Generation of 30 μJ single-cycle terahertz pulses at 100 Hz repetition rate by optical rectification

We report the generation of 30 mu J single-cycle terahertz pulses at 100 Hz repetition rate by phase-matched optical rectification in lithium niobate using 28 mJ femtosecond laser pulses. The phase-matching condition is achieved by tilting the laser pulse intensity front. Temporal, spectral, and propagation properties of the generated terahertz pulses are presented. In addition, we discuss possibilities for, further increasing the energy of single-cycle terahertz pulses obtained by optical rectification. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America