Simulation of metallic nanostructures for emission of THz radiation using the lateral photo-Dember effect

A 2D simulation for the lateral photo-Dember effect is used to calculate the THz emission of metallic nanostructures due to ultrafast diffusion of carriers in order to realize a series of THz emitters.Comment: Corrected version of a paper given at 2011 36th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz

Numerical modelling of optical Stark effect saturable absorbers in mode-locked femtosecond VECSELs

Quasi-soliton modelocking has been identified as the mechanism responsible for the formation of picosecond pulses in passively mode-locked VECSELs, but neither this mechanism nor Kerr lens modelocking can account for the formation of sub-picosecond pulses from these lasers. Numerical simulations have shown that the optical Stark effect is capable of shortening pulses in the absence of bleaching, but to date no studies have been performed under realistic operating conditions. We model the interaction of an optical pulse with an absorbing quantum well using a semi-classical two level atom approximation. As the bandwidth of a VECSEL pulse is small compared to the spread of energies within a semiconductor band the population of two level atoms is divided into "live" atoms which interact with the optical field, and "dead" atoms which do not. Live and dead states are coupled by carrier-carrier scattering. Results from this model show an increase in pulse shortening above that due to saturable absorber bleaching at pulse durations below one picosecond, implying that an additional effect is responsible for the formation of femtosecond pulses. At these pulse durations the model predicts that the absorbing resonance broadens and decreases in amplitude. This is recognisable as a result of the optical Stark effect. The predictions of this model are compared to experimental results from several femtosecond VECSELs. For some modelocked VECSELs an excellent match between simulation and experiment is found, but in other cases the model cannot reproduce experimental results. We conclude that while the optical Stark effect may be the dominant pulse shaping mechanism in some modelocked VECSELs, others appear to be dominated by other effects

Investigation into the role of the metal mask and pump laser illumination parameters for lateral photo-Dember emitters

In lateral photo-Dember emitters pulses of coherent terahertz radiation can be generated by ultrafast above bandgap laser illumination of the surface of a partially metallic masked semiconductor. We investigate the role of the metallic mask and how the emission depends on spot size and fluence

Terahertz emission from lateral surge currents and suppression of dipoles under a metal mask

Pulsed broadband terahertz emission can be observed from lateral diffusion currents near the surface of a partially metallic masked semiconductor after ultrafast photoexcitation. We present a theoretical mechanism for the emission based on diffusion and dipole suppression under the metal mask with supporting experimental and theoretical evidence

Characterisation of low temperature and semi-insulating GaAs lateral photo-Dember THz emitters

We characterise a set of Lateral Photo Dember (LPD) terahertz emitters fabricated on annealed low temperature grown (LTG) GaAs, unannealed LTG-GaAs and SI-GaAs substrates. Our results show that unannealed LTG-GaAs is the most efficient LPD emitter of this set due to a higher saturation fluence

Improving intercropping:a synthesis of research in agronomy, plant physiology and ecology

Intercropping is a farming practice involving two or more crop species, or genotypes, growing together and coexisting for a time. On the fringes of modern intensive agriculture, intercropping is important in many subsistence or low-input/resource-limited agricultural systems. By allowing genuine yield gains without increased inputs, or greater stability of yield with decreased inputs, intercropping could be one route to delivering ‘sustainable intensification’. We discuss how recent knowledge from agronomy, plant physiology and ecology can be combined with the aim of improving intercropping systems. Recent advances in agronomy and plant physiology include better understanding of the mechanisms of interactions between crop genotypes and species – for example, enhanced resource availability through niche complementarity. Ecological advances include better understanding of the context-dependency of interactions, the mechanisms behind disease and pest avoidance, the links between above- and below-ground systems, and the role of microtopographic variation in coexistence. This improved understanding can guide approaches for improving intercropping systems, including breeding crops for intercropping. Although such advances can help to improve intercropping systems, we suggest that other topics also need addressing. These include better assessment of the wider benefits of intercropping in terms of multiple ecosystem services, collaboration with agricultural engineering, and more effective interdisciplinary research