Broadband terahertz comb with sub-Hz comb linewidth

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Authors: Min Li, Yu Xia, Yuan Chen, Sinan Tao, Mingyang He, Kun Huang, Hua Li, Ming Yan, Heping Zeng
Cited by: 2

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) frequency combs are increasingly essential for spectroscopy, metrology, and quantum science. However, generating a dense array of evenly spaced ultra-narrow THz comb lines is challenging. Here, we demonstrate broadband THz comb generation using a photoconductive antenna that transfers a noise-suppressed near-infrared electro-optical (EO) comb into the THz domain. Our noise-suppression strategy, leveraging soliton self-frequency shift and spectral filtering, effectively suppresses EO comb phase noise without requiring active stabilization. The resulting THz comb exhibits broad spectral coverage (0.05 to 4 THz), narrow comb linewidths (0.3 Hz at the Fourier-transform limit), and excellent frequency stability (8.6×10−14 at 1-s integration). We further demonstrate asynchronous THz time-domain spectroscopy, resolving ∼36,000 comb lines with 50 MHz spacing. Crucially, the inherent frequency agility of the EO comb enables rapid and wide-range tuning of the THz comb line spacing. These attributes position our THz comb as a versatile tool for high-resolution molecular spectroscopy and precision THz metrology.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Advanced Fiber Laser Technologies Terahertz technology and applications Superconducting and THz Device Technology

Publication details

Journal / source
Advanced Photonics
Publisher
SPIE-Intl Soc Optical Eng
Volume
8
Issue
02
Pages
1-9
Publication date
3 April 2026