T-ray profile synthesis using photoconductive emitter array

摘要

We have observed coherent synthesis of spatial profiles of THz radiation emitted from a photoconductive antenna array. The antenna array is composed of seven independently addressable photoconductive antenna units having interdigitated electrodes. The antennas were pumped by amplified 800 nm femtosecond optical pulses. Emitted THz radiation was focused, and the time-resolved spatial profile of the THz radiation on the focal plane was observed using a newly developed real-time imaging apparatus, which can correct the terahertz field images for nonuniformity in birefringence of the EO crystal. By scanning the delay time, frequency-resolved images were also obtained, which exhibit frequency-dependent field profiles. Field profiles observed were coherent superpositions of terahertz waves emitted from the antenna units constituting the array. By inverting the bias voltage to the central unit of the emitter array, we observed super-resolution beam size of terahertz waves, which are smaller than the diffraction limit.