Guided-wave terahertz spectroscopy of molecular solids [Invited]

• DOI: 10.1364/josab.26.000a79
• Publication Date: 2009-07-01T16:09:17Z
• Authors: Joseph S. Melinger; S. Sree Harsha; N. Laman; D. Grischkowsky
• Keywords: Waveguide

One of the outstanding problems terahertz spectroscopy is measurement underlying vibrational spectrum a molecular solid, where individual transitions are often merged into broad absorption features by line-broadening processes. We address this problem using technique waveguide time-domain (THz-TDS), whereby thin polycrystalline film contained within single-mode metal parallel plate waveguide. Thin films solids cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX explosive) and 4-iodo-4′-nitrobiphenyl serve to demonstrate ability THz-TDS resolve previously unseen complex THz spectra at cryogenic temperatures, with linewidths as narrow 7 GHz. With such we able line-center frequencies precision 1