The THz time domain spectrometer (THz-TDS) has revolutionized the adoption of THz science in fields such as medicine, material characterization, pharmaceutical research and biology among others. Traditionally a THz-TDS was based on a titanium sapphire laser, while most of the commercially sold spectrometers today adopt fiber lasers. Vertical External Cavity Surface emitting lasers or VECSELs have potential to be the future laser of choice for the implementation of THz spectrometers, as they are small, low-cost, low noise and high repetition rate. Here I will outline the progress in our laboratory and the general community concerning VECSEL-THz technology and I will account the problems that have to be solved for the VECSEL-THz technology to succeed.

Date Published: 15 February 2018
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 10515, Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VECSELs) VIII, 105150N (15 February 2018); doi: 10.1117/12.2289917

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10515:
Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VECSELs) VIII
Juan L. Chilla, Editor(s)