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Right after the celebration of 10th anniversary of Light: Science & Applications (LSA) in 2022, we published eleven papers in three special issues separated by six months covering the fundamentals and applications in THz optics and photonics. These papers presenting the basic research overview or cross-cutting interdisciplinary research are contributed from the most active groups in eight countries. They are:
Terahertz structured light: nonparaxial Airy imaging using silicon diffractive optics by Rusnė Ivaškevičiūtė-Povilauskienė et al. (Lithuania & Poland);
Enhancement of THz generation in LiNbO3 waveguides via multi-bounce velocity matching by Keith Nelson et al. (USA & Germany);
Milliwatt terahertz harmonic generation from topological insulator metamaterials by K. J. Tielrooij et al. (Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, UK & Poland);
Multi-millijoule terahertz emission from laser-wakefield-accelerated electrons by Ki-Yong Kim et al. (Korea, USA & Iran,);
Planarized THz quantum cascade lasers for broadband coherent photonics by Urban Senica et al. (Switzerland & Italy);
Rapid, noncontact, sensitive, and semiquantitative characterization of buffered hydrogen-fluoride-treated silicon wafer surfaces by terahertz emission spectroscopy by Masayoshi Tonouchi et al. (Japan);
Near-field terahertz nonlinear optics with blue light by Dan Mittleman et al. (USA);
A novel scheme for ultrashort terahertz pulse generation over a gapless wide spectral range: Raman-resonance-enhanced four-wave mixing by Yuen Ron Shen et al. (USA & China);
Ultrafast terahertz emission from emerging symmetry-broken materials by Hou-Tong Chen (USA);
High-throughput terahertz imaging: progress and challenges by Mona Jarrahi et al. (USA);
Tilted pulse front pumping techniques for efficient terahertz pulse generation by János Hebling et al. (Hungary).
This collection serves as most updated references and detailed guidance for the active researchers in the THz photonics community. We hope these papers will stimulate and promote broader research and activities in other related fields. Our Editorial Office wishes we are all inspired for the past ten years and a healthy start to the next ten years!
Demonstration of generation of terahertz structured light in a form of configurable Airy beam for imaging aims and 2D materials inspection using exclusively flat silicon diffractive optics.
Topological insulator metamaterials bring nonlinear terahertz photonic technology a step closer by producing a third-harmonic output power close to a milliwatt.
The electrons, accelerated by the laser ponderomotive force and subsequent plasma wakefields, radiate broadband emission continuously along the laser propagation direction, resulting in multi-mJ THz radiation in the far field.
We present a high-performance integrated platform for broadband active and passive coherent photonics based on planarized THz quantum cascade lasers, featuring low losses and improved dispersion, RF and thermal properties.
In this paper, the THz emission properties from Si wafers with different surface conditions and doping conditions have been concluded, which show the potential application of LTEM on surface estimation
Insights from recent THz emission studies involving quantum materials and low-dimensional systems are surveyed from the standpoints of dynamical mechanisms and basic symmetries, highlighting interplays between intrinsic and designer structuring.
We review the two decades of tilted pulse front pumping, and suggest its applications to new materials and laser sources, emphasizing its potential with semiconductors and organic crystals for promising advancements.