Compact, portable, and widely-tunable THz source based on intracavity frequency mixing inside Nd:LSB laser: a novel approach

目标：该项目的目标是基于双频 Nd:LSB 激光器内 GaP 晶体内腔内混频，实现紧凑、便携式和广泛可调的太赫兹源，激光波长约为 1 µm。 Nd:LSB 可能是极少数发射 1 µm 左右辐射且具有足够宽带宽的激光器之一。因此，通过将 GaP 晶体放置在 Nd:LSB 激光器内，这样的系统可用于有效生成在宽波长范围内可调谐的太赫兹波。这样的太赫兹源将在室温下工作。没有其他太赫兹源可以与这种提议的太赫兹源竞争。智力优点：智力优点基于潜在的变革性概念。这是迄今为止最有效的方法之一，因为这种固态激光器内部混合光束的峰值强度是最高的。就太赫兹源的性能而言，无论腔内还是外腔，所提出的方法都优于所有其他混频过程。 更广泛的影响：更广泛的影响是少数族裔或女学生可能参与开展拟议的研究，将资助期间获得的研究成果整合到课堂教学、本科生和研究生实验室、高中生夏令营和年度校园招聘活动的三个演示中，以及由太赫兹波驱动的太赫兹波应用的新时代。紧凑、便携、可广泛调谐的太赫兹源。

Objective:The objective of this program is to implement a compact, portable, and widely-tunable THz source based on intracavity frequency mixing in a GaP crystal inside a dual-frequency Nd:LSB laser at the laser wavelengths of around 1 µm. Nd:LSB is probably one of very few lasers emitting radiation around 1 µm with a sufficiently wide bandwidth.Therefore, by placing a GaP crystal inside a Nd:LSB laser, such a system can be used for efficiently generating THz waves tunable within a wide wavelength range. Such a THz source will be working at room temperature. There is no other THz source which can compete with such a proposed THz source.Intellectual merit:The intellectual merit is based on a potentially transformative concept. It is one of the most efficient approaches to date since the peak intensities of the mixing beams inside such a solid-state laser are among the highest. The proposed approach is superior to all other frequency-mixing processes regardless of intracavity or outercavity, in terms of the performance of the THz source.Broader impacts:The broader impacts are the possible participation of a minority or female student for conducting the proposed research, integration of the research results obtained during the funding period into three demos for classroom teaching, labs for undergraduate and graduate students, high-school student summer camps, and annual campus recruitment events, and new eras for the applications of THz waves to be driven by the compact, portable, and widely-tunable THz source.