

tF P = t12 eik2x d t21 + t12 eik2x d r21 eik2x d r21 eik2x d t21 + . . .

X


ik2x d
2
2ik2x d n
= t12 t21 e
r21 e
n=0

t12 t21 eik2x d

=
2
e2ik2x d
1 r21

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Fabry-Perot (cont.)
(cont.)
Fabry-Perot
For 1 = 1 1 and 2 = 2 1 it follows
4k1x k2x eik2x d
tF P =
(k2x k1x )2 (k2x + k1x )2 e2ik2x d
q
2
For propagating waves k1x = k2x = c2 || kz2 and
q
2
2
evanescent waves k1x = k2x = i kz c2 ||, the result is
identical

tF P
tF P

2
eik1x d
4k1x
ik1x d
=
e
=
2
4k1x
2
eik1x d
4k1x
ik1x d
=
=
e
2
4k1x
e2ik1x d

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Fabry-Perot (cont.)
(cont.)
Fabry-Perot
That is, the transmission through a NIM slab of thickness
d produces an image of an object at a distance of 2d and
exactly cancels the free space phase.
free space phase eik1x d
NIM slab phase
e+ik1x d
Note, waves that are evanescent outside grow exponentially inside, thus, making the NIM slab a super-lens as all
waves with arbitrary transverse k-vectors contribute to the
image formation.

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II. Photonic crystals,

photonic crystal fibers,
and extreme guiding

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Photonic crystals
crystals
Photonic

Bragg mirrors (1D)

Slab waveguides (2D)
Woodpile structures (3D)
Photonic crystal fibers (2D)
...
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Problem is
is solved
solved numerically
numerically
Problem
In time domain by finite difference time domain
(FDTD)

E(r, t) = 0 H(r, t)
t

H(r, t) = 0 (r, ) E(r, t)

t

In frequency domain by plane wave expansion (PWE)


1
2

H(r, ) = 2 H(r, )
(r, )
c


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Blochs theorem
theorem
Blochs
H(r, ) = exp[ik() r] uk (r)
uk (r) = uk (r + R)

All solutions (k) within the first Brillouin zone.

(ik + )


1
2
(ik + ) uk (r) = 2 uk (r)
(r, )
c

The band structure is usually calculated for straight paths

connecting points of high symmetry. If band gaps are
found here they also exist for all other wave vectors.
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Band structure
structure
Band

Band structure for TE modes in a square 2D lattice.

Nomenclature is identical to solid state physics.
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Density of
of states
states
Density

Band gap engineering leads to desired guiding properties.

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Density of
of states
states
Density

Band gap engineering leads to desired guiding properties.

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Extreme guiding
guiding in
in single
single mode
mode PCF
PCF
Extreme
solid core, large mode area, dispersion management
solid core, small mode area
hollow core, large mode area
hollow core, gas-filled
PCFs for 3 m wavelength range
PCFs for THz applications
...

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III. THz technology

and applications

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Where are
are we?
we?
Where

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Where are
are we?
we? (cont.)
(cont.)
Where

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THz sources
sources
THz
Nonlinear effects: primary source VIS laser
Nonlinear effects: primary source MW
Synchrotron, free electron laser
Quantum cascade laser
Semiconductor switches (Auston switch)

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Radiating Antenna
Antenna
Radiating

A biased gap is triggered by a femtosecond laser pulse

with h
> Eg . The current flow radiates as

E(t) j(t)
t

with

j(t) = eN (t) Ebias

APL 55, 337 (1989)

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Quasi cw
cw THz
THz generation
generation
Quasi

Three-wave mixing process in a NLO crystal

2
E(t) 2 P(t)
t

with

P() 2 E(1 ) E (2 )

OL 24, 1605 (1999)

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Up-conversion of
of MW
MW
Up-conversion

Standard microwave sources combined with high

precision diode manufacturing allows cascading the
frequency up to 1.6 THz.
JPL

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Cherenkov radiation
radiation in
in LiNbO
LiNbO33
Cherenkov

In this case the spectrum of the THz pulse is mainly dominated by the spatial profile of the excitation pulse
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THz detectors
detectors
THz
Bolometer
Pyroelectric detector
Quantum-well inter-subband detector
Schottky diode
coherent (electro-optic) detection

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Bolometer
Bolometer

Bolometers come as single area detectors but since

recently also as arrays of detectors for imaging
applications. They need to be cooled but are extremely
sensitive.
http://casa.colorado.edu/ jglenn/bolocam.html

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Coherent electro-optic
electro-optic detection
detection
Coherent

Coherent electro-optic sampling allows for a complete

field measurement, and therefore, to determine amplitude
and phase. In addition, spatial scanning yields imaging information.
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The fingerprint
fingerprint region
region
The

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Where do
do we
we need
need THz?
THz?
Where
Detection of chemical and biological materials
Detection of hazardous organic materials
Detection of explosives
Detection of hidden objects
Scanning of mail and packages
Dental applications
Cancer diagnostics
Detection of forgery and counterfeits
THz lidar, microscopy, astronomy
...

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Spectra of
of explosives
explosives
Spectra

In the THz region explosives and most other organic

materials do have a very specific absorption spectrum.
http://www.rpi.edu/ zhangxc
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Imaging
Imaging

Different imaging techniques, such as remote sensing,

imaging, microscopy, and near-field imaging have been
demonstrated.
OL 20,1716 (1995), LEOS IEEE 2, 368 (1996)
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Imaging teeth
teeth
Imaging

As teeth contain very little water, THz radiation may be

used to image hidden cavities etc.
http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/comir/research/medicalterahertz/teeth.htm

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Imaging hidden
hidden metal
metal objects
objects
Imaging

This guy tries to hide a knife behind a news paper. THz

imaging penetrates through most cloths and anorganic
species, except water. Water absorbs extremely well at
THz frequencies.
New Focus in Science, 8. Feb. 2002

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IV. Integrated THz signal

processing

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What is
is itit all
all about?
about?
What
Plattform for integrated THz applications
THz generation through laser
High dielectric contrast
Simple ways of structuring
Possibility to observe fields

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Excitation of
of polaritons
polaritons
Excitation

Excitation by impulsive stimulated Raman scattering.

Phonon mode has to be Raman as well as IR active.
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Detection of
of polaritons
polaritons
Detection

Detection through linear

and nonlinear phase contrast methods:
Interferometry
Talbot imaging
Schlieren imaging
Kerr effect
THz induced SHG
...
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Fundamental building
building blocks
blocks
Fundamental

Fundamental building blocks can be manufactured

through laser machining in crystals of appropriate thicknesses, i.e. mirrors, lenses, prisms, gratings, waveguides,
interferometers, resonators, etc.
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Femtosecond pulse
pulse shaping
shaping
Femtosecond
Ein (t, x)
F[t ]
Eout (, kx )
F 1 [ t]

F[x kx ]
=

Eout (t, x)

Ein (, kx ) A(, kx ) exp[i(, kx )]

F 1 [kx x]

Modulation is done through 1D or 2D SLM, AOM, or MEM

devices. Update speeds typically vary between 100 Hz
and a few kHz.
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Two-dimensional pulse
pulse shaping
shaping
Two-dimensional

In two-dimensional phase-only pulse shaping the temporal axis is shaped through spectral manipulations and one
spatial coordinate through wave vector manipulation.
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Two-dimensional pulse
pulse shaping
shaping
Two-dimensional

In two-dimensional phase-only pulse shaping the temporal axis is shaped through spectral manipulations and one
spatial coordinate through wave vector manipulation.
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Two-dimensional pulse
pulse shaping
shaping
Two-dimensional

In two-dimensional phase-only pulse shaping the temporal axis is shaped through spectral manipulations and one
spatial coordinate through wave vector manipulation.
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Xmas greetings
greetings with
with the
the speed
speed of
of light
light
Xmas

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Near-field far-field
far-field transition
transition
Near-field

By increasing the number of single excitations the transition from near-field to far-field optics becomes obvious.
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Polariton amplification
amplification
Polariton

Amplification or more precisely coherent addition is realized through sweeping subsequent excitation pulses exactly with the polaritons group velocity.
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Polariton resonator
resonator
Polariton

Resonators are amongst the most important building

blocks for integrated signal processing.
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V. Summary

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Acknowledgment
Acknowledgment
The laser group at IAP
The Nelson group at MIT
The organizing committee

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