title: Optical detection of terahertz radiation by using nonlinear parametric upconversion.
abstract: We describe and demonstrate sensitive room-temperature detection of terahertz (THz) radiation by nonlinearly upconverting terahertz to the near-infrared regime, relying on telecommications components. THz radiation at 700 GHz is mixed with pump light at 1550 nm in a bulk GaAs crystal to generate an idler wave at 1555.6 nm, which is separated and detected by using a commercial p-i-n diode. The THz detector operates at room temperature and has an intrinsic THz-to-optical photon conversion efficiency of 0.001%.
authors.affiliation: MIT Lincoln Laboratory, 244 Wood Street, Lexington, Massachusetts 02420, USA. mjkhan@ll.mit.edu
authors.forename: M Jalal
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Jerry C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Sumanth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaushik