Coherent tunable terahertz generation was demonstrated in periodically poled stoichiometric lithium tantalate crystal via difference frequency generation of femtosecond laser pulses. Simultaneous forward and backward terahertz radiations were obtained around 1.35 and 0.63 THz, respectively at low temperature. By cooling the crystal to reduce losses caused by phonon absorptions, the generated THz bandwidth was as narrow as 23GHz at the center frequency of 0.63 THz. The measurement result of temperature-dependent showed gradual intensity increase of the generated terahertz pulse and red shift of the center frequency as the temperature decrease from 291 to 143 K, but insignificant reduction of the spectral bandwidth. Furthermore, the stoichiometric crystal was very suitable for the suppression of THz loss at low temperature compared to the congruent <TEX>$LiNbO_3$</TEX> crystal.

© 2008 Optical Society of Korea

1. S. Nakajimam H. Hoshina, M. Yamashita, C. Otani, and N. Miyoshi, "Terahertz imaging diagnostics of cancer tissues with a chemometrics technique," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 90, no. 4, pp. 041102-1-041102-3, 2007
2. S. Hunsche, M. Koch, I. Brener, and M. C. Nuss, "THz near-field imaging," Opt. Commun., vol. 150, no. 1998, pp. 22-26, 1998
3. C. Waschke, H. G. Roskos, R. Schwedler, K. Lep, H. Kurz, and K. Kohler, "Coherennt submillimeter-wave emission from Bloch oscillations in a semiconductor superlattice," Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 70, no. 21, pp. 3319-3322, 1993 [CrossRef]
4. M. Brucherseifer, M. Nagel, P. H. Bolivar, H. Kurz, A. Bosserhoff, and R. Buttner, "Label-free probing of the binding state of DNA by time-domain terahertz sensing,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 77, no. 24, pp. 4049-4051, 2000 [CrossRef]
5. Y.-S. Lee, T. Meade, V. Perlin, H. Winful, T. B. Norris, and A. Galvanauskas, "Generation of narrow-band terahertz radiation via optical rectification of femtosecond pulses in periodically poled lithium niobate," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 76, no. 18, pp. 2505-2507, 2000 [CrossRef]
6. Y.-S. Lee, T. Meade, M. DeCamp, T. B. Norris, and A. Galvanauskas, "Temperature dependence of narrow-band terahertz generation from periodically poled lithium niobate," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 77, no. 9, pp. 1244-1246, 2000 [CrossRef]
7. Y. Sasaki, H. Yokoyama, and H. Ito, “Surface-emitted continuous-wave terahertz radiation using periodically poled lithium niobate,” Electro. Lett., vol. 41, no. 12, pp. 712-713, 2005 [CrossRef]
8. Y. J. Ding and W. Shi, "From backward THz difference-frequency generation to parametric oscillation," IEEE J. Select. Topic. in Quant. Elec., vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 352-359, 2006
9. N. E. Yu, C. Jung, C.-S. Kee, Y. Lee, B.-A. Yu, D.-K. Ko, and J. Lee, “Backward terahertz generation in periodically poled lithium niobate crystal via difference frequency generation,” Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., vol. 46, no. 4A, pp. 1501-1504, 2007 [CrossRef]
10. N. E. Yu, C. Kang, H. K. Yoo, C. Jung, Y. Lee , C.-S. Kee, D.-K. Ko, J. Lee, K. Kitamura, and S. Takekawa "Simultaneous forward and backward terahertz generations in periodically poled stoichiometric <TEX>$LiTaO_3$</TEX> crystal using femtosecond pulses," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 93, no. 3, in press 2008
11. A. Bruner, D. Eger, M. B. Oron, P. Blau, M. Katz, and S. Ruschin, "Temperature-dependent Sellmeier equation for the refractive index of stoichiometric lithium tantalate," Optics Lett., vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 194-196, 2003 [CrossRef]
12. M. Schall, H. Helm, and S. R. Keiding, "Far infrared properties of electro-optic crystals measured by THz timedomain spectroscopy," Int. J. Infrared and Millimeter Waves vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 595-604, 1999 [CrossRef]
13. Y. Furukawa, K. Kitamura, E. Suzuki, and K. Niwa "Stoichiometric <TEX>$LiTaO_3$</TEX> single crystal growth by double crucible Czochralski method using automatic powder supply system," J. Cryst. Grow., vol. 197, no. 98, pp. 889-895, 1999 [CrossRef]
14. N. E. Yu, S. Kurimura, Y. Nomura, M. Nakamura, K. Kitamura, Y. Takada, J. Sakuma, and T. Sumiyoshi, "Efficient optical parametric oscillation based on periodically poled 1.0mol% MgO-doped stoichiometric <TEX>$LiTaO_3$</TEX>," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 85, no. 22, pp. 5134-5136, 2004 [CrossRef]
15. G. P.Wiederrecht, T. P. Dougherty, L. Dhar, K. A. Nelson, D. E. Leaird, and A. M. Weiner, "Explanation of anomalous polariton dynamics in <TEX>$LiTaO_3$</TEX>," Phys. Rev. B., vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 916 -931, 1995 [CrossRef]
16. C. Kang, C.-S. Kee, I.-B. Sohn, H. K. Yoo, Y. Lee, N. E. Yu, C. Jung, D.-K. Ko, and J. Lee, "Generation and transmission properties of THz pulses using periodic/quasi-periodic structure," Proceeding of Advanced Lasers and Their applications workshop2008, Jeju, May1-3, pp. 50-51, 2008
17. N. E. Yu, C. Jung, C.-S. Kee, Y. Lee, B.-A. Yu, D.-K. Ko, J. Lee, W.-J. Lee, J.-E. Kim, and H. Y. Park "Terahertz generation in quasi-phase-matching structures using femtosecond laser pulses," J. Korean Phys. Soc. vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 493-497, 2007

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• M. Brucherseifer, M. Nagel, P. H. Bolivar, H. Kurz, A. Bosserhoff, and R. Buttner, "Label-free probing of the binding state of DNA by time-domain terahertz sensing,” Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 77, no. 24, pp. 4049-4051, 2000 [CrossRef]
• Y.-S. Lee, T. Meade, V. Perlin, H. Winful, T. B. Norris, and A. Galvanauskas, "Generation of narrow-band terahertz radiation via optical rectification of femtosecond pulses in periodically poled lithium niobate," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 76, no. 18, pp. 2505-2507, 2000 [CrossRef]
• Y.-S. Lee, T. Meade, M. DeCamp, T. B. Norris, and A. Galvanauskas, "Temperature dependence of narrow-band terahertz generation from periodically poled lithium niobate," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 77, no. 9, pp. 1244-1246, 2000 [CrossRef]
• S. Nakajimam H. Hoshina, M. Yamashita, C. Otani, and N. Miyoshi, "Terahertz imaging diagnostics of cancer tissues with a chemometrics technique," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 90, no. 4, pp. 041102-1-041102-3, 2007
• N. E. Yu, C. Kang, H. K. Yoo, C. Jung, Y. Lee , C.-S. Kee, D.-K. Ko, J. Lee, K. Kitamura, and S. Takekawa "Simultaneous forward and backward terahertz generations in periodically poled stoichiometric <TEX>$LiTaO_3$</TEX> crystal using femtosecond pulses," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 93, no. 3, in press 2008
• N. E. Yu, S. Kurimura, Y. Nomura, M. Nakamura, K. Kitamura, Y. Takada, J. Sakuma, and T. Sumiyoshi, "Efficient optical parametric oscillation based on periodically poled 1.0mol% MgO-doped stoichiometric <TEX>$LiTaO_3$</TEX>," Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 85, no. 22, pp. 5134-5136, 2004 [CrossRef]

Electronics Letters

• Y. Sasaki, H. Yokoyama, and H. Ito, “Surface-emitted continuous-wave terahertz radiation using periodically poled lithium niobate,” Electro. Lett., vol. 41, no. 12, pp. 712-713, 2005 [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Select. Topic. in Quant. Elec.

• Y. J. Ding and W. Shi, "From backward THz difference-frequency generation to parametric oscillation," IEEE J. Select. Topic. in Quant. Elec., vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 352-359, 2006

International Journal of Infrared and Millimeter Waves

• M. Schall, H. Helm, and S. R. Keiding, "Far infrared properties of electro-optic crystals measured by THz timedomain spectroscopy," Int. J. Infrared and Millimeter Waves vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 595-604, 1999 [CrossRef]

J. Korean Phys. Soc.

• N. E. Yu, C. Jung, C.-S. Kee, Y. Lee, B.-A. Yu, D.-K. Ko, J. Lee, W.-J. Lee, J.-E. Kim, and H. Y. Park "Terahertz generation in quasi-phase-matching structures using femtosecond laser pulses," J. Korean Phys. Soc. vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 493-497, 2007

Journal of Crystal Growth

• Y. Furukawa, K. Kitamura, E. Suzuki, and K. Niwa "Stoichiometric <TEX>$LiTaO_3$</TEX> single crystal growth by double crucible Czochralski method using automatic powder supply system," J. Cryst. Grow., vol. 197, no. 98, pp. 889-895, 1999 [CrossRef]

Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.

• N. E. Yu, C. Jung, C.-S. Kee, Y. Lee, B.-A. Yu, D.-K. Ko, and J. Lee, “Backward terahertz generation in periodically poled lithium niobate crystal via difference frequency generation,” Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., vol. 46, no. 4A, pp. 1501-1504, 2007 [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• S. Hunsche, M. Koch, I. Brener, and M. C. Nuss, "THz near-field imaging," Opt. Commun., vol. 150, no. 1998, pp. 22-26, 1998

Optics Letters

• A. Bruner, D. Eger, M. B. Oron, P. Blau, M. Katz, and S. Ruschin, "Temperature-dependent Sellmeier equation for the refractive index of stoichiometric lithium tantalate," Optics Lett., vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 194-196, 2003 [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. B

• G. P.Wiederrecht, T. P. Dougherty, L. Dhar, K. A. Nelson, D. E. Leaird, and A. M. Weiner, "Explanation of anomalous polariton dynamics in <TEX>$LiTaO_3$</TEX>," Phys. Rev. B., vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 916 -931, 1995 [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• C. Waschke, H. G. Roskos, R. Schwedler, K. Lep, H. Kurz, and K. Kohler, "Coherennt submillimeter-wave emission from Bloch oscillations in a semiconductor superlattice," Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 70, no. 21, pp. 3319-3322, 1993 [CrossRef]

Proceeding of Advanced Lasers and Their applications workshop2008

• C. Kang, C.-S. Kee, I.-B. Sohn, H. K. Yoo, Y. Lee, N. E. Yu, C. Jung, D.-K. Ko, and J. Lee, "Generation and transmission properties of THz pulses using periodic/quasi-periodic structure," Proceeding of Advanced Lasers and Their applications workshop2008, Jeju, May1-3, pp. 50-51, 2008

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