Principles of Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is a unique technique for characterizing the response of materials and devices in the far-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Based on the measurement of transmitted or reflected ultrashort electromagnetic pulses and on a Fourier transform of the recorded waveforms, THz-TDS permits fast and precise determination of the permittivity or permeability of materials over a wide bandwidth. This book is devoted to the determination of this spectral response of samples from the recorded waveforms. It presents the basics of THz-TDS, including latest and interesting research on the THz domain. It overviews the main classical far-infrared techniques and describes a variety of THz-TDS setups, besides providing a comprehensive overview of the extraction procedures used to calculate the permittivity (i.e., the complex refractive index) or permeability or spectral curves from recorded waveforms. It addresses the main THz-TDS practical cases, including transmission, reflection, attenuated total reflection, polarimetry, ellipsometry, pump-and-probe, scattering, thin films, metamaterials, and plasmonics, and gives a detailed analysis of noise and uncertainties in THz-TDS. Finally, it compares THz-TDS with continuous-wave THz spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy techniques.

Key Features:

• Presents the basics of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy
• Presents an overview of main classical far-infrared techniques
• Describes a variety of THz-TDS setups
• Overviews extraction procedures used to calculate the permittivity or permeability spectral curves from recorded waveforms
• Addresses the main THz-TDS practical cases: transmission, reflection, ATR, etc.
• Gives a detailed analysis of noise and uncertainties in THz-TDS
• Compares THz-TDS with CW THz spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy techniques