Dmitry Turchinovich

Phonon–Electron Scattering Limits Free Charge Mobility in Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskites

The nature of the photoconductivity in solution-processed films of methylammonium lead iodide perovskite is investigated by determining the variation of the photoconductive response with temperature. Ultrabroadband terahertz (THz) photoconductivity spectra in the 0.3-10 THz range can be reproduced well by a simple Drude-like response at room temperature, where free charge carrier motion is characterized by an average scattering time. The scattering time determined from Drude fits in the 0.3-2THz region increases from ∼4 fs at 300 K (tetragonal phase; mobility of ∼27 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)) to almost ∼25 fs at 77 K (orthorhombic phase, mobility of ∼150 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)). For the tetragonal phase (temperature range 150 < T < 300 K) the scattering time shows a ∼T(-3/2) dependence, approaching the theoretical limit for pure acoustic phonon (deformation potential) scattering. Hence, electron-phonon, rather than impurity scattering, sets the upper limit on free charge transport for this perovskite.

Efficient metallic spintronic emitters of ultrabroadband terahertz radiation

Ultrashort pulses covering the 1–30 THz range are generated from a W/CoFeB/Pt trilayer and originate from photoinduced spin currents, the inverse spin Hall effect and a broadband Fabry–Perot resonance. The resultant peak fields are several 100 kV cm–1.

Thermodynamic picture of ultrafast charge transport in graphene

The outstanding charge transport properties of graphene enable numerous electronic applications of this remarkable material, many of which are expected to operate at ultrahigh speeds. In the regime of ultrafast, sub-picosecond electric fields, however, the very high conduction properties of graphene are not necessarily preserved, with the physical picture explaining this behaviour remaining unclear. Here we show that in graphene, the charge transport on an ultrafast timescale is determined by a simple thermodynamic balance maintained within the graphene electronic system acting as a thermalized electron gas. The energy of ultrafast electric fields applied to graphene is converted into the thermal energy of its entire charge carrier population, near-instantaneously raising the electronic temperature. The dynamic interplay between heating and cooling of the electron gas ultimately defines the ultrafast conductivity of graphene, which in a highly nonlinear manner depends on the dynamics and the strength of the applied electric fields.

Semiconductor saturable absorbers for ultrafast terahertz signals

We demonstrate saturable absorber behavior of n-type semiconductors GaAs, GaP, and Ge in the terahertz (THz) frequency range at room temperature using nonlinear THz spectroscopy. The saturation mechanism is based on a decrease in electron conductivity of semiconductors at high electron momentum states, due to conduction band nonparabolicity and scattering into satellite valleys in strong THz fields. Saturable absorber parameters, such as linear and nonsaturable transmission, and saturation fluence, are extracted by fits to a classic saturable absorber model. Further, we observe THz pulse shortening, and an increase in the group refractive index of the samples at higher THz pulse peak fields.

Low-loss polarization-maintaining fusion splicing of single-mode fibers and hollow-core photonic crystal fibers, relevant for monolithic fiber laser pulse compression

We report on highly reproducible low-loss fusion splicing of polarization-maintaining single-mode fibers (PM-SMFs) and hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HC-PCFs). The PM-SMF-to-HC-PCF splices are characterized by the loss of 0.62 +/- 0.24 dB, and polarization extinction ratio of 19 +/- 0.68 dB. The reciprocal HC-PCF-to-PM-SMF splice loss is found to be 2.19 +/- 0.33 dB, which is caused by the mode evolution in HC-PCF. The return loss in both cases was measured to be -14 dB. We show that a splice defect is caused by the HC-PCF cleave defect, and the lossy splice can be predicted at an early stage of the splicing process. We also demonstrate that the higher splice loss compromises the PM properties of the splice. Our splicing technique was successfully applied to the realization of a low-loss, environmentally stable monolithic PM fiber laser pulse compressor, enabling direct end-of-the-fiber femtosecond pulse delivery.

Ultra-broadband THz time-domain spectroscopy of common polymers using THz air photonics

Several common polymers are characterized in the ultra-broadband Terahertz frequency window 2-15 THz using a THz time-domain spectrometer solely based on air-photonics. The spectral features relevant for materials science and THz photonics are revealed.

Competing Ultrafast Energy Relaxation Pathways in Photoexcited Graphene

For most optoelectronic applications of graphene, a thorough understanding of the processes that govern energy relaxation of photoexcited carriers is essential. The ultrafast energy relaxation in graphene occurs through two competing pathways: carrier-carrier scattering, creating an elevated carrier temperature, and optical phonon emission. At present, it is not clear what determines the dominating relaxation pathway. Here we reach a unifying picture of the ultrafast energy relaxation by investigating the terahertz photoconductivity, while varying the Fermi energy, photon energy and fluence over a wide range. We find that sufficiently low fluence (≲4 μJ/cm(2)) in conjunction with sufficiently high Fermi energy (≳0.1 eV) gives rise to energy relaxation that is dominated by carrier-carrier scattering, which leads to efficient carrier heating. Upon increasing the fluence or decreasing the Fermi energy, the carrier heating efficiency decreases, presumably due to energy relaxation that becomes increasingly dominated by phonon emission. Carrier heating through carrier-carrier scattering accounts for the negative photoconductivity for doped graphene observed at terahertz frequencies. We present a simple model that reproduces the data for a wide range of Fermi levels and excitation energies and allows us to qualitatively assess how the branching ratio between the two distinct relaxation pathways depends on excitation fluence and Fermi energy.

Self-phase modulation of a single-cycle terahertz pulse by nonlinear free-carrier response in a semiconductor

We investigate the self-phase modulation (SPM) of a single-cycle terahertz pulse in a semiconductor, using bulk

Monolithic all-PM femtosecond Yb-fiber laser stabilized with a narrow-band fiber Bragg grating and pulse-compressed in a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber

n

All-fiber femtosecond Cherenkov radiation source

-GaAs as a model system. The SPM arises from the heating of free electrons in the electric field of the terahertz pulse, leading to an ultrafast reduction of the plasma frequency, and hence to a strong modification of the terahertz-range dielectric function of the material. Terahertz SPM is observed directly in the time domain. In the frequency domain it corresponds to a strong frequency-dependent refractive index nonlinearity of