Tzortzakis group publishes paper on breakthrough in THz science
Published Jan 29, 2020
The research group of Dr. Stylianos Tzortzakis, physics professor in the Science Program, has published a paper, “Observation of extremely efficient terahertz generation from mid-infrared two-color laser filaments,” in Nature Communications about a major breakthrough in THz science.
From THz security scanners at airports to next-generation 
telecommunications (5G and 6G), THz science is experiencing rapid development in recent years, yet the majority of available table-top THz sources remain rather weak in power, thus limiting the interactions of THz radiation with matter mostly in the realm of linear optics.
In their work, using intense ultrashort mid-infrared laser pulses to drive laser beam filamentation in ambient air, Tzortzakis’s group demonstrated the generation of energetic single-cycle THz pulses with unprecedented THz conversion efficiency, exceeding previously reported results by 100 times, setting a new world record. The peak THz electric and magnetic fields exceed the 100 MV/cm and 33 tesla, respectively. Quasi-static ultrashort electric and magnetic bursts at these intensities will enable extreme nonlinear and relativistic science, as well as free space THz telecommunications and medical applications, such as cancer treatment.