Terahertz optical rectification from a nonlinear organic crystal

Abstract

We report optical rectification and subsequent generation of subpicosecond submillimeter-wave radiation from a nonlinear organic crystalline salt. With optical excitation at a wavelength of 820 nm and a 150 fs pulse duration, the magnitude of the rectified field from the organic salt dimethyl amino 4-N-methylstilbazolium tosylate is one and two orders of magnitude larger than that from GaAs and LiTaO3 crystals, respectively. This organic crystal presently provides the most intense terahertz radiated field among all of the natural nonexternally biased materials we know.