Optical methods for power measurement of terahertz radiation

Precision power measurements of terahertz (THz) radiation are required to establish metrological applications in the THz spectral range. However, traceability to the International System of Units (SI) has been missing in the THz region in the past. The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), as the national metrology institute of Germany, determines the spectral responsivity of detectors for THz radiation by using two complementary optical methods: source- and detector-based radiometry. Both approaches have been successfully prototyped, and a pyroelectric THz detector with a well-defined aperture is used to verify the consistency of the two independent calibration methods. These primary investigations led to the design of a new measurement facility for the determination of THz radiant power and the responsivity calibration of THz detectors traceable to the SI. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America