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Fast terahertz imaging using a quantum cascade amplifier


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Authors

Ren, Y 
Wallis, R 
Jessop, DS 
Degl'Innocenti, Riccardo  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2655-1997
Klimont, A 

Abstract

jats:pA terahertz (THz) imaging scheme based on the effect of self-mixing in a 2.9 THz quantum cascade (QC) amplifier has been demonstrated. By coupling an antireflective-coated silicon lens to the facet of a QC laser, with no external optical feedback, the laser mirror losses are enhanced to fully suppress lasing action, creating a THz QC amplifier. The addition of reflection from an external target to the amplifier creates enough optical feedback to initiate lasing action and the resulting emission enhances photon-assisted transport, which in turn reduces the voltage across the device. At the peak gain point, the maximum photon density coupled back leads to a prominent self-mixing effect in the QC amplifier, leading to a high sensitivity, with a signal to noise ratio up to 55 dB, along with a fast data acquisition speed of 20 000 points per second.</jats:p>

Description

Keywords

40 Engineering, 4009 Electronics, Sensors and Digital Hardware, 51 Physical Sciences, Bioengineering

Journal Title

Applied Physics Letters

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0003-6951
1077-3118

Volume Title

Publisher

AIP Publishing
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/J017671/1)
This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.