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Quantum Electronics 51 (4) 338 – 342 (2021) © 2021 Kvantovaya Elektronika and IOP Publishing Limited

TERAHERTZ RADIATION https://doi.org/10.1070/QEL00000

Formation of beams with nonuniform polarisation

of radiation in a cw waveguide terahertz laser
м
вопроса
По всем д р есу
O.V. Gurin, A.V. Degtyarev, N.N. Dubinin, M.N. Legenkiy,
б р а щ а й тесь по а
V.A. Maslov, K.I. Muntean, V.N. Ryabykh, V.S. Senyuta о dev.ru
ke@lebe

Abstract. A method for obtaining non-Gaussian light beams with methods operate with a particular type of radiation polarisa-
azimuthal field polarisation in a waveguide quasi-optical cavity is tion.
described. The method is based on the employment of polarisation- Let us mention several papers devoted to generation,
selective diffraction structures as laser mirrors. Efficient excitation propagation, and focusing of beams with various spatial
of such beams at the output from an optically pumped waveguide polarisation of radiation in the terahertz (THz) frequency
HCOOH laser (l = 0.4326 mm) with an inhomogeneous reflecting range [19 – 25], which describe methods of and approaches to
input and semitransparent output mirrors is confirmed theoretically forming laser beams with a required polarisation structure in
and experimentally. this range. Nevertheless, they all pertain to the group of extra-
cavity methods and utilise pulsed radiation emitted upon
Keywords: terahertz range, waveguide laser, cw emission, beam nonlinear conversion of IR femtosecond laser radiation.
formation, inhomogeneous mirror, azimuthal polarisation. Here we report a new method for intracavity generation
of THz laser beams with azimuthal polarisation by using
1. Introduction polarisation-selective azimuthally symmetric diffraction
structures as mirrors of an optically pumped waveguide
Output radiation of most modern lasers has uniform polari- molecular laser. The suggested method utilises a cavity input
sation. Nevertheless, interest is presently growing to optical mirror fabricated as a large-scale (k = l/l > 1, where l is the
fields with nonuniform spatial polarisation, which in the sci- wavelength and l is the structure period) reflecting metal dif-
entific literature are called ‘vector beams’ [1 – 3]. Among fraction grating or an output semitransparent mirror in the
them, laser beams with radial and azimuthal polarisation pos- form of a metal small-scale (k < 1) multi-ring diaphragm
sessing specific features are often employed in many research arranged on a dielectric layer. The present work is aimed at
and applied problems. Taking into account propagation and development, creation, and studying an experimental sample
focusing features of such beams, they are applied in laser of a THz laser for obtaining radiation beams with azimuthal
physics [4], biomedical diagnosis [5], technological metal polarisation basing on a waveguide cavity comprising such
treatment processes [6], high-speed communication [7], elec- mirrors.
tron acceleration [8], etc.
Various types of modes with nonuniform spatial polarisa- 2. Experimental setup
tion are formed by employing both extracavity and intracav-
ity approaches [9]. The polarisation devices are based on a A block diagram of an optically pumped waveguide THz
local change in the polarisation state at each cross-section laser and an experimental setup for studying the laser is pre-
point of a laser beam. The extracavity methods usually utilise sented in Fig. 1. A working molecule of the NCOOH laser is
a coherent superposition of a pair of modes in free space by excited by a cw dc-discharge CO2 laser described in [26].
using, for example, an interferometer [10]. An important A system of folding mirrors comprised of three plane mir-
advantage of the extracavity methods is universality, and a rors ( 11 ) and a spherical mirror ( 13 ) with a focal length of
drawback is complicated realisation and high sensitivity to 0.5 m provides the focusing of CO2-laser radiation on a cou-
environment conditions. Intracavity methods are based on pling hole of an input mirror ( 17 ) of a cavity THz cell. Such a
laser cavity modifications, which help eliminate these limita- system for introducing the pump radiation into the THz cell
tions. In recent years, a branch in optics has been developed, provides good isolation of the CO2 laser from the emission of
which is related to the employment of diffraction mirrors pos- the latter reflected by the cell.
sessing high polarisation selectivity [11 – 13]. However, these The THz cell is a vacuum chamber fabricated from a
round pyrex tube ( 16 ) with an internal radius of 35 mm and a
O.V. Gurin, A.V. Degtyarev, N.N. Dubinin, M.N. Legenkiy, length of 1848 mm closed with mirrors 17 and 18. Mirror 17
V.A. Maslov, K.I. Muntean, V.N. Ryabykh, V.S. Senyuta V.N. Karazin has a central coupling hole of diameter 3 mm for introducing
Kharkiv National University, pl. Svobody 4, 61022 Kharkiv, Ukraine; the pump radiation into the THz cell. Calculations performed
e-mail: [email protected] show that with such a diameter of the coupling hole, the field
on mirror 17 actually does not differ from that on a mirror
Received 18 December 2020; revision received 27 January 2021
without a hole. The input mirror is arranged on a plane-par-
Kvantovaya Elektronika 51 (4) 338 – 342 (2021)
Translated by N.A. Raspopov allel shift actuator ( 14 ), which provides mirror movement to
a distance of longer than 2 mm keeping it parallel with an
Formation of beams with nonuniform polarisation of radiation 339

11
3. Comparison of experimental
and numerical results
2 3 12
7 4
11 3.1. Laser cavity with a large-scale input
1 10 8 and homogeneous output mirrors
5 6
9
Excitation of azimuthally polarised radiation in a waveguide
20 11 quasi-optical cavity of a THz-laser requires high-selectivity
18 16 17 mirrors with minimal energy losses at a considered mode and
19 14 high losses at undesired modes.
The cavity output homogeneous mirror ( 18 ) (Fig. 1) was
25 25 13
a capacitive 2D grid fabricated by depositing aluminium
24 through a matrix onto a plane-parallel plate of crystalline
21 22 23 26 27 15 quartz of thickness 4 mm. For the matrix, an inductive strip
grid with a period of 103 mm and width of 17 mm was used.
Figure 1. Schematic of the experimental setup: Such a mirror has a transparency of 18 % at the laser opera-
( 1 ) CO2 laser; ( 2 ) cathode; ( 3 ) anode; ( 4 ) high-voltage power supply; tion wavelength of 0.4326 mm. The input reflector ( 17 ) was
( 5 ) dc power supply; ( 6 ) piezoelectric actuator; ( 7, 13 ) spherical mir- an inhomogeneous mirror with a central coupling hole of
rors; ( 8 ) echelette; ( 9 ) corner reflector; ( 10 ) NaCl plate; ( 11 ) plane diameter d = 3 mm. The reflecting surface of the mirror was
mirror; ( 12 ) mechanical modulator; ( 14 ) mirror motion unit; ( 15 ) elec-
formed as an azimuthally symmetric large-scale metal diffrac-
tric driver; ( 16 ) dielectric waveguide; ( 17 ) input mirror; ( 18 ) output
mirror; ( 19 ) detector; ( 20 ) beam scanning unit; ( 21 ) selective amplifier; tion grating. The grating had various numbers of reflecting
( 22 ) ADC; ( 23 ) computer; ( 24 ) retort with HCOOC; ( 25 ) valves; ( 26 ) rings and grooves absorbing radiation with width b and pre-
vacuum gauge; ( 27 ) vacuum pump. scribed period l. In order to fulfil the short-wavelength
approximation condition l > l, the grating period l was cho-
sen 1.75 mm issuing from technological possibilities. The grat-
accuracy no worse than 10'. The mirror can be automatically ing filling factor h = b/l varied within the range of 0.1 – 0.9.
moved by an electric drive ( 15 ). The reflection coefficient for waveguide TE01 and EH11
Parameters of inhomogeneous mirrors of the waveguide modes possessing the least losses were calculated as a function
quasi-optical dielectric resonator were preliminarily calcu- of the filling factor of an axially symmetric diffraction mirror
lated according to the BOR FDTD algorithm (for details, see arranged inside a hollow round dielectric waveguide. The cal-
[27]). The reflection and transmission coefficients were calcu- culations show that the mirror with a surface diffraction grat-
lated for symmetric and antisymmetric waveguide modes ing and h > 0.8 placed in a waveguide provides the reflection
with various spatial field polarisations for axially symmetric coefficient R ³ 60 % for azimuthally polarised vibrations
diffraction mirrors arranged inside a hollow round dielectric TE01, and for linearly polarised mode EH11 R is less than
waveguide. 50 %. This favours selective excitation of the TE01q mode in
The system for evacuating and filling the THz cell with a the laser cavity.
working mixture comprises elements 24 – 27. Such a con- Taking into account the calculation results, an inhomoge-
struction provides maintaining the working mixture pressure neous input mirror was mechanically fabricated by using a
in the THz cell at a level of ~1 dPa. A system for detecting special cutter. The mirror had nine interlaced reflecting rings
THz radiation consists of a pyroelectric sensor ( 19 ) with a and absorbing grooves with a period l = 1.75 mm and width
spatial resolution of 0.2 mm arranged in the special electro- b = 0.35 mm. A profile of the reflector used in the experiment
mechanic unit for scanning a transverse distribution of out- is shown in Fig. 2. The absorbing grooves were formed by a
put laser intensity corresponding to prescribed azimuths. The cutter to a depth of ~0.2 mm (~0.5l) at an angle of 30° with
sensor was placed at a distance in the range from 100 mm to respect to the mirror reflecting surface. This provided removal
1.5 m from the THz cell output mirror ( 18 ). A sensor signal is of the rays reflected by groove surfaces from the laser cavity,
amplified by a selective amplifier ( 21 ) and then passes to an
ADC ( 22 ) and a computer ( 23 ).
The radiation power of the THz laser was determined by
a BIMO-1 bolometric power transducer, and the power of the
CO2 laser is measured by an IMO-2H calorimetric power
meter. Spectral parameters were measured similarly to [28].
The spectrum of cavity eigenmodes was recorded by varying
the cavity length with an electric drive ( 15 ). Transverse modes d
were identified by the intermode intervals, which were calcu- l
b
lated from phase shifts per cavity round trip and from theo- a
retically known transverse intensity distributions and polari- r1 = 1.5 mm
sation states for waveguide modes [29, 30]. b l 30°
The polarisation state for a generated mode was deter- 10 mm
mined as follows. The radiation detector with a small input r = 20 mm
diaphragm moved with various azimuths in the transverse b
plane of a radiation beam, and the polarisation plane was
determined at the points of maximal radiation by using a Figure 2. Profile of the output diffraction mirror: (a) relief of mirror
polariser. The latter was a one-dimensional wire grating with surface and (b) transverse cross section of the mirror.
a step of 40 mm and wire diameter of 8 mm.
340 O.V. Gurin, A.V. Degtyarev, N.N. Dubinin, et al.

which is identical to actually perfect absorption of radiation One can see that the proposed azimuthally symmetric
at these mirror domains. large-scale diffraction mirror efficiently selects undesired
Figure 3 shows spectra of excited laser modes obtained modes and can be simply realised in laboratory conditions.
experimentally with this input inhomogeneous mirror and a Nevertheless, because of its poor energy efficiency, further
homogeneous capacitive output mirror. Cavity length tuning investigations were performed with small-scale diffraction
reveals two cavity modes with the least losses. The second (by structures arranged on the mirror surface.
the Q-factor) mode has linear polarisation. From its trans-
verse field intensity distribution, we identified it as ЕН11q 3.2. Laser cavity with uniform input
mode. The frequency separation between ЕН11q mode and the and small-scale output mirrors
mode with the highest Q-factor made us to conclude (through
theoretical considerations) that it is the TE01q mode. A far- In this case, the input mirror ( 17 ) of the laser cavity (see
field transverse intensity distribution of this mode at the laser Fig. 1) was a plane uniform aluminium mirror with a cou-
output is shown in Fig. 4. Issuing from this transverse distri- pling hole of diameter 3 mm. For the laser output semitrans-
bution, mode frequency separation, and position of an elec- parent reflector ( 18 ), two variants of diffraction mirrors were
tric field vector for various azimuths, we identified this mode tested. In the first variant (mirror I), the mirror surface was
as TE01q mode with azimuthal polarisation. fabricated by the photo-lithography method in the form of
metal azimuthally symmetric small-scale (k < 1) multi-ring
diaphragm on a dielectric layer. To fulfil the long-wavelength
81.7 MHz approximation (l < l), the diaphragm period was chosen
Intensity

120 mm. Figure 5 shows the dependences of the diaphragm

reflection coefficient R and transmission T for waveguide
TE01q+1
TE01q modes TE0m and EH1m on the filling factor h for the case
where the small-scale mirror is arranged inside a hollow
round dielectric waveguide. The calculations take into
account the quartz substrate thickness (4 mm in the experi-
mental mirror sample). One can see from Fig. 5 that introduc-
EH11q tion of the ring mirror with h > 0.3 substantially increases the
reflection coefficient (R ³ 90 %) for azimuthally polarised
vibration modes TE0m, which favours generation of the latter
in a laser. Additionally, the mirror provides sufficiently small
Frequency reflection coefficients (R » 30 %) for linearly polarised EH1m
modes. Here, m = 1 – 3, and for all such modes the reflection
Figure 3. Mode spectrum of the HCOOH laser with an input large- and transmission dependences on the filling factor are similar
scale reflecting mirror. to those from Fig. 5. However, such a mirror cannot provide
uniform generation at a required mode.

y/mm 1200
R, T
I (arb. units)

1.0
9 900 1
0.8

0 600 0.6

0.4
–9 300

0.2
2
0
– 18 –9 0 9 x/mm 0
0.1 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.9 h

Figure 4. (Colour online) Experimental transverse distribution of the Figure 5. Calculated dependences of reflection R ( 1 ) and transmission
radiation intensity I at the output of the HCOOC laser with an input T ( 2 ) coefficients for waveguide modes TE0m (solid curves) and EH1m
large-scale mirror in the far-zone for the TE01q mode. (dashed curves) on the filling factor h of a multi-ring diaphragm.

The radiation power of the THz laser in the TE01q mode is Possibility of generating the particular lowest TE01 mode
8 mW, and in the ЕН11q mode it is 3.75 mW. If the diffraction with highly discriminated undesirable modes was studied by
mirror is substituted with a homogeneous one, the laser emis- calculating the dependences of coefficients R and T for wave-
sion power in the ЕН11q mode raises to 18 mW. The reduction guide modes on the radius a0 of the ‘bleached’ part of the dif-
of the radiation power in this mode in the case of an inhomo- fraction mirror, from which central part a number of reflect-
geneous mirror is explained by a lower reflection coefficient ing rings have been removed. The calculation results are
of the mirror. shown in Fig. 6. One can see that a choice of the radius for the
Formation of beams with nonuniform polarisation of radiation 341

‘bleached’ mirror part from the range a0 = 6 – 8 mm allows 81.7 MHz

Intensity
one to selectively excite the required TE01 mode with R »
60 % – 70 %, whereas modes EH11 and EH12 with R » 10%
and T » 40 % are mainly converted to other vibration types. EH11q+1
Modes TE02 – TE04 with similar azimuthal polarisation are EH11q
also efficiently suppressed by such mirror.
TE01q + EH21q

R EH12q
EH –11q + EH31q TE02q
0.8
Frequency
TE01
0.6 TE04 TE02 Figure 7. Mode spectrum of the HCOOH laser with an output uniform
a capacitive mirror.

0.4 TE03

If mirror I is used as an output mirror ( 18 ), then the tun-

EH11 ing characteristic exhibits six generation modes (Fig. 8a).
0.2
There are three cavity modes with azimuthal polarisation in
EH12 the spectrum. The mode with the highest Q-factor was identi-
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 a0 /mm fied as the TE01q mode.

T
81.7 MHz
Intensity

0.6 EH11
TE01q+1
TE01q

0.4 b a
EH12 EH11q EH –11q + EH31q
TE03
TE04
TE02 EH12qTE02q TE03q
0.2
Frequency
TE01
81.7 MHz
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 a0 /mm
Intensity

Figure 6. Dependences of (a) reflection R and (b) transmission T coef- TE01q

TE01q+1
ficients for waveguide modes on the radius a0 of the ‘bleached’ part of
the mirror.
b

Issuing from the calculation results, an inhomogeneous

output mirror II was fabricated by the photolithography EH –11q + EH31q
method in the form of a multi-ring diaphragm arranged on a Frequency
dielectric layer with a number of central reflecting rings being
removed. An aluminium layer of thickness 0.5 – 0.6 mm was Figure 8. Mode spectra of THE HCOOC-laser with an output semi-
deposited on a 4-mm-thick crystalline quartz plate, and transparent small-scale diffraction mirrors I (a) and II (b).
domains of desired shape were etched. Taking into account
the condition of the long-wavelength approximation, the
taken diaphragm period l was 120 mm, the width of metallised For enhancing the selective properties of the laser cavity
reflecting rings b was 50 mm, and the filling factor h was 0.4. and generating the single lowest TE01q mode with a high dis-
A diameter of the central ‘bleached’ part of the mirror was crimination of undesired modes, the laser included the dif-
14 mm. fraction mirror II with a ‘bleached’ central part. Figure 8b
In initial experiments, the above discussed uniform capac- presents an experimental spectrum of laser modes in such a
itive mirror with the transparency of 18 % at the laser genera- configuration. One can see that the employment of mirror II
tion wavelength was used as an output mirror. Tuning char- substantially suppresses undesired modes and yields an actu-
acteristics of THz laser radiation were recorded by moving ally single transverse mode TEE01q. The radiation power of
the input mirror ( 17 ) (Fig. 7). The spectrum had five trans- the laser with such a diffraction mirror in the mode TEE01q
verse modes, from which four modes with the highest was 16 mW, whereas laser operation in the mode EH11q with
Q-factors were linearly polarised, and the most intensive the 2D capacitive grid used as the output homogeneous mir-
mode was identified as the EH11q mode. ror yielded 18 mW. Thus, the employment of a relatively com-
342 O.V. Gurin, A.V. Degtyarev, N.N. Dubinin, et al.

plicated diffraction structure on a mirror surface did not actu-

ally reduce the laser power.
Thus, the possibility of developing an optically pumped
molecular laser for generating cw laser beams of THz radia-
tion with azimuthal polarisation by using polarisation-selec-
tive azimuthally symmetric diffraction structures as the out-
put mirrors of a waveguide quasi-optical cavity is demon-
strated. Two schemes are proposed for obtaining such beams
at the output from an optically pumped waveguide NCOOH
laser (l = 0.4326 mm), differing in the energy efficiency and
simplicity of realisation.

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