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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Revealing subterahertz atomic vibrations in quantum paraelectrics by surface-sensitive spintronic terahertz spectroscopy

Understanding surface collective dynamics in quantum materials is crucial for advancing quantum technologies. For example, surface phonon modes in quantum paraelectrics are thought to be essential in facilitating interfacial superconductivity. However, detecting these modes, especially below 1 terahertz, is challenging because of limited sampling volumes and the need for high spectroscopic resolution. Here, we report surface soft transverse optical (TO1) phonon dynamics in KTaO 3 and SrTiO 3 by surface-sensitive spintronic terahertz spectroscopy that can sense the collective modes only a few nanometers deep from the surface. In KTaO 3 , the TO1 mode softens and sharpens with decreasing temperature, leveling off at 0.7 terahertz. In contrast, this mode in SrTiO 3 broadens substantially below the quantum paraelectric crossover and coincides with the hardening of a sub–milli–electron volt phonon mode related to the antiferrodistortive transition. These observations that deviate from their bulk properties may have implications for interfacial superconductivity and ferroelectricity. The developed technique opens opportunities for sensing low-energy surface collective excitations.

Chu, Zhaodong↗
DOE OSTI2024

Spatiotemporal control of two-color terahertz generation

A laser pulse composed of a fundamental and properly phased second harmonic exhibits an asymmetric electric field that can drive a time-dependent current of photoionized electrons. The current produces an ultrashort burst of terahertz (THz) radiation. When driven by a conventional laser pulse, the THz radiation is emitted into a cone with an angle determined by the dispersion of the medium. Here we demonstrate that the programmable-velocity intensity peak of a spatiotemporally structured, two-color laser pulse can be used to control the emission angle, focal spot, and spectrum of the THz radiation. Of particular interest for applications, a structured pulse with a subluminal intensity peak can drive highly focusable, on-axis THz radiation. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

High-sensitivity telecommunication-compatible photoconductive terahertz detection through carrier transit time reduction

We present a telecommunication-compatible photoconductive terahertz detector realized without using any short-carrier-lifetime photoconductor. By utilizing plasmonic contact electrodes on a thin layer of high-mobility photoconductor, the presented detector offers a short transit time for the majority of the photocarriers in the absence of a short-carrier-lifetime photoconductor. Consequently, high-sensitivity terahertz detection is achieved with a record-high signal-to-noise ratio of 122 dB over a 3.6 THz bandwidth under an optical probe power of 10 mW. To achieve such a high sensitivity, the device geometry is chosen to maintain a high resistance and low Johnson Nyquist noise. This design approach can be widely applied for terahertz detection using various semiconductors and optical wavelengths, without being limited by the availability of short-carrier-lifetime photoconductors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Quantum Anomalies in Condensed Matter

Quantum materials provide a fertile ground in which to test and realize unusual phenomena such as quantum anomalies predicted by quantum field theory. There are three important symmetries that are broken when classical field theory is moved into the quantum regime, the scale anomaly, the axial (chiral) anomaly, and the parity anomaly. Several potential device applications may be realized by the discovery of quantum anomalies in condensed matter, enabled by the new physics they embody, including ultra‐sensitive dark matter detectors, far infrared optical modulators, micro‐bolometric detectors, low‐dissipation ballistic transporters, terahertz‐based qubits, terahertz polarization state controls, passive magnetic field sensors, stable topological superconductors that host Majorana fermions, and qubits topologically protected against decoherence. In this perspective article, the definition of these quantum anomalies is laid out, how little is known in the context of condensed matter, and how quantum anomalies are predicted to manifest as anomalous electronic, thermal, and magnetic behavior in experiments on topological quantum materials, including Weyl and Dirac semimetals. Furthermore, the importance that mechanical strain and defects will play in modifying signatures of quantum anomalies is discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Plasmonics-enhanced photoconductive terahertz detector pumped by Ytterbium-doped fiber laser

We present a photoconductive terahertz detector operating at the 1 µm wavelength range at which high-power and compact Ytterbium-doped femtosecond fiber lasers are available. The detector utilizes an array of plasmonic nanoantennas to provide sub-picosecond transit time for the majority of photo-generated carriers to enable high-sensitivity terahertz detection without using a short-carrier-lifetime substrate. By using a high-mobility semiconductor substrate and preventing photocarrier recombination, the presented detector offers significantly higher sensitivity levels compared with previously demonstrated broadband photoconductive terahertz detectors operating at the 1 µm wavelength range. We demonstrate pulsed terahertz detection over a 4 THz bandwidth with a record-high signal-to-noise ratio of 95 dB at an average terahertz radiation power of 6.8 µW, when using an optical pump power of 30 mW.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nonlinear optical control of chiral charge pumping in a topological Weyl semimetal

Solids with topologically robust electronic states exhibit unusual electronic and optical properties that do not exist in other materials. A particularly interesting example is chiral charge pumping, the so-called chiral anomaly, in recently discovered topological Weyl semimetals, where simultaneous application of parallel DC electric and magnetic fields creates an imbalance in the number of carriers of opposite topological charge (chirality). Here, using time-resolved terahertz measurements on the Weyl semimetal TaAs in a magnetic field, we optically interrogate the chiral anomaly by dynamically pumping the chiral charges and monitoring their subsequent relaxation of the nonequilibrium state. Theory based on Boltzmann transport shows that the observed effects originate from an optical nonlinearity in the chiral charge pumping process. Our measurements reveal that the nonequilibrium chiral excitation relaxation time is much greater than 1 ns. The observation of terahertz-controlled chiral carriers with long coherence times and topological protection suggests the application of Weyl semimetals for quantum optoelectronic technology.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Tracing terahertz plasmon polaritons with a tunable-by-design dispersion in topological insulator metaelements

Abstract Collective oscillations of massless charge carriers in two-dimensional materials—Dirac plasmon polaritons (DPPs)—are of paramount importance for engineering nanophotonic devices with tunable optical response. However, tailoring the optical properties of DPPs in a nanomaterial is a very challenging task, particularly at terahertz (THz) frequencies, where the DPP momentum is more than one order of magnitude larger than that of the free-space photons, and DDP attenuation is high. Here, we conceive and demonstrate a strategy to tune the DPP dispersion in topological insulator metamaterials. We engineer laterally coupled linear metaelements, fabricated from epitaxial Bi 2 Se 3, with selected coupling distances with the purpose to tune their wavevector, by geometry. We launch and directly map the propagation of DPPs confined within coupled meta-atoms via phase-sensitive scattering-type scanning near-field nanoscopy. We demonstrate that the DPP wavelength can be tuned by varying the metaelements coupling distance, resulting in up to a 20% increase of the polariton wavevector Re(k p ) in dimers and triplets with a 1 μm spacing, with reduced losses and a >50% increase of the polariton attenuation length.

Optics↗
DOE OSTI2023

Searching for optimal THz generation through calculations of the asymmetry of photoelectron momentum distributions by an improved strong-field-approximation method

From the solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE), it has been shown that in a two-color laser pulse the relative phase that optimizes terahertz (THz) radiation also optimizes the asymmetry of the angular distribution of photoelectrons. Here, in this work, we show that a second-order strong-field approximation can accurately calculate the asymmetry of photoelectrons and thus can locate the phase delay that optimizes THz generation, doing so four orders of magnitude faster than TDSE calculations. We further trace that this is possible because THz emission originates from a free-free radiative transition between the rescattered electron and the target ion, similar to other electron-ion collisions in the laser field, e.g., high-harmonic generation and nonsequential double ionization. Our results pave the way to locate the optimal phase delay for any typical laser pulses for maximal THz generation in the laboratory.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Terahertz magneto-nanoscopy of encapsulated monolayer graphene

This study investigates the nanoscale conductivity of encapsulated monolayer graphene at temperatures down to 5 K and magnetic fields of up to 1 T. We use the scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy technique to probe magnetic-field-dependent responses from graphene close to charge neutrality in the terahertz spectral region. We observe the near-perfect high-q reflector behavior of graphene but with subtle changes by the presence of magnetic fields. Measurements align with calculations of the magneto-optical conductivity and the near-field spectroscopic contrast that describes the field-tunable cyclotron resonance of Dirac fermions. Our result provides an initial step toward understanding temperature and magnetic field effects on nanoscale terahertz transport in two-dimensional quantum materials.

Kim, Richard H. J. [Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Ultraconfined terahertz phonon polaritons in hafnium dichalcogenides

The confinement of electromagnetic radiation to subwavelength scales relies on strong light–matter interactions. In the infrared and terahertz spectral ranges, phonon polaritons are commonly employed to achieve deeply subdiffractional light confinement, with such optical modes offering much lower losses in comparison to plasmon polaritons. Among these, hyperbolic phonon polaritons in anisotropic materials offer a promising platform for light confinement. Here we report on ultraconfined phonon polaritons in hafnium-based dichalcogenides with confinement factors exceeding λ 0 /250 in the terahertz spectral range. This extreme light compression within deeply subwavelength thin films is enabled by the large magnitude of the light–matter coupling strength in these compounds and the natural hyperbolicity of HfSe 2 . Our findings emphasize the role of light–matter coupling for polariton confinement, which for phonon polaritons in polar dielectrics is dictated by the transverse–longitudinal optical phonon energy splitting. Our results demonstrate transition-metal dichalcogenides as an enabling platform for terahertz nanophotonic applications.

Kowalski, Ryan A. [Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN↗
DOE OSTI2026

Detection and imaging of chemicals and hidden explosives using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and deep learning

Detecting concealed chemicals and explosives remains a critical challenge in global security. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) offers a promising non-invasive and stand-off detection technique owing to its ability to penetrate optically opaque materials without causing ionization damage. While many chemicals exhibit distinct spectral features in the terahertz range, conventional terahertz-based detection methods often struggle in real-world environments, where variations in sample geometry, thickness, and packaging can lead to inconsistent spectral responses. In this study, we present a chemical imaging system that integrates THz-TDS with deep learning to enable accurate pixel-level identification and classification of different explosives. Operating in reflection mode and enhanced with plasmonic nanoantenna arrays, our THz-TDS system achieves a peak dynamic range of 96 dB and a detection bandwidth of 4.5 THz, supporting practical, stand-off operation. By analyzing individual time-domain pulses with deep neural networks, the system exhibits strong resilience to environmental variations and sample inconsistencies. Blind testing across eight chemicals—including pharmaceutical excipients and explosive compounds—resulted in an average classification accuracy of 99.42% at the pixel level. Notably, the system maintained an average accuracy of 88.83% when detecting explosives concealed under opaque paper coverings, demonstrating its robust generalization capability. These results highlight the potential of combining advanced terahertz spectroscopy with neural networks for highly sensitive and specific chemical and explosive detection in diverse and operationally relevant scenarios.

Imaging and sensing↗
DOE OSTI2020

High power edge-cum-surface emitting terahertz laser arrays phased locked by vacuum guided plasmon waves

Terahertz semiconductor quantum-cascade lasers (QCLs) are widely implemented with metallic cavities that support low-loss plasmonic optical modes at long wavelengths. However, resonant optical modes in such cavities suffer from poor radiative characteristics due to their subwavelength transverse dimensions. Consequently, single-mode terahertz QCLs with metallic cavities and large (>100 mW) output power have only been realized in the surface-emitting configuration that affords a large radiating surface. Here, we demonstrate a method to enhance radiative outcoupling from such plasmonic lasers for high-power emission in the edge-emitting (end-fire or longitudinal) direction. Single-sided plasmon waves propagating in vacuum are resonantly excited in surrounding medium of metallic cavities with the QCL semiconductor medium. The vacuum guided plasmon waves with a large wavefront phase-lock multiple metallic cavities longitudinally, which leads to intense radiation in multiple directions, including that in the longitudinal direction in a narrow single-lobed beam. The multicavity array radiates predominantly in a single spectral mode. A peak-power output of 260 mW and a slope efficiency of 303 mW/A are measured for the end-fire beam from a 3.3 THz QCL operating at 54 K in a Stirling cooler. Finally, single-mode operation and lithographic tuning across a bandwidth of ~150 GHz are demonstrated.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Integrated millimeter-wave cavity electro-optic transduction

Emerging communications and computing technologies will rely ever-more on expanding the useful radio frequency spectrum into the millimeter-wave and terahertz frequency range. Both classical and quantum applications would benefit from advancing integration and incorporation of millimeter-wave and electro-optic technologies into common devices, such as modulators. Here we demonstrate an integrated triply-resonant, superconducting electro-optic transducer. Our design incorporates an on-chip 107 GHz niobium titanium nitride superconducting resonator, modulating a thin-film lithium niobate optical racetrack resonator operating at telecom wavelengths. We observe a maximum photon transduction efficiency of η OE ≈ 0.82 × 10 −6 and an average single-photon electro-optic interaction rate of g 0 /2π ≈ 0.7 kHz. We also present a study and analysis of the challenges associated with the design of integrated millimeter-wave resonators and propose possible solutions to these challenges. Our work paves the way for further advancements in resonant electro-optic technologies operating at millimeter-wave frequencies.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRS1998

Simultaneous amplification of terahertz difference frequencies by an injection-seeded semiconductor laser amplifier at 850 nm

Two-frequency operation of an 850 nm semiconductor optical amplifier was achieved by simultaneously injection seeding it with two diode lasers. The two frequencies could be independently amplified without strong interference when they were separated by more than 10 GHz, and the spectral purity was preserved by the amplification process. At frequency differences below 10 GHz, unbalanced two-frequency output was observed, which can be explained by a two-mode interaction driven by the refractive index modulation at the beat frequency. The laser system is suitable for the difference-frequency generation of coherent terahertz radiation in ultra-fast photoconductors or nonlinear optical media.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
DOE OSTI2023

Frequency-domain terahertz spectroscopy using long-carrier-lifetime photoconductive antennas

We present a telecommunication-compatible frequency-domain terahertz spectroscopy system realized by novel photoconductive antennas without using short-carrier-lifetime photoconductors. Built on a high-mobility InGaAs photoactive layer, these photoconductive antennas are designed with plasmonics-enhanced contact electrodes to achieve highly confined optical generation near the metal/semiconductor surface, which offers ultrafast photocarrier transport and, hence, efficient continuous-wave terahertz operation including both generation and detection. Consequently, using two plasmonic photoconductive antennas as a terahertz source and a terahertz detector, we successfully demonstrate frequency-domain spectroscopy with a dynamic range more than 95 dB and an operation bandwidth of 2.5 THz. Moreover, this novel approach to terahertz antenna design opens up a wide range of new possibilities for many different semiconductors and optical excitation wavelengths to be utilized, therefore bypassing short-carrier-lifetime photoconductors with limited availability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2008

Low-Loss Waveguides for Terahertz Frequencies

Hollow-core, periodic bandgap (HCPBG) flexible waveguides have been proposed as a means of low-loss transmission of electromagnetic signals in the frequency range from about 300 GHz to 30 THz. This frequency range has been called the "terahertz gap" because it has been little utilized: Heretofore, there has been no way of low-loss guiding of terahertz beams other than by use of fixed-path optical beam guides with lenses and mirrors or multimode waveguides that cannot maintain mode purity around bends or modest discontinuities.

Siegel, Peter↗
DOE OSTI2020

Femtosecond exciton dynamics in WSe 2 optical waveguides

Van-der Waals (vdW) atomically layered crystals can act as optical waveguides over a broad range of the electromagnetic spectrum ranging from Terahertz to visible. Unlike common Si-based waveguides, vdW semiconductors host strong excitonic resonances that may be controlled using non-thermal stimuli including electrostatic gating and photoexcitation. Here, we utilize waveguide modes to examine photo-induced changes of excitons in the prototypical vdW semiconductor, WSe 2 , prompted by femtosecond light pulses. Using time-resolved scanning near-field optical microscopy we visualize the electric field profiles of waveguide modes in real space and time and extract the temporal evolution of the optical constants following femtosecond photoexcitation. By monitoring the phase velocity of the waveguide modes, we detect incoherent A-exciton bleaching along with a coherent optical Stark shift in WSe 2 .

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗