Systematic study of broadband terahertz gas sensor

Broadband terahertz wave detection through field-induced second harmonic generation was systematically investigated using selected gases. The dependences of the detected second harmonic intensity on probe pulse energy, bias field strength, gas pressure, and third order nonlinear susceptibility are systematically investigated with xenon, nitrogen, SF6, and alkanes. Experiment results reveal that the detected second harmonic intensity quadratically depends on the third order nonlinear susceptibility of the gas. Two orders of magnitude enhancement in the dynamic range of broadband terahertz wave detection are observed with alkane gas (C4H10) sensor.

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