Abstract
Optical control of the propagation direction of a terahertz pulse inside an optically transparent parallel plate waveguide is demonstrated by patterned charge carrier photoexcitation of a silicon slab embedded within the waveguide. It is shown experimentally and through finite element simulations that photoexcitations with sufficient conductivity can induce a partial reflection, capable of steering the pulse inside the two-dimensional waveguide. A beamsplitter is demonstrated as proof of principle and is used to delay the arrival of the reflected terahertz pulse at the detector by several picoseconds by moving the excitation in the plane.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 241118 |
| Journal | Applied Physics Letters |
| Volume | 94 |
| Issue number | 24 |
| ISSN | 0003-6951 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
Bibliographical note
Copyright (2009) American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics.Keywords
- finite element analysis
- optical waveguides
- submillimetre wave propagation
- elemental semiconductors
- integrated optics
- optical beam splitters
- silicon
- optical conductivity