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Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy as a new tool for the characterization of dust forming plasmas

S Ebbinghaus1, K Schröck1, J C Schauer2, E Bründermann1, M Heyden1, G Schwaab1, M Böke2, J Winter2, M Tani3 and M Havenith1,4

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We report the application of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy as a new tool for plasma diagnostics. The short broadband THz pulses were radiated from a low temperature grown GaAs emitter by free charge carriers which were generated by focusing a 20 femtosecond TiSa-laser pulse onto the emitter. For sensitive signal recording a coherent detection scheme was applied. This allowed the measurement of the amplitude and sign of the electromagnetic field of the THz pulse after passing the plasma chamber. Fourier transformation allowed us to obtain the full spectrum in the frequency domain.

We compared the transmitted THz intensities of a pure argon (Ar) and an acetylene (C2H2)/argon plasma. The presence of the ethynyl–radical (CCH) and cyclopropenylidene (c-C3H2) in the (C2H2)/argon plasma could be confirmed by the observations of rotational transitions in the region from 8 to 16 cm−1 corresponding to 0.3–0.5 THz.


PACS

52.27.Lw Dusty or complex plasmas; plasma crystals

52.70.Kz Optical (ultraviolet, visible, infrared) measurements

Subjects

Instrumentation and measurement

Plasma physics

Dates

Issue 1 (February 2006)

Received 15 June 2005, in final form 19 October 2005

Published 21 December 2005



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