Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
  • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
  • G02F1/35—Non-linear optics
  • G02F1/37—Non-linear optics for second-harmonic generation
  • G02F1/377—Non-linear optics for second-harmonic generation in an optical waveguide structure
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
  • G01N21/25—Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
  • G01N21/31—Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry
  • G01N21/35—Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry using infrared light
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
  • G01N21/25—Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
  • G01N21/31—Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry
  • G01N21/35—Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry using infrared light
  • G01N21/3581—Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry using infrared light using far infrared light; using Terahertz radiation
  • G01N21/3586—Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry using infrared light using far infrared light; using Terahertz radiation by Terahertz time domain spectroscopy [THz-TDS]
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
  • G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
  • G01N21/47—Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection
  • G01N21/4795—Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection spatially resolved investigating of object in scattering medium
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
  • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
  • G02F1/35—Non-linear optics
  • G02F1/37—Non-linear optics for second-harmonic generation
  • G02F1/374—Cherenkov radiation
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
  • G02F2203/00—Function characteristic
  • G02F2203/13—Function characteristic involving THZ radiation

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an electromagnetic wave generating device that generates an electromagnetic wave, such as a terahertz wave, including an electromagnetic wave component in a frequency region ranging from the millimeter waveband to the terahertz waveband (30 GHz to 30 THz) , an electromagnetic wave detecting device that detects an electromagnetic wave, such as a terahertz wave, and a time-domain spectroscopy apparatus including the same.
• the present invention relates to a generating device (detecting device) including an electro-optical crystal for generation (detection) of an electromagnetic wave including a Fourier component in the frequency band through laser light irradiation, and a tomography apparatus including the same based on terahertz time-domain
• nonlinear optical crystals include, for example, LiNbO x (hereinafter, also referred to as "LN"), LiTaO x , NbTaO x , KTP, DAST, ZnTe, GaSe, GaP, and CdTe.
• LN LiNbO x
• NbTaO x LiTaO x
• KTP LiTaO x
• KTP LiTaO x
• DAST difference frequency generation
• ZnTe GaSe
• GaP GaP
• CdTe CdTe
• monochromatic terahertz wave generation based on an optical parametric process and a process of generating terahertz pulses via optical rectification caused by femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation are also known.
• electro-optic As for the method of generating a terahertz wave using such a nonlinear optical crystal, electro-optic
• v g denotes the group velocity of excitation light
• n g indicates the group refractive index thereof
• v THz denotes the phase velocity of the terahertz wave
• n THz indicates the refractive index thereof.
• NPL 2 which describes that a slab waveguide having a thickness enough smaller than the wavelength of a terahertz wave to be generated is used to save the need to tilt the wave front and a monochromatic terahertz wave is generated by DFG.
• Literature relate to a proposal in that terahertz wave generation is caused by traveling wave excitation and terahertz waves generated from different wave sources match in phase in the direction of radiation and thus enhance each other to improve extraction efficiency.
• relatively high efficiency can be provided using a nonlinear optical crystal and terahertz waves of high strength can be generated.
• the frequency band of terahertz waves can be widened by selecting absorption in a terahertz region, caused by phonon resonance typical of crystal, on the high frequency side.
• a related-art Cherenkov terahertz wave generating device has two directivities in a plane including an optical waveguide. It is far from easy to use.
• the present invention has two directivities in a plane including an optical waveguide. It is far from easy to use. The present invention
• invention provides an electromagnetic wave generating device having a substantially single directivity.
• an electromagnetic wave generating device including a nonlinear optical crystal which allows light from a light source to propagate therethrough and generating an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength longer than that of the light includes a first dielectric and a second dielectric, and an optical waveguide including a plurality of waveguide
• n g denotes the refractive index of the nonlinear optical crystal for the light
• e eff denotes the effective relative permittivity of an assembly of the dielectrics and the waveguide segments for the electromagnetic wave
• 0 C cos " (n a f f )
• the electromagnetic wave generating device since the electromagnetic wave generating device includes the optical waveguide including the waveguide segments arranged such that the angle formed by the directions of propagation of the light in the two adjacent waveguide segments substantially corresponds to 20 c , the main lobe of a combined electromagnetic wave is allowed to have a
• FIG. 1A is a top view of an electromagnetic wave generating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. IB is an elevational view thereof.
• FIG. 2A is a top view of an electromagnetic wave generating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 2B is an elevational view thereof.
• FIG. 3A is a top view of an electromagnetic wave generating device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 3B is an elevational view thereof.
• Fig. 4 is a top view of an electromagnetic wave generating device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 5A is a diagram illustrating the structure of a terahertz time-domain spectroscopy apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 5B is a diagram illustrating a modification of the terahertz time-domain spectroscopy apparatus according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 6A is an elevational view of an
• Fig. 6B is an elevational view of the
• Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a terahertz time-domain spectroscopy apparatus according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 8A is a top view of an electromagnetic wave generating device according to Example 1 of the present invention .
• Fig. 8B is an elevational view thereof.
• Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the principle of electro-optic Cherenkov radiation.
• FIG. 10A is a top view of an electromagnetic wave detecting device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.
• Fig. 10B is an elevational view thereof.
• Fig. 11A is a diagram illustrating a method of detection by the electromagnetic wave detecting device.
• Fig. 11B is a diagram illustrating the method of detection by the electromagnetic wave detecting device.
• Fig. 11C is a diagram illustrating the method of detection by the electromagnetic wave detecting device.
• an electromagnetic wave generating device includes an optical waveguide including a plurality of waveguide segments including two waveguide segments arranged such that an angle formed by the directions of propagation of light in the waveguide segments substantially corresponds to the above- described 20 c .
• embodiments of the present invention have fundamental structures as described in the above-described "Solution to Problem” .
• Fig. 1A is a top view of the electromagnetic wave generating device according to the present embodiment.
• Fig. IB is an elevation view thereof.
• the electromagnetic wave generating device according to the present embodiment includes optical waveguide segments each made of a nonlinear optical crystal and bends connecting the segments.
• an optical waveguide segment 101 has a conical directivity when light propagates therethrough. In a plane of Fig. 1A, the directivity,
• Cherenkov radiation direction The direction of Cherenkov radiation (hereinafter, “Cherenkov radiation direction") of an electromagnetic wave forms an angle of substantially 0 C , which will be described later, with the direction of propagation of light (hereinafter, “light propagation direction”) in the optical waveguide segment 101.
• the light propagation direction in an optical waveguide segment 104 forms an angle of substantially 20 c with that in the optical waveguide segment 101.
• the optical waveguide segment 104 also has a conical directivity when light
• the Cherenkov radiation direction of an electromagnetic wave also forms an angle of 0 C with the light propagation direction in the optical waveguide segment 104.
• a bend 103 deflects light propagating through the optical waveguide segment 101 by substantially 20 c to guide the light to an optical waveguide segment 107.
• the light propagation direction in the optical waveguide segment 107 forms an angle of substantially 26 c with that in the optical waveguide segment 101 and the optical waveguide segment 107 has a directivity 108 which appears in two directions in the plane when light propagates therethrough.
• the Cherenkov radiation direction of an electromagnetic wave forms an angle of 9 C with the light propagation direction in the optical waveguide segment 107.
• a bend 106 has a function similar to that of the above- described bend 103.
• Electromagnetic wave components radiated in different directions weaken one another and the wave components which are not completely cancelled become a side lobe 112.
• the entire device
• the electromagnetic wave generating device is radiated to the right in Fig. 1A.
• This is a mechanism whereby the electromagnetic wave generating device according to the embodiment of the present invention has a substantially single directivity represented by the main lobe.
• the optical waveguide segments are arranged in a rhombus pattern such that an angle formed by the light propagation directions in the two adjacent waveguide segments is substantially 2Q C , thus constituting a structure having a single directivity.
• the electromagnetic wave generating device includes a first dielectric 10 and a second dielectric 11 vertically sandwiching the optical waveguide, as illustrated in Fig. IB, to slow the phase velocity of the electromagnetic wave using the above- described difference in spatial spread between the
• relative permittivity s e ff may be approximately expressed by the mean of the permittivities 8i 0 and s u of the dielectrics 10 and 11. It is expressed by the following expression: s e ff « (Sio + 8ii)/2.
• a bias in permittivity in the dielectrics 10 and 11 slightly fluctuates the radiation direction in Fig. IB. The reason is that when the permittivity of the
• the first dielectric 10 is a substrate supporting the nonlinear optical crystal and the second dielectric 11 having a relative permittivity higher than that of the substrate is selected.
• the refractive index (group refractive index n g ) in the near-infrared region of LN as a nonlinear optical crystal described in "Background Art" is about 2.
• semiconductor substrate or the like may also be used.
• An area (not illustrated) other than the optical waveguide sandwiched between the dielectrics 10 and 11 may be filled with, for example, a dielectric or air.
• a material having a refractive index lower than that of the nonlinear optical crystal constituting the optical waveguide may be used.
• BCB benzocyclobutene
• polyimide having a refractive index of about 1.5 which is lower than that of LN may be used.
• the thickness of the dielectrics 10 and 11 is in the limit of upper thickness.
• the thickness thereof may be thinned to some degree. The reason is as follows.
• the electromagnetic wave is sensitive to the outside air, thus reducing the effective permittivity (effective relative permittivity) s ef f .
• n g such that cos "
• the spatial spread of a radiated electromagnetic wave may be recognized as the equivalent wavelength ( ⁇ /Vsio ) of the electromagnetic wave in the
• FIG. 2A is a top view of the
• FIG. 2B is an elevation view thereof.
• optical waveguide segments are connected through bends 203 and 206 to form a single line. Accordingly, light externally enters a single incident end, so that optical coupling is easy.
• the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in structure. Referring to Fig. 2A, the light propagation direction in an optical waveguide segment 204 forms an angle of
• optical waveguide segments have conical directivities 202, 205, and 208, respectively, when light propagates therethrough.
• the entire device therefore has a substantially single
• Electromagnetic wave components which are not completely cancelled become a side lobe 212.
• the optical waveguide segments are arranged in a waveform pattern such that the light propagation directions in the two adjacent waveguide segments forms an angle of substantially 29 c , thus constituting a structure having a substantially single directivity.
• the electromagnetic wave generating device according to the present embodiment also includes dielectrics 20 and 21 vertically sandwiching such an optical waveguide as illustrated in Fig. 2B.
• the present embodiment and the first embodiment since the structure can be extended in the lateral direction, the length of interaction between light propagating through the optical waveguide and the nonlinear optical crystal constituting the optical waveguide can be easily extended. Since the light-to-RF conversion efficiency with which excitation light is converted to an electromagnetic wave (RF) is increased, the embodiments are suitable for apparatuses and applications requiring the light-to-RF conversion efficiency.
• RF electromagnetic wave
• FIG. 3A is a top view of the
• Fig. 3B is an elevation view thereof.
• the present embodiment has an advantage in that optical loss caused by a bend does not occur because there is no bend.
• the present embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in structure. Referring to Fig. 3A, the light propagation direction in an optical waveguide segment 303 forms an angle of substantially 29 c with that in an optical waveguide segment 301.
• the optical waveguide segments have conical directivities 302 and 304,
• the entire device has a substantially single directivity and radiates an electromagnetic wave to the right in Fig. 3A.
• Electromagnetic wave components which are not completely cancelled become a side lobe 312.
• the optical waveguide segments forming an angle of substantially 20 c are arranged in a V- shaped pattern, thus constituting a structure having a substantially single directivity.
• the electromagnetic wave generating device according to the present embodiment also includes dielectrics 30 and 31 vertically sandwiching such an optical waveguide as illustrated in Fig. 3B.
• Fig. 4 is an electromagnetic wave generating device that includes an optical waveguide having one incident end and a Y-shaped branch 400 on the optical waveguide.
• the Y-shaped branch 400 does not depend on the wavelength and the polarization direction of light. It is well known as a branch which can be used in a single-mode/multi-mode optical waveguide. A Mach-Zehnder type or the like may be used.
• this branch can realize an optical waveguide having a structure in which a plurality of small rhomboid patterns are arranged in a rhomboid pattern and an optical waveguide having a structure in which a plurality of V-shaped patterns are arranged in a V-shaped pattern.
• Cherenkov radiation is derived from the second- order nonlinear coefficients (d coefficients) of nonlinear optical crystals 401 and 402, although no mention has been made about it.
• d coefficients nonlinear coefficients
• the d coefficient is a tensor. It is necessary to pay attention to a direction indicated by, for example, i in a d coefficient da.
• the d coefficients of all the nonlinear optical crystals may indicate a direction
• a short pulse laser beam may be used for optical excitation of the above-described electromagnetic wave generating devices.
• wide-band electromagnetic pulses having a wavelength longer than that of light can be generated by optical rectification.
• Two laser beams having different wavelengths may be allowed to enter the device, thus generating an electromagnetic wave having a single frequency which corresponds to the difference between the frequencies and having a wavelength longer than that of light.
• the incident end and the emitting end of the optical waveguide can be reversed.
• the structures according to the above-described embodiments may be used in combination within the bounds of possibility.
• the present embodiment and the first embodiment may be used in combination such that the structure according to the present embodiment is applied to the left half of the structure according to the first embodiment.
• Fig. 5A illustrates a tomographic imaging apparatus based on the terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) system including any of the devices according to the above- described embodiments as an electromagnetic wave generating device.
• a femtosecond laser 51 including an optical fiber is used as an excitation light source and output is extracted from fibers 53 and 54 through a branch unit 52.
• light having a central wavelength of 1.55 ⁇ , a pulse width of 20 fs, and a repetition frequency of 50 MHz is used.
• a wavelength in the band of 1.06 ⁇ may be used.
• the pulse width and the repetition frequency are not limited to these values.
• Each of the fibers 53 and 54 serving as output stages, may include a dispersion fiber for prechirping to compensate for dispersion by, for example, optical devices including a high nonlinear fiber, disposed at the final stage, for high-order soliton compression, a terahertz generator, and a terahertz detector.
• Each of these fibers may include a polarization maintaining fiber.
• An output from the fiber 53 on the terahertz wave generation side is connected to a waveguide of a Cherenkov radiation type device 50 according to any of the embodiments of the present invention.
• the end of the fiber may be integrated with a cylindrical lens array or may be processed to be the pigtail type so that the output is less than or equal to the numerical aperture (NA) of the waveguide of the device 50 in order to increase coupling efficiency.
• the fiber 53 may be spatially connected to the device 50 through a lens (not illustrated) .
• the fiber 53 and the waveguide of the device 50 are designed such that the NAs and the mode field diameters of them are close to each other, they may be bonded to each other in a butt-coupling manner by butting against each other. In this case, proper selection of an adhesive can reduce adverse effects of reflection.
• the fiber 53 or the fiber laser 51 on the upstream side includes a fiber segment which is not the polarization maintaining type, the polarization of light incident on the Cherenkov radiation type device 50 may be stabilized by an inline polarization controller.
• the excitation light source is not limited to the fiber laser. When the excitation light source is not a fiber laser, measures to stabilize the polarization are reduced.
• a generated electromagnetic wave is detected by a mechanism based on the well-known THz-TDS system illustrated in Fig. 5A. Specifically, a parabolic mirror 56a transforms the beam to a parallel beam, a beam splitter 55 splits the beam into two beams, and a parabolic mirror 56b applies one of the beams to a sample. A parabolic mirror 56c converges an electromagnetic wave reflected from the sample. The resultant wave reaches or is received by a detector 58, including a photoconductive element.
• the photoconductive element typically includes low temperature grown GaAs and a dipole antenna disposed thereon.
• a harmonic wave is generated using an SHG crystal (not illustrated) and is used as probe light for the detector 58.
• periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) having a thickness of about 0.1 mm may be used in order to maintain a pulse shape.
• PPLN periodically poled lithium niobate
• a reference wave may be used as probe light.
• a signal acquisition unit 61 acquires a signal detected by the detector 58 through an amplifier 63.
• a data processing and output unit 62 includes a PC or the like and obtains the waveform of an
• the present apparatus includes the generating unit, including the electromagnetic wave generating device according to any of the embodiments of the present invention, for generating an electromagnetic wave, the detecting unit for detecting the electromagnetic wave radiated from the generating unit, and the delay unit.
• This apparatus is configured as the tomography apparatus in which the detecting unit detects an electromagnetic wave, radiated from the generating unit and reflected by a sample, and the reflected wave from the sample is analyzed to image the internal structure of the sample.
• the reflected wave from the sample serving as a measurement target, is coaxial with the applied electromagnetic wave.
• the presence of the beam splitter 55 halves the power of the
• the number of mirrors 56 may be increased to provide non-coaxial relationship between the waves so that the power of the electromagnetic wave is increased, though the angle of incidence on the sample is not 90 degrees.
• a reflected echo pulse appears in a time position corresponding to the
• the generating device 50 including the nonlinear optical crystal is configured as described above, the device has a
• the thickness of penetration of the sample in the depth direction can be increased.
• a terahertz pulse of relatively short duration a monopulse of 300 fs or less, can be obtained, depth resolution can be increased.
• the apparatus can be reduced in size and cost.
• the emitting end face of the optical waveguide included in the electromagnetic wave generating device is roughened so that light emitted from the end does not become a noise source, and light is extracted to the outside.
• Figs. 6A and 6B illustrate structures for controlling light emitted from the emitting end.
• Fig. 6A illustrates an electromagnetic wave generating device 60 whose emitting end is covered by coating 610.
• coating for optical attenuation for example, a black polyethylene film can be used.
• the thickness of the coating 610 may be equal to or less than one-tenth of the equivalent wavelength of an electromagnetic wave in a material, for example, several micrometers so that the coating does not affect generation of the electromagnetic wave emitted from the emitting end of the device.
• effects, such as reflection, dispersion, and refraction, on an electromagnetic wave having the wavelength are generally negligible.
• anti-reflection (AR) coating or high-reflection (HR) coating for light may be used.
• Coating that controls a radiated electromagnetic wave may be used.
• a Ge film can be used as coating for controlling a terahertz
• Fig. 6B illustrates the electromagnetic wave
• electromagnetic wave can be dispersed using, for example, the difference in angle of refraction between an optical waveguide and the air and the difference in angle of
• the emitting end of any of the electromagnetic wave generating devices of the embodiments is processed by, for example, AR coating so that light emitted from the emitting end is reused as probe light.
• light emerging from the emitting end of a waveguide included in an electromagnetic wave generating device 70 is allowed to pass through a hole 79 of a parabolic mirror such that a beam corresponding to the optical axis of the light is separated from the light, and the separated beam is used as probe light for a detecting unit.
• a small lens (not limited to minimize the diameter of the hole 79 of the parabolic mirror, a small lens (not
• a delay unit 77 adjusts the time of delay between the time of arrival of the light at the waveguide in the electromagnetic wave generating device 70 and the time of arrival of the probe light at the detecting unit.
• Fig. 7 illustrates a tomography apparatus based on the THz-TDS system similar to that in Fig. 5A. Electrical system components are not illustrated in Fig. 7.
• the present embodiment differs from the fifth embodiment in Fig. 5A in that the apparatus includes no fiber branch unit and the whole of output of an excitation laser 71 including a fiber is allowed to enter the electromagnetic wave
• a terahertz wave generated from the electromagnetic wave generating device 70 is applied to a sample through parabolic mirrors and a half mirror 75 in a manner similar to the fifth embodiment. Reflected light from the sample enters a terahertz detecting unit 78, thus acquiring a signal.
• part of the laser beam propagating in the electromagnetic wave generating device 70 again emerges from the emitting end and passes through the hole 79 of the parabolic mirror and the delay unit 77 and is then reused as probe light for the detecting unit 78.
• the laser source 71 for excitation is not limited to a femtosecond laser source.
• excitation or two tunable laser diodes may be used. Since frequencies for DFG can be changed by changing wavelengths, the frequency of a radiated terahertz wave can also be modulated.
• FIG. 10A is a top view of the
• Fig. 10B is an elevation view thereof.
• the present embodiment relates to the electromagnetic wave generating device that includes the optical waveguide segments 101, 104, and 107, each including an electro-optic crystal, and bends 103 and 106 connecting the segments in a manner similar to the first embodiment and is configured to detect an electromagnetic wave by a reverse process of generation.
• An electro-optic crystal for the first-order electro-optic effect used here has second-order nonlinearity.
• a typical practical electro-optic crystal is substantially equivalent to a nonlinear optical crystal having second- order nonlinearity.
• excitation light is
• an electromagnetic wave e.g., a terahertz wave
• an electromagnetic wave e.g., a terahertz wave
• an electromagnetic wave e.g., a terahertz wave
• the probe light is modulated.
• a light propagation state detecting unit 1010 is configured to detect a propagation state of the probe light. For example, the state of polarization based on the first- order Pockels effect in the electro-optic crystal is
• a Wollaston prism 1001 splits the probe light emerging from the emitting end of the optical waveguide into polarization components, and the S/N ratio is increased by differential amplification through two photodetectors 1002 and 1003, so that the electromagnetic wave can be detected.
• the amplitude of the electric field of the electromagnetic wave can be detected.
• phase compensator e.g., a ⁇ /4 phase shifter
• the above-described light propagation state detecting unit 1010 may be disposed between the emitting end and the polarizing element 1001. Moreover, the above-described light propagation state detecting unit 1010 may be
• an electromagnetic wave e.g., a terahertz wave
• the method of detecting a change of the light polarization state by the first-order electro- optic effect caused by a combined electromagnetic wave has been described.
• the detection is not limited to this method.
• a method of detecting a change in phase and intensity of light propagating through the waveguide as a change of the propagation state of light may be used.
• a method of detecting an optical beat signal may be used which detects an optical signal indicating the difference between a
• a device is configured to detect a first electromagnetic wave (EM- WAVE 1 or EMI) and also generate a second electromagnetic wave (EM-WAVE 2 or EM2) .
• EM- WAVE 1 or EMI first electromagnetic wave
• EM-WAVE 2 or EM2 second electromagnetic wave
• the spectrum v EM i of the first electromagnetic wave and the spectrum v EM2 of the second electromagnetic wave may be the same or different from each other.
• a region where the wave front of the first electromagnetic wave substantially coincides with that of the second electromagnetic wave is provided as illustrated in Figs. 11A and 11B. Consequently, a frequency component of (VEMI - v EM2 ) can be superimposed on probe light
• Fig. llC illustrates a state where the component is mixed with, for example, probe beams having frequencies Vi and v 2 ,
• components 1102 and 1104 of (vi ⁇ v EM i - v EM2 ) appear in the side band of the frequency v x and components 1101 and 1103 of (v 2 ⁇ v EM i - v EM2 ) appear in the side band of the frequency v 2 .
• the frequencies Vi and v 2 and the side bands thereof are observed through, for example, an optical spectrum analyzer,
• the first electromagnetic wave can be detected. Furthermore, since the first-order nonlinear effect in the optical waveguide allows the second electromagnetic wave to be modulated by the first electromagnetic wave, the first electromagnetic wave can also be detected by observing the second electromagnetic wave.
• this device allows the construction of the THz-TDS system and the tomography apparatus described in the foregoing embodiments.
• any generating device e.g., the device based on Cherenkov phase matching described in the embodiments of the present invention or a device using a related-art photoconductive element or the like, may be used.
• a concrete example 1 corresponding to the first embodiment will be described.
• An electromagnetic wave generating device according to this example will be described.
• Fig. 8A is a top view of the electromagnetic wave generating device according to this example.
• Fig. 8B is an elevation view thereof .
• the device according to this example includes ridge waveguide segments 801, 804, and 807 including ZnTe/CdZnTe and bends 803 and 806 connecting the segments such that the segments are arranged in a rhombus pattern in Fig. 8A.
• the length of the ridge waveguide segment 804 along a light propagation path is set to, for example, 200 ⁇ and the bend radius of the bend 806 is set to 20 ⁇ at which loss is relatively small.
• the length and the bend radius are not limited to the values. In this example, if the influence of the bends is eliminated, fundamentally, the half-value angle (angle of spread of part corresponding to half the maximum power of a directivity in Fig.
• the electromagnetic wave generating device includes a semiconductor heterostructure of ZnTe (8040) /CdZnTe (8041) on a semi-insulating GaAs substrate 80.
• the second-order nonlinear coefficient di 4 of a nonlinear optical crystal ZnTe is relatively high, about 100 pm/V. It is suitable for the band of 1.06 ⁇ and the band of 800 nm.
• a semi-insulating GaAs substrate which is the same material as that for the dielectric 80, is used as a dielectric 81 in Fig. 8B used to sandwich the optical waveguide.
• dielectric BCB 809 having a low permittivity and low
• Each CdZnTe layer (low refractive index layer) 8041 may be thick enough to function as a clad when light propagates and may be thinned to such extend that the effect of multiple reflection or loss of a terahertz wave is negligible between the GaAs layers 80 and 81.
• the CdZnTe layers 8041 may have a thickness equal to or greater than such a thickness that a light intensity at the interfaces with the GaAs layers 80 and 81 is equal to or less than 1/e 2 (e is the base of a natural logarithm) of a light intensity in the core region.
• the CdZnTe layer 8041 may have a thickness equal to or less than about 1/10 of the equivalent wavelength X eq of a
• terahertz wave having a maximum frequency that is the highest radiation frequency, in the CdZnTe layer 8041.
• radiated terahertz wave components in the same direction enhance one another in a manner similar to the first embodiment, thus contributing to the main lobe 811 in the directivity of the entire device. Wave components which are not completely cancelled become a side lobe 812. Accordingly, the entire device has a substantially single directivity, so that the terahertz wave can be radiated to the right in Fig. 8A.
• each of the substrates 80 and 81 may be thinned to 60 ⁇ to reduce s e f f .
• a band for Cherenkov radiation is narrowed due to cutoff in a low frequency band or dispersion caused by the size relationship between the spatial spread of an
• the effective permittivity s eff may be regarded as the square of the equivalent refractive index n eq .
• Such a structure is made such that a semiconductor heterostructure of ZnTe/CdZnTe is formed on the semi- insulating GaAs substrate 80 having a thickness of 525 um by, for example, molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) .
• MBE molecular beam epitaxy
• the (110) or (111) plane orientation is used so that the
• the nonlinear coefficient di4 of each waveguide segment in a direction perpendicular to the plane in Fig. 8B is not zero.
• the CdZnTe layer 8041 having a thickness of 2 um, the ZnTe layer 8040 having a thickness of 2 um, and the CdZnTe layer 8041 having a thickness of 2 ⁇ are formed in that order to epitaxially grow a step index (SI) optical waveguide.
• etching is performed using a mask of Si0 2 or the like to form the ridge waveguide segment 804 having a width of 5 um.
• the width may have such an extent that single-mode propagation is achieved.
• the half-value angle of the above- described radiation pattern can be reduced.
• wet etching using, for example, bromine-methanol solution, alternatively, dry etching may be used.
• Planarization is achieved by applying BCB to an area other than the ridge waveguide segments.
• grinding may be performed.

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