| AVS 65th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Plasma Science and Technology Division | Wednesday Sessions |
| Session PS+AS+EL+EM+SE-WeM |
| Session: | Current and Future Stars of the AVS Symposium I |
| Presenter: | Tino Hofmann, University of North Carolina at Charlotte |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Spectroscopic ellipsometry at terahertz frequencies has seen substantial advancements over the last several years. Now, instruments are available which allow precise measurements of the material’s complex dielectric function including its anisotropy. This access to accurate electromagnetic material properties at THz frequencies is essential for the development of increasingly advanced THz optical systems and a prerequisite for the design and manufacturing of optical elements for this spectral range.
In this talk I will give an overview of recent developments in the implementation of THz ellipsometry and focus on applications where THz ellipsometry contributed valuable material parameters. In combination with external magnetic fields generalized THz ellipsometry allows the accurate measurement of the optical Hall effect. The optical Hall effect enables the precise determination of the free charge carrier properties effective mass, mobility, and density in semiconductor heterostructures at THz frequencies without the need of electrical contacts and will be discussed in detail.
The exploration of novel physical phenomena observed in artificially structured metamaterials and the application thereof is of interest due to its relevance for the design and fabrication of novel THz optical elements and sensors. Metamaterials have attracted continued interest for almost two decades due to their unique electromagnetic properties, which can differ substantially from their constituents and often do not even exist in naturally occurring materials. We have demonstrated that although being orders of magnitude smaller than the probing wavelength, metamaterials composed of highly-ordered 3-dimensional metal nanostructures exhibit a strong anisotropic optical response at THz frequencies. I will discuss how these interesting optical properties may be used for novel THz sensor and device designs.