title: Cherenkov emission of terahertz surface plasmon polaritons from a superluminal optical spot on a structured metal surface.
abstract: We propose to launch terahertz surface plasmon polaritons on a structured metal surface by using a femtosecond laser pulse obliquely incident on a strip of an electro-optic material deposited on the surface. The laser pulse creates a nonlinear polarization that moves along the strip with a superluminal velocity and emits surface terahertz waves via the Cherenkov radiation mechanism. We calculate the radiated fields and frequency distribution of the radiated energy for a grooved perfect-conductor surface with a GaAs strip illuminated by Ti:sapphire laser. This technique can be used to perform surface terahertz spectroscopy.
authors.affiliation: University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, 603950, Russia. bakunov@rf.unn.ru
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Bakunov
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Tsarev
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hangyo
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D008027:Light; D008029:Lighting / Q000379:methods*; D008670:Metals; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000379:methods*; D013499:Surface Properties; D055053:Terahertz Radiation
chemical_list: D008670:Metals