The influence of a magnetic field on electron transport coefficients in mercury vapour has been studied using a Monte-Carlo simulation technique. The ranges of parameters studied are 10 s E/N S 1000 Td and 0 S B/N s 20 x 10-'gTcm3 (where E is the electric field, B the magnetic field and N the gas number density). Data on ionization coefficients, transverse and perpendicular drill velocities and mean energy are evaluated at various magnetic field strengths.The results are examined in the light of the effective reduced electric field (EREF) concept. It is found that the EREF is a good approximation for the mean energy, collision frequency and ionization coefficient if the appropriate collision frequency which is dependent on E/N and B/N (instead of a constant collision frequency) is used in EREF calculations. As a result, the application of a magnetic field perpendicular to the electric field decreases the transverse drift velocity, mean energy and ionization coefficient. The influence of the magnetic field on the energy distribution function is also studied.

Terahertz (THz) wave generation based on nonlinear frequency conversion is promising way for realizing a tunable monochromatic bright THz-wave source. Such a development of efficient and wide tunable THz-wave source depends on discovery of novel brilliant nonlinear crystal. Important factors of a nonlinear crystal for THz-wave generation are, 1. High nonlinearity and 2. Good transparency at THz frequency region. Unfortunately, many nonlinear crystals have strong absorption at THz frequency region. The fact limits efficient and wide tunable THz-wave generation. Here, we show that Cherenkov radiation with waveguide structure is an effective strategy for achieving efficient and extremely wide tunable THz-wave source. We fabricated MgO-doped lithium niobate slab waveguide with 3.8 microm of thickness and demonstrated difference frequency generation of THz-wave generation with Cherenkov phase matching. Extremely frequency-widened THz-wave generation, from 0.1 to 7.2 THz, without no structural dips successfully obtained. The tuning frequency range of waveguided Cherenkov radiation source was extremely widened compare to that of injection seeded-Terahertz Parametric Generator. The tuning range obtained in this work for THz-wave generation using lithium niobate crystal was the widest value in our knowledge. The highest THz-wave energy obtained was about 3.2 pJ, and the energy conversion efficiency was about 10(-5) %. The method can be easily applied for many conventional nonlinear crystals, results in realizing simple, reasonable, compact, high efficient and ultra broad band THz-wave sources.

High-resolution tomographic imaging is demonstrated using a reflection-type terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. To realize a practical system for general use, a robust all-fiber laser was used as the pump light source. Broadband terahertz waves were generated with the combination of optical pulses compressed to 17 fs using optical fibers and a DAST crystal. Using deconvolution signal processing, the wideband spectrum of the generated terahertz waves provided high-axial resolution leading to successful imaging of a multilayered structure containing a 2-microm-thin GaAs layer. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of terahertz tomographic imaging of such a thin layer.

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The exact power output of a table-top-sized terahertz (THz)-wave source using a nonlinear optical process has not been clarified because detectors for these experiments [Si bolometer, deuterated triglycine sulfate (DTGS), etc.] are not calibrated well. On the other hand, powermeters for the mid-infrared (mid-IR) region are well established and calibrated. We constructed a high-power dual-wavelength optical parametric oscillator with two KTP crystals as a light source for difference frequency generation. The obtained powers of dual waves were 21 mJ at ~1300 nm, ten times higher than that of the previous measurement. The device provides high-power THz-wave generation with ~100 times greater output power than that reported in previous works. A well-calibrated mid-IR powermeter at ~27 THz detected the generated THz wave; its measured energy was 2.4 microJ. Although the powermeter had no sensitivity in the lower-frequency range (below 20 THz), the pulse energy at such a low-frequency region was estimated in reference to the output spectrum obtained using a DTGS detector: the energy would be from about the submicrojoule level to a few microjoules in the THz-wave region.

A terahertz (THz) spiral phase plate with high transmission (>90% after Fresnel correction) and low dispersion has been developed based on the Tsurupica olefin polymer. Direct observations of the topological charge (both magnitude and sign) of a THz vortex beam are performed by using a THz camera with tilted lens focusing and radial defect introduction. The vortex outputs with a topological charge of ±1 (or ±2) are obtained at a frequency of 2 (or 4) THz.

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We proposed and demonstrated a simple but deterministic scheme for generating polarization-entangled photon pairs at telecommunication wavelengths with type-II quasi-phase-matched spontaneous parametric down-conversion (QPM-SPDC) having two poling periods. We fabricated a LiNbO3 crystal having two poling periods so as to generate entangled photons at two wavelengths, i.e., 1506 nm and 1594 nm. We characterized the two-photon polarization state with state tomography and confirmed that the state was highly entangled.