Optical up-conversion-based cross-correlation for characterization of sub-nanosecond terahertz-wave pulses

Abstract

Using a nonlinear optical mixing known as a frequency up-conversion process, we demonstrate an optical cross-correlation technique for the detection and characterization of sub-nanosecond (sub-ns) terahertz (THz)-wave pulses. A monochromatic THz-wave pulse from an injection-seeded THz-wave parametric generator (is-TPG) was mixed with a near-infrared (NIR) pump pulse to generate a NIR idler pulse in a trapezoidal-prism-shaped MgO-doped lithium niobate crystal under the noncollinear phase-matching condition. By measuring pump-energy and crystal-length dependencies, we show that the frequency up-conversion of sub-ns THz-wave pulses with and without subsequent parametric amplification can be used for sensitive detection and intensity cross-correlation characterization, respectively. Using this cross-correlation technique, we reveal that the temporal profile of THz-wave pulses from the is-TPG driven by a 351-ps 1064-nm pump laser has slightly-frequency-dependent pulse width in the range of 150–190 ps at full width at half-maximum in the tunable range of 0.95–2.00 THz.