Open AccessPhotoconductive emitters for pulsed terahertz generation
Author(s) -
David R. Bacon,
Julien Madéo,
Keshav M. Dani
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of optics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 2040-8986
pISSN - 2040-8978
DOI - 10.1088/2040-8986/abf6ba
Subject(s) - terahertz radiation , broadband , common emitter , photoconductivity , optoelectronics , optics , materials science , terahertz spectroscopy and technology , key (lock) , terahertz metamaterials , engineering physics , computer science , physics , far infrared laser , laser , computer security
Conceived over 30 years ago, photoconductive (PC) emitters have proved essential in the development and spread of terahertz technology. Since then, not only have they been used extensively in a wide range of spectroscopic and imaging applications, they have also undergone significant improvements in performance, leading to their use for broadband or non-linear spectroscopy. In this review article, we provide an overview of the literature, highlighting the key milestones in the progression of the PC emitter. We also investigate the future of PC technology and review the existing challenges.