High-speed all-optical terahertz polarization switching by a transient plasma phase modulator

We demonstrate high-speed all-optical polarization switching of broadband terahertz frequency electromagnetic fields with subpicosecond switch-on time. This is achieved through the use of a two-plasma configuration in an orthogonal geometry in which one plasma modulates the relative phase of a two-color optical pump field, enabling rapid terahertz polarization modulation at rates limited by the repetition-rate of the control pulse. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3407514]