Photomixing


Photomixing is the generation of continuous wave terahertz radiation from two lasers. The beams are mixed together and focused onto a photomixer device which generates the terahertz radiation.
It is technologically significant because there are few sources capable of providing radiation in this waveband, others include frequency multiplied electronic/microwave sources, quantum cascade laser and ultrashort pulsed lasers with photoconductive switches as used in terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The advantages of this technique are that it is continuously tunable over the frequency range from 300 GHz to 3 THz , and spectral resolutions in the order of 1 MHz can be achieved. However, the achievable power is on the order of 10−8 W.

Principle

Two continuous wave lasers with identical polarisation are required, the lasers with frequency ω1 and ω2 are spatially overlapped to generate a terahertz beatnote. The co-linear lasers are then used to illuminate an ultra fast semiconductor material such as GaAs. The photonic absorption and the short charge carrier lifetime results in the modulation of the conductivity at the desired terahertz frequency ωTHz = ω1 - ω2. An applied electric field allows the conductivity variation to be converted into a current which is radiated by a pair of antenna. A typical photoconductive device or 'photomixer' is made from low temperature GaAs with a patterned metalized layer which is used to form an electrode array and radiating antenna.

High resolution spectrometer

The photomixing source can then form the basis of a laser spectrometer which can be used to examine the THz signature of various subjects such as gases, liquids or solid materials.
The instrument can be divided into the following functional units: