This paper proposes an innovative approach of manufacturing optical fibers using nozzle-mask-aided additive manufacturing. Nozzle-masks ease 3D-printing of optical fibers allowing the manufacturing or drawing of optical fibers of up to 10 μm diameter. These nozzle-masks feature a suction mechanism to prevent clogging of printhead and mask. The extrusion of Polymethyl-methacrylate material through the print-head and nozzle-mask simplifies the rapid prototyping of the optical fibers.
Due to its superior imaging performance Swept Source Optical Coherent Tomography (SS-OCT) has become an established 3D imaging methodology. One of the key elements of this technique is the swept source as its tuning range and tuning speed will define the axial resolution and the time required to acquire an A-scan. This work presents the characterization of the performance in SS-OCT of an electrically pumped Microelectromechanical Movable Mirror Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (MEMS-VCSEL) in the range from 1540-1600nm. To investigate the tuning performance of the MEMS-VCSEL its output signal is amplified with and Erbium doped (Er+) fiber amplifier connected to an OCT system where the channelled spectrum is processed by using a Complex Master Slave (CMS) method that evaluates the nonlinearity in tuning in both forwards and backwards tuning for tuning frequencies of 10, 50 and 100 Hz. The results obtained show that the linearity of the device increases as the tuning frequency does and it has a sensitivity roll-off at 6dB of 12.65 mm which is equivalent to an instantaneous linewidth of 85pm.
We use a slotted Y-branch Laser for Terahertz thickness measurements of high resistive float zone silicon wafers of different thicknesses. The laser provides two-color emission in the 1550 nm region with an optical beat frequency of 1 THz. It is used as a photonic source for thickness measurements of high resistive silicon wafers with continuous wave Terahertz radiation. Frequency tuning is obtained through segment current tuning of the individual branches. We determine the sample´s refractive index and thickness by MSE fitting of the theoretical etalon transmission to the experimental results without additional knowledge.
This work investigates a monolithic slotted Y-branch diode laser as a beating source to drive a continuous wave Terahertz spectrometer. Both arms of the Y-branch laser exhibit spectral selective feedback, which causes simultaneous emission at two frequencies. At first, a thorough optical characterisation with 5400 individual setpoints is performed to find the best point of operation. Two operational regimes with difference frequencies of 1 THz ± 10.5 GHz and 0.85 THz ± 6.5 GHz were identified. While validating the laser as a beating source to drive a cw-THz spectrometer, it was demonstrated that the device supports current-induced tuning of the emitted difference frequency. This technique allows frequency sweeps in the terahertz regime that can be used to measure the transmitted field without a mechanical delay stage. Finally, this technique is demonstrated to independently determine the thickness and refractive index of high resistive float zone silicon wafers of 2, 3.5, 4 and 8 mm thickness without a priori knowledge.
We report on Terahertz (THz) detectors based on III-V high-electron-mobility field-effect transistors (FET). The detection results from a rectification process that is still highly efficient far above frequencies where the transistor provides gain. Several detector layouts have been optimized for specific applications at room temperature: we show a broadband detector layout, where the rectifying FET is coupled to a broadband logarithmic-periodic antenna. Another layout is optimized for mixing of two orthogonal THz beams at 370 GHz or, alternatively, 570 GHz. A third version uses a large array of FETs with very low access resistance allowing for detection of very short high-power THz pulses. We reached a time resolution of 20 ps.
We report on arrays of THz-emitters based on n-i-pn-i-p-superlattice photomixers for imaging and spectroscopic
applications. The output power of a n-i-pn-i-p superlattice photomixers recently has reached nearly 1 μW at 1 THz with
a broadband antenna. There are no fundamental physical limitations at this stage for further improvement. Tunable
continuous wave (CW) THz-sources for imaging and spectroscopy are highly desired tools for security and
environmental applications. In particular, most stand-off imaging applications require a rather high THz power to allow
for a sufficient dynamic range, and a narrow illumination spot size for high spatial resolution. Both goals can be reached
by using an array of mutually coherent photomixers. We have simulated beam patterns for an arbitrary number of
mutually coherent single sources with respect to a small beam size and high peak intensity. Here, we confirm the
simulations experimentally by an array of 4 sources with a 4 inch THz optics. The beam profile is measured in the target
plane at a stand-off distance of 4.2 m. As a result, the beam diameter is reduced by a factor of 6 and the peak intensity is
enhanced by a factor of close to (4)2 = 16, in excellent agreement with our simulations. Such an arrangement allows not
only for high resolution stand-off imaging but also for spectroscopic investigations at stand-off distances. The THz
frequency can be tuned over more than a decade (i.e. 0.1 to 2.5 THz) by tuning the wavelength of the mixing lasers. The
spectral linewidth of the THz sources is only limited by the linewidths of the mixing lasers and can be made extremely
narrow. A straightforward demonstration is achieved by water vapor spectroscopy in laboratory air with a single source.
We report on simulations of arrays of free standing THz sources for high brightness applications in THz active imaging and sensing. THz-photomixing sources for wide tunable, room-temperature, narrow linewidth, and CW operation are considered. All the source elements are coherently driven to allow for controlled interference of the beam pattern. The center peak not only gains more power but also becomes much narrower due to interference, compared to a single emitter. The peak intensity increases with the square of the number of sources. This can improve both the resolution and the dynamic range for stand-off active imaging and sensing applications. We discuss the effect of different source layouts with respect to the illumination pattern on the target.
CW-photomixing semiconductor devices have hardly exceeded an output power of 10 μW around 1 THz.
Availability of a few mW, however, would stimulate the demand for THz-imaging, -scanning, and spectroscopy.
Increasing the poor power conversion efficiency from the optical pump to THz-output is most
desirable. On the other hand, the thermal threshold "per pixel" is limited to about 100 mW of pump laser
power. So both limits have to be pushed towards higher performance. In this paper
we report on arrays of photomixing devices to overcome the thermal threshold limit.
If each individual photomixer in the array can be driven to the same thermal threshold power,
the overall THz output can be larger by a factor N\times M for an array. The power of directed emission,
however, can be increased even by a factor (N x M)2 compared to the individual device.
In addition, by adjusting the two laser beams slightly noncollinear, a directional control of the
emitted THz-beam is achieved. The angular difference of the incident beams is
enhanced by the ratio of the THz-wavelength (≈300 μm) and the optical wavelength (≈0.85 μm)
with regard to direction of the emitted THz-beam. Thus, a full steering of the THz beam
can be achieved by tuning this angle by less than 1 degree (17.5 mrad).
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