• Advanced Photonics
  • Vol. 2, Issue 6, 066003 (2020)
Haihui Zhao1、†, Xinhou Chen2, Chen Ouyang3、4, Hangtian Wang1、5, Deyin Kong2, Peidi Yang2, Baolong Zhang3、4, Chun Wang3、4, Gaoshuai Wei3、4, Tianxiao Nie1、5、*, Weisheng Zhao1、5、*, Jungang Miao2, Yutong Li3、4, Li Wang3、*, and Xiaojun Wu2、6、*
Author Affiliations
  • 1Beihang University, Fert Beijing Institute, Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, School of Microelectronics, Beijing, China
  • 2Beihang University, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Beijing, China
  • 3Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Beijing, China
  • 4University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, School of Physical Sciences, Beijing, China
  • 5Beihang University, Beihang-Goertek Joint Microelectronics Institute, Qingdao Research Institute, Qingdao, China
  • 6Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
  • show less
    DOI: 10.1117/1.AP.2.6.066003 Cite this Article Set citation alerts
    Haihui Zhao, Xinhou Chen, Chen Ouyang, Hangtian Wang, Deyin Kong, Peidi Yang, Baolong Zhang, Chun Wang, Gaoshuai Wei, Tianxiao Nie, Weisheng Zhao, Jungang Miao, Yutong Li, Li Wang, Xiaojun Wu. Generation and manipulation of chiral terahertz waves in the three-dimensional topological insulator Bi2Te3[J]. Advanced Photonics, 2020, 2(6): 066003 Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    Arbitrary manipulation of broadband terahertz waves with flexible polarization shaping at the source has great potential in expanding numerous applications, such as imaging, information encryption, and all-optical coherent control of terahertz nonlinear phenomena. Topological insulators featuring unique spin-momentum–locked surface state have already exhibited very promising prospects in terahertz emission, detection, and modulation, which may lay a foundation for future on-chip topological insulator-based terahertz systems. However, polarization-shaped terahertz emitters based on topological insulators with an arbitrarily manipulated temporal evolution of the amplitude and the electric-field vector direction have not yet been explored. We systematically investigated the terahertz radiation from topological insulator Bi2Te3 nanofilms driven by femtosecond laser pulses and successfully realized the generation of efficient chiral terahertz waves with controllable chirality, ellipticity, and principal axis. The convenient engineering of the chiral terahertz waves was interpreted by a photogalvanic effect (PGE)-induced photocurrent, while the linearly polarized terahertz waves originated from linear PGE-induced shift currents. Our work not only provides further understanding of femtosecond coherent control of ultrafast spin currents but also describes an effective way to generate spin-polarized terahertz waves at the source.
    Suppl. & Matt.
    Haihui Zhao, Xinhou Chen, Chen Ouyang, Hangtian Wang, Deyin Kong, Peidi Yang, Baolong Zhang, Chun Wang, Gaoshuai Wei, Tianxiao Nie, Weisheng Zhao, Jungang Miao, Yutong Li, Li Wang, Xiaojun Wu. Generation and manipulation of chiral terahertz waves in the three-dimensional topological insulator Bi2Te3[J]. Advanced Photonics, 2020, 2(6): 066003
    Download Citation