Shengfei Feng

Generation and evolution of the terahertz vortex beam

Based on the complementary V-shaped antenna structure, ultrathin vortex phase plates are designed to achieve the terahertz (THz) optical vortices with different topological charges. Utilizing a THz holographic imaging system, the two dimensional complex field information of the generated THz vortex beam with the topological number l=1 is directly obtained. Its far field propagation properties are analyzed in detail, including the rotation, the twist direction, and the Gouy phase shift of the vortex phase. An analytic Laguerre-Gaussian mode is used to simulate and explain the measured phenomena. The experimental and simulation results overlap each other very well.

An ultrathin terahertz lens with axial long focal depth based on metasurfaces

The plasmonic resonance effect on metasurfaces generates an abrupt phase change. We employ this phase modulation mechanism to design the longitudinal field distribution of an ultrathin terahertz (THz) lens for achieving the axial long-focal-depth (LFD) property. Phase distributions of the designed lens are obtained by the Yang-Gu iterative amplitude-phase retrieval algorithm. By depositing a 100 nm gold film on a 500 μm silicon substrate and etching arrayed V-shaped air holes through the gold film, the designed ultrathin THz lens is fabricated by the micro photolithography technology. Experimental measurements have demonstrated its LFD property, which basically agree with the theoretical simulations. In addition, the designed THz lens possesses a good LFD property with a bandwidth of 200 GHz. It is expected that the designed ultrathin LFD THz lens should have wide potential applications in broadband THz imaging and THz communication systems.

Spin-selected focusing and imaging based on metasurface lens.

Spin of light provides a route to control photons. Spin-based optical devices which can manipulate photons with different spin states are imperative. Here we experimentally demonstrated a spin-selected metasurface lens based on the spin-orbit interaction originated from the Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) phase. The optimized PB phase enables the light with different spin states to be focused on two separated points in the preset plane. Furthermore, the metasurface lens can perform the spin-selected imaging according to the polarization of the illuminating light. Such a spin-based device capacitates a lot of advanced applications for spin-controlled photonics in quantum information processing and communication based on the spin and orbit angular momentum.

Generation of terahertz vector beams with a concentric ring metal grating and photo-generated carriers

A scheme for vector terahertz (THz) beam generation is proposed. A subwavelength metal grating is utilized to adjust the polarization of the THz radiation. The amplitude and phase distributions of the THz beam are dynamically regulated by a THz computer-generated hologram (CGH) pattern of the photo-generated carriers. A radially polarized THz beam and a vector THz vortex beam with a topological charge of 1 are generated to demonstrate the validity and the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Experimental results correspond to the theoretical simulations well. Moreover, the proposed method is applicative for a broadband THz radiation. These results could be applied in the THz sensing, THz imaging, and THz communication in the future.

Focusing and imaging of a virtual all-optical tunable terahertz Fresnel zone plate

A virtual all-optical tunable terahertz Fresnel zone plate is achieved utilizing the localized distribution of the transient electron plasma on a silicon wafer. Its focusing and imaging performance are experimentally demonstrated. Experimental results show that the effect of the virtual zone plate is the same as an actual one. Adjusting the spatial pattern of the electron plasma, the central wavelength and the focal length of the virtual zone plate can be all-optically dynamically steered. The research is a significant step to the development of tunable optical imaging elements.

Complete presentation of the Gouy phase shift with the THz digital holography

Three dimensional information of the Gouy phase shift in a converging spherical terahertz (THz) beam is directly observed by using a THz balanced electro-optic holographic imaging system. The major properties of the Gouy phase shift are presented, including the longitudinal and transverse distributions, relationships with the frequency and the f-number, influence on the THz polarization. The imaging technique supplies an accurate and comprehensive measurement method for observing and understanding the Gouy phase shift.

Full vector measurements of converging terahertz beams with linear, circular, and cylindrical vortex polarization.

The complete vector information of converging terahertz (THz) beams with linear, circular, and cylindrical vortex polarization are precisely measured by using a THz digital holographic imaging system. The transverse (Ex, Ey) and longitudinal (Ez) polarization components of the THz fields around the focal point are separately obtained utilizing the detection crystals with different crystalline orientations. The measured results are in good agreement with the theoretical expectations. This imaging technique provides an effective way for revealing the vector diffraction properties of the THz electro-magnetic waves.

Longitudinal field characterization of converging terahertz vortices with linear and circular polarizations

Linearly and circularly polarized terahertz (THz) vortex beams are generated by adopting a THz quarter wave plate and spiral phase plates with topological charges 1 and 2. Taking advantage of a THz digital holographic imaging system, longitudinal components of THz vortices with different polarizations and topological charges are coherently measured and systemically analyzed in a focusing condition. The application potential of circularly polarized THz vortex beams in microscopy is experimentally demonstrated and the transformation between the spin angular momentums and orbital angular momentums of THz waves is also checked. Modified Richards-Wolf vector diffraction integration equations are applied to successfully simulate experimental phenomena.

Observation of dehydration dynamics in biological tissues with terahertz digital holography [Invited]

A terahertz (THz) digital holographic imaging system is utilized to investigate natural dehydration processes in three types of biological tissues, including cattle, mutton, and pork. An image reconstruction algorithm is applied to remove the diffraction influence of THz waves and further improve clarity of THz images. From THz images of different biological specimens, distinctive water content as well as dehydration features of adipose and muscle tissues are precisely distinguished. By analyzing THz absorption spectra of these samples, temporal evolution characteristics of the absorbances for adipose and muscle tissues are described and compared in detail. Discrepancies between water retention ability of different animal tissues are also discussed. The imaging technique provides a valuable measurement platform for biological sensing.

Visualization of terahertz surface waves propagation on metal foils.

Exploitation of surface plasmonic devices (SPDs) in the terahertz (THz) band is always beneficial for broadening the application potential of THz technologies. To clarify features of SPDs, a practical characterization means is essential for accurately observing the complex field distribution of a THz surface wave (TSW). Here, a THz digital holographic imaging system is employed to coherently exhibit temporal variations and spectral properties of TSWs activated by a rectangular or semicircular slit structure on metal foils. Advantages of the imaging system are comprehensively elucidated, including the exclusive measurement of TSWs and fall-off of the time consumption. Numerical simulations of experimental procedures further verify the imaging measurement accuracy. It can be anticipated that this imaging system will provide a versatile tool for analyzing the performance and principle of SPDs.