®

Lasers
FemtoFiber
for Terahertz
Lasers
Pulsed Femtosecond and CW Tunable Diode Lasers

A Passion for Precision.

Terahertz Radiation:
Innovative Solutions closing
the Spectral Gap

Terahertz waves represent the last “final

frontier” on the spectral map. Situated
between infrared light and electrically
generated radio waves, terahertz radiation
exhibits a very individual interaction with
matter. Meanwhile “terahertz” has become
the preferred technology for the next
generation of security screening equipment
because of the ability to detect hazardous
substances hidden in materials like
clothes, plastics and paper. Furthermore,
the possibility to record high-resolution
“fingerprints” — chemically sensitive
terahertz spectra — has produced new
analytical tools for medical imaging,
packaged goods inspection and the
analysis of pharmaceuticals.

In practical use, the terahertz regime extends

from frequencies of 0.3 THz (a wavelength
of 1 mm) to 10 THz (30 µm) — offering
unique imaging properties. Compared to
radio waves, the short wavelengths of
terahertz rays provide the necessary spatial
resolution for 3D micro imaging. Another
advantage, terahertz waves are non-ionizing
and hence do not cause physiological
damage associated with X-rays.
Among the many approaches capable to
generate terahertz waves, lasers are the
preferred choice. The preference is due
to the high level of spectral and temporal
control that can be exercised with laser
light. Furthermore, the higher powers now
available with pulsed or CW lasers permit
the efficient use of nonlinear frequency
conversion schemes.
Early research into terahertz generation
predominantly employed ultrashort laser
pulses. More recent work also exploits
the fact that the optical beat frequency
of two slightly detuned CW lasers lies in
the terahertz regime. Accurate frequency
control of the two seed lasers, either in the
visible or the near-infrared, offers a very
elegant way of producing narrow-band —
and tunable — terahertz beat frequencies.
TOPTICA, as one of the world's most
innovative laser suppliers, has been Image left: complete range of lasers for
cooperating with researchers in the terahertz terahertz generation: pulsed femtosecond
arena from the beginning. As a result fiber lasers and CW DFB diode lasers.
TOPTICA is able to offer the most suitable
lasers for both approaches, pulsed and Image right: tunable diode lasers
CW. Our FemtoFiber® lasers provide the for CW terahertz generation in
perfect parameters for optical rectification OEM package.
and photoconductive switches — at the
necessary wavelengths. In addition, our
tunable DFB diode laser systems can be
amplified to attractive power levels using
all-diode technology. Finally, our proprietary
techniques of laser frequency control allow
for highest resolution in difference frequency
mixing applications.
The latest development of emitters and
antennas has provided the necessary tool
kit for terahertz technology. TOPTICA has
established partnerships with suppliers
of terahertz equipment for spectroscopy,
imaging and consulting. Customers who
want to discuss their terahertz applications
with TOPTICA will find a competent and
knowledgeable partner.
www.toptica.com 3

Diode Lasers for High-Resolution
CW Terahertz Generation
Continuous-wave (CW) terahertz radiation is
obtained by means of difference frequency
mixing. Two laser beams of slightly different
wavelengths are superimposed on a
dedicated antenna structure which serves
as terahertz emitter. The irradiated antenna,
usually a biased GaAs photomixer, emits
an electromagnetic wave at the difference
frequency of the two lasers.
For efficient terahertz generation, some key
requirements must be met. In order to employ
GaAs photomixers, the laser wavelength has
to be shorter than that corresponding to the
semiconductor bandgap (approx. 870 nm).
The laser must also be powerful and, as
many terahertz absorption lines are tens or
hundreds of GHz broad, have a large mode-
hop-free tuning range.
TOPTICA's distributed feedback (DFB) diode
lasers combine superb spectral properties
with a rugged design well-suited for
demanding “real-world” applications. With
150 mW output power in the 850 – 860 nm
range and a mode-hop-free tuning range of
several nanometers, they are the premium
4 www.toptica.com
choice for efficient difference frequency
mixing. By sweeping the difference
between the two optical frequencies, the
terahertz radiation is tuned continuously
across several hundred GHz. The range of
accessible difference frequencies can be
tailored to the experimental requirements.
Combining DFB diodes at customized center
wavelengths yields terahertz tuning ranges
of 0 to 2 THz or 1 to 3 THz — frequencies
that cover the absorption signatures of a
multitude of relevant substances, including
explosives.
A commonly used experimental set-up of a
two-color laser source is shown above. Each
laser beam passes an optical isolator and is
coupled into a polarization-maintaining (PM)
fiber combiner. The combiner provides two
outputs — one for terahertz generation,
one for detection — with each output
comprising the two laser frequencies.
When the experiment requires power levels
in the 500 – 1000 mW range, the two
DFB lasers can be coupled together into a
BoosTA® semiconductor tapered amplifier.
Tuning range and spectral properties are
DFB tunable diode lasers
· For CW terahertz generation via
difference frequency mixing
· 0 to 2 THz or 1 to 3 THz
continuous tuning,
e.g. the frequency difference
of 852 nm and 855 nm
corresponds to 1.2 THz
· Optional high-power, 2-color
amplifier (up to 750 mW)
maintained and the necessary overlap of the
two beams on the antenna is automatically
secured.
For ultimate frequency control, the DFB
lasers are combined with TOPTICA's
patented iScan® interferometer. This
combination yields a laser source with the
following features:
· terahertz frequency stability and
linewidth in the 1 MHz range
· locking to any difference
frequency desired
· full computer control of the laser
frequency via RS 232 or USB interface
· precisely linear frequency scans even
across several hundred GHz (fig. below)
Security screening with terahertz
radiation
Researchers at TeraView Ltd. (Cambridge,
UK) used TOPTICA's DL-DFB lasers for
CW terahertz imaging and spectroscopy.
In a feasibility study, engineers imaged
weapons hidden beneath clothing.*
In the trial, they concealed a ceramic scalpel
blade behind a layer of black denim cloth
to simulate a knife hidden in a pocket of
jeans. Although the cloth was impenetrable
to visible light, at 0.5 THz the hidden blade
was clearly discernible. The experiment
demonstrates the ability of terahertz imaging
to reveal non-metallic objects, which
present a particular challenge for traditional
detection techniques. The researchers
went on to show that plastic explosives
could be located and identified due to their
unambiguous spectral fingerprint.
* see I.S. Gregory et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 86,
204104 (2005).

Recommended Laser Images left to right:

SYST DL DFB THz Dual-color laser source for CW terahertz

Basic product package
(2 DFB laser heads, control electronics, analog interface)
generation, with fiber-optic beam
Laser power 2 x 150 mW free beam, 2 x 75 mW fiber output combination.

Laser wavelengths
Difference frequency tuning
853 nm, 855 nm, 860 nm (others on request) Visible image and terahertz image of a
ceramic blade hidden in cloth (courtesy
0 to 2.2 THz (853 nm + 855 nm) of TeraView Ltd).
0.6 to 2.9 THz (855 nm + 860 nm)

Difference frequency resolution < 0.005 THz Terahertz spectra of Lactose and RDX
(plastic explosive), recorded with two
Tuning speed Up to 0.1 THz/s TOPTICA DL-DFB lasers (courtesy of
TeraView Ltd).
Fiber coupling, fiber-optic beam combination,
Options
beat signal detector for frequency synchronization

High power package SYST DL DFB THz with BoosTA amplifier

Typ. 750 mW free beam, 2 x 175 mW fiber output

Laser power
(2-color output)
iScan® interferometer for high resolution
Precision frequency control package
terahertz spectroscopy
Typ 1.5 x 10-6 THz (beat linewidth @ 80 ms)
Difference frequency resolution
< 1 x 10-6 THz on request
TOPTICA follows a policy of continuous product improvements.
Specifications are subject to changes without notice.

www.toptica.com 5

Femtosecond Fiber Lasers
for Time-domain Terahertz
Spectroscopy
Femtosecond laser pulses provide a
powerful means for generating broadband
terahertz pulses. When a femtosecond
pulse excites a semiconductor material with
photon energies above the bandgap, free
charge carriers are generated which may
subsequently be accelerated by internal or
external bias fields. According to Maxwell's
equations, the corresponding current onset
and switch-off will lead to the emission of
an electromagnetic field transient. Due to
the sub-picosecond timescale on which
these processes occur, the spectrum of the
emitted transient is located in the terahertz
regime. The terahertz spectra generated
by femtosecond laser pulses exhibit a
bandwidth of several THz. Currently, the
most established emitter technologies
are based on GaAs antennas, for which a
laser excitation wavelength around 800 nm
is required. Other common generation
mechanisms for terahertz radiation, also
at 1550 nm, include intra-pulse difference
frequency generation or optical rectification
in nonlinear crystals or at surfaces.
In time-domain terahertz spectroscopy, the
electric field of the pulses is interrogated by
6 www.toptica.com
means of optical sampling. To this end, the
pulses of a second ultrafast laser beam and
the terahertz pulses are superimposed onto
a receiver, such as an electro-optical switch
made of low-temperature grown GaAs (LT-
GaAs). An alternative detection technique
named “electro-optic sampling” relies on
the birefringence which the terahertz field
induces in an optically nonlinear crystal.
In both cases, the femtosecond sampling
pulses are scanned in a stepwise manner
through the terahertz pulses in order to
reconstruct the electric waveform. Spectral
information is extracted from Fourier
transforms of the recorded time traces.
Comparison of spectra, with and without
samples inserted into the terahertz beam
path, reveals the “absorption fingerprint”
characteristic of the materials under test.
FemtoFiber® lasers are perfectly suited
for time-domain terahertz spectroscopy.
The FemtoFiber® laser cabinet of the FFS
series offers models for both wavelength
regimes currently in use, 775 and 1550 nm,
and in each case provides the optimum
specifications concerning pulse duration
and output power. Furthermore, these
Femtosecond fiber lasers
· For pulsed terahertz generation via
optical rectification or photoconductive
switches
· 775 nm or 1550 nm
· Up to 2 x 250 mW power
· Optional: ASOPS technique to replace
mechanical delay line
lasers are based on low-cost telecom
components with a very long lifetime and
they are compact and economical. This
means that time-domain terahertz research
no longer requires bulky and expensive
Ti:Sapphire lasers, but can now use reliable
and turnkey FemtoFiber® technology.
FemtoFiber® versus Ti:Sapphire: a test
In collaboration with researchers at EKSPLA
UAB (Vilnius, Lithuania), TOPTICA recently
verified the suitability of the FFS laser for
replacing Ti:Sapphire lasers in terahertz
set-ups. A FFS.SYS-SHG laser system
was used to generate 775 nm radiation
with 150 fs pulse duration and 100 mW
of average output power, thus remaining
just below the damage threshold of the
photoconductive switches. The signals
were highly reproducible and the signal-
to-noise ratio was a factor of 2 higher than
with the Ti:Sapphire laser. These results
indicate that FemtoFiber® provides the most
suitable laser technology for time-domain
terahertz spectroscopy, better even than
more expensive and powerful Ti:Sapphire
lasers.
Asynchronous optical sampling
(ASOPS)
The ASOPS technique permits optical
sampling of the terahertz pulses without a
moving delay line. Traditionally one uses a
mechanical delay line in order to scan the
femtosecond sampling pulses with respect
to the terahertz pulses. The centimeter-
long translations easily introduce difficulties
concerning mechanical vibrations, varying
spot sizes and pointing instabilities. Besides
avoiding these difficulties, ASOPS also
allows for much faster scanning.
TOPTICA's ASOPS system incorporates
two FemtoFiber® lasers with the same
repetition rate. One of the lasers is used for
generating the terahertz pulses, the other
for sampling them. Controlled modulations
of the cavity length of one of the lasers
make it run alternately faster and slower
than the other laser. For one roundtrip of
the laser pulse inside the fiber oscillator,
the modulation corresponds to only
0.1 µm of motion of the mechanical delay
line. However, each roundtrip the delay
accumulates. After 1 million roundtrips,
for example, the modulation already
corresponds to a delay of 10 cm. The
sweep of the sampling pulses with respect
to the terahertz pulses is controlled by
phase-locked loop (PLL) electronics with
highest stability (jitter < 300 fs), enabling
the highest bandwidths and speed for the
optical sampling process.

Recommended Laser Images left to right:

Applications at 1550 nm
FFS.SYS-SHG – ideal laser parameters
Laser system FemtoFiber® laser (FFS.SYS) for terahertz generation at 775 nm.
Pulse duration < 100 fs
One of the terahertz transients recorded
Repetition frequency 100 MHz
in the collaboration with EKSPLA UAB.
Average power > 250 mW (for enhanced power please contact TOPTICA)
The corresponding terahertz spectrum,
Applications at 775 nm
ranging from 0.1 to 3 THz, is deduced
Laser system FemtoFiber® laser with second harmonic generation (FFS.SYS-SHG) by Fourier transform of the transients.
Pulse duration < 150 fs
ASOPS system consisting of two
Repetition frequency 100 MHz synchronised FemtoFiber® lasers with
Average power > 90 mW (for enhanced power please contact TOPTICA) control hard- and software.

Asynchronous optical sampling (ASOPS)

Laser system 2 FemtoFiber® lasers (FFS.SYS or FFS.SYS-SHG)

Controller FFS-SYNC-PLL

Sampling range 800 ps or customer specified

RMS jitter < 300 fs (10 Hz – 100 kHz)

TOPTICA follows a policy of continuous product improvements.
Specifications are subject to changes without notice.

www.toptica.com 7
 Distributors

BR-163-028 THZ 2007-02

Australia & New Zealand
Lastek Pty. Ltd.
Mr. Alex Stanco
Thebarton Campus
University of Adelaide
10 Reid Street
5031 Thebarton, SA
Australia
Phone: +61 8 8443 8668
Fax: +61 8 8443 8427
sales@lastek.com.au
www.lastek.com.au
China
Universal Technology Co. Ltd.
Mr. Alex Cai
Rm. A2102-2103
Vantone New World Plaza
#66 NanLiShi Lu
No.2 Fu Cheng Men Wai Street
Beijing 100037, P.R. of China
Phone: +86 10 6803 0880
Fax: +86 10 6805 7596
oe@universalhkco.com.cn
www.universalhkco.com.cn
France
Opton Laser International
Dr. Costel Subran
Parc Club d‘Orsay Université
29, rue Jean Rostand
F - 91893 Orsay Cedex, France
Phone: +33 1 6941 0405
Fax: +33 1 6941 3290
ventes@optonlaser.com
www.optonlaser.com
India
Simco Global Technology &
Systems Ltd.
Dr. R. S. Daryan
Simco House (Head Office)
14 Bhawani Kunj
Behind Sector D-II, Pocket-II,
Vasant Kunj
110017 New Delhi, India
Phone: +91 11 2689 9867
Fax: +91 11 2612 4461
simcorsd@del2.vsnl.net.in
www.simco-groups.com
Israel Korea
OR-YAM Optronics Ltd. JINSUNG LASER
Mr. Shmuel Kaufman Mr. Ha-Won Lee
80 Harav Yitzhak Nissim street #535-5, Bongmyung-Dong
Homat Shmuel Yusung-Gu
93125 Jerusalem, Israel Hanjin Officetel Rm# 1016
Phone: +972 2 676 8539 Daejeon, 305-301, South Korea
Fax: +972 2 676 8538 Phone: +82 42 823 5300
or-yam@013.net Fax: +82 42 823 7447
sales@jinsunglaser.com
Italy www.jinsunglaser.com
Laser 2000 Italia
Mrs. Beate Sauter Taiwan
Via Vetulonia, 22 SLEO Photonics Co. Ltd.
I-00183 Roma, Italy Mr. Jimmy Chao
Phone: +39 06 9727 0695 6F, No. 2, Lane 74
Fax: +39 06 9725 0527 An-der Street
beate.sauter@laser2000-italia.it Hsin Tien City, Taipei County
www.laser2000-italia.it Taiwan 231, R.O.C.
Phone: +886 2 2211 5408
Japan Fax: +886 2 2211 5401
Opto Science, Inc. sleo.jimmy@msa.hinet.net
Mr. Toshio Sato
Naitocho Building United Kingdom & Ireland
l-Banch-Shinjuku-Ku Mr. Howard Potter
Tokyo 160-0014, Japan Unit 4H Lansbury Estate
Phone: +81 3 3356 1064 Woking, Surrey, UK, GU21 2EP
Fax: +81 3 3356 3466 Great Britain
info@optoscience.com Phone: +44 1483 799 030
www.optoscience.com Fax: +44 1483 799 076
howard.potter@toptica.com
Japan www.toptica.com
FIT, Inc.
Mr. Kyoichi Hatakeyama USA & Canada
2-7 Nihonbashi-Odenmacho TOPTICA Photonics, Inc. (TPI)
Chuo-ku Scientific: Mr. Alain Bourdon
Tokyo 103-0011, Japan Industry: Mr. Mark Tolbert
Phone: +81 3 3666 7100 61, Union Street
Fax: +81 3 3666 7007 Westfield, MA 01085, U.S.A.
sales@fitinc.co.jp Phone: +1 413 562 5406
www.fitinc.co.jp Fax: +1 413 562 5408
sales@toptica-usa.com
www.toptica-usa.com
Distributors
only for Optical Disc Testing:
Taiwan
Omega Scientific Taiwan Ltd.
Mr. James Ting
3F-3, No.415, Sec. 4
Sinyi Road
110 Taipei City
Taiwan R.O.C.
Phone: +886 2 8780 5228
Fax: +886 2 8780 5225
omega001@ms3.hinet.net
Japan
ALTECH ADS Co. Ltd.
Digital Storage Media Div.
Mr. Yoshinori Matsuura
3F YM Shinjuku Building
4-1 Yotsuya 4-Chome
Shinjuku-Ku
160-0004 Tokyo, Japan
Phone: +81 3 5363 3005
Fax: +81 3 5363 0945
info@altech.co.jp
www.altech.co.jp
Every other country
not listed above:
TOPTICA Photonics AG
Lochhamer Schlag 19
D-82166 Graefelfing/Munich
Germany
Phone: +49 89 85837-0
Fax: +49 89 85837-200
sales@toptica.com
www.toptica.com

TOPTICA Photonics AG
Lochhamer Schlag 19
D-82166 Graefelfing/Munich
Germany
Phone: +49 89 85837-0
Fax: +49 89 85837-200
info@toptica.com
www.toptica.com