This technology relates to detecting radiation by directing an optical beam into a volume of gas, ionizing a portion of the volume of gas with the optical beam to produce a plasma, and then detecting an acoustic signal produced from an interaction of a radiation wave with the plasma. This technology relates to the phenomenon of enhanced acoustic emission from laser-induced plasma under the influence of a single-cycle terahertz pulse. Aspects of this technology bridge the unintentional gap between THz photonics and photo-acoustics.

This technology relates to a plasma diagnostic method by directing THz radiation into plasma and detecting an emission due to the interaction of the THz radiation with the plasma to characterize the plasma. Terahertz (THz) waves occupy a segment of the electromagnetic spectrum between the infrared and microwave bands. As such, they can be used for imaging and sensing in ways not possible with conventional technologies such as X-ray and microwave.

This technology relates to detecting terahertz radiation using an optical beam in a volume of gas. Ionizing a portion of the volume of gas with the optical beam produces a plasma and fluorescence is produced from an interaction of a radiation wave with the plasma. Information contained in the characteristics of the detected fluorescence can be used to characterize the radiation wave. Terahertz (THz) waves occupy a segment of the electromagnetic spectrum between the infrared and microwave bands.