Below gap optical absorption in GaAs driven by intense, single-cycle coherent transition radiation

Authors

J. Goodfellow, Stanford University, SIMES Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences and Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
M. Fuchs, SIMES Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
D. Daranciang, Stanford University
S. Ghimire, Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
F. Chen, Stanford University
H. Loos, Accelerator Directorate, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
D. A. Reis, SIMES Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences and Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University
A. S. Fisher, Accelerator Directorate, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
A. M. Lindenberg, Stanford University, SIMES Institute for Materials and Energy Sciences and Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator LaboratoryFollow

Date of this Version

2014

Document Type

Article

Citation

OPTICS EXPRESS Vol. 22, No. 14; DOI:10.1364/OE.22.017423 |

Comments

Copyright © 2014 Optical Society of America. Used by permission.

Abstract

Single-cycle terahertz fields generated by coherent transition radiation from a relativistic electron beam are used to study the high field optical response of single crystal GaAs. Large amplitude changes in the sub-band-gap optical absorption are induced and probed dynamically by measuring the absorption of a broad-band optical beam generated by transition radiation from the same electron bunch, providing an absolutely synchronized pump and probe geometry. This modification of the optical properties is consistent with strong-field-induced electroabsorption. These processes are pertinent to a wide range of nonlinear terahertz-driven lightmatter interactions anticipated at accelerator-based sources.