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Measurement of Quadratic Terahertz Optical Nonlinearities Using Second-Harmonic Lock-in Detection
Phys. Rev. Applied 10, 044007 – Published 2 October, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.10.044007
Abstract
We present a method to measure quadratic terahertz optical nonlinearities in terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. We use a rotating linear polarizer (a polarizing chopper) to modulate the amplitude of the incident terahertz pulse train. We use phase-sensitive lock-in detection at the fundamental and the second harmonic of the modulation frequency to separate the materials’ responses that are linear and quadratic in a terahertz electric field. We demonstrate this method by measuring the quadratic terahertz Kerr effect in the presence of the much stronger linear electro-optic effect in the (110) crystal. We propose that the method can be used to detect terahertz second-harmonic generation in noncentrosymmetric media in time-domain spectroscopy, with broad potential applications in nonlinear terahertz photonics and related technology.
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