This thesis will cover work that I have completed relating to the field of terahertz (THz) science. My work has consisted of generating tunable, narrowband THz pulses in a table-top optical setup and using both narrow- and broadband THz pulses to study various material systems. Broadband THz pulses were used...
This work comprises two main parts: creating and shaping narrowband, pulsed THz radiation in a table-top optical setup; and applying THz pulses to semiconductor nanostructures to study electron dynamics.
I developed a scheme to shape the THz output of a fanned-out periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal. The pulses are...
Terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy provides insight into electron dynamics in semiconductor heterostructures. High-field THz spectroscopy probes the excitonic nonlinear response of GaAs quantum well (QW) systems and enables the measurement of its coherent dynamics in the time-domain. Consequently, THz spectroscopy allows one to explore the fundamental properties of many-body interactions...
Organic semiconducting materials have emerged in the last few decades as viable alternatives to inorganics in broad applications from field effect transistors to LEDs to solar cells. Organics provide many benefits over inorganics such as flexibility, sustainability, and reduced cost. However, these materials are more susceptible to degradation in the...
In this thesis, I present studies in the field of terahertz (THz) spectroscopy. These studies are divided into three areas: Development of a narrowband THz source, the study of carrier transport in metal thin films, and the exploration of coherent dynamics of quasi-particles in semiconductor nanostructures with both broadband and...
This thesis will cover my work relating to the developing field of terahertz (THz) science and technology. It will present experimental and theoretical studies investigating the optical and electrical properties of various material systems using novel THz imaging and spectroscopy techniques. Due to its low photon energy, THz imaging and...
In this dissertation, a series of studies in the field of terahertz (THz) science are presented, specifically using nonlinear THz spectroscopy. We exploit huge field enhancement and subwavelength confinement in plasmonic structures. There are three distinct projects which will be discussed: nonlinear THz spectroscopy using plasmonic induced transparency (PIT), THz-triggered...
Cell signaling under external stimulation is a critical mechanism that governs many biological processes such as cell proliferation, cell migration, and cell apoptosis, etc. For multicellular organisms, the ability to synchronize heterogeneous individual cellular responses through intercellular communication is crucial to maintain normal functionality. However, even though the biological pathways...
This dissertation covers my work relating to the application of strong terahertz (THz) radiation to study the nonlinear properties of nano-scale material. It presents experimental and numerical studies on the optical and electronic properties of various material system including single-layer graphene, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), nanoantenna-patterned gallium arsenide (GaAs) and...