Orientation Dependent Far-Infrared Terahertz Absorptions in Single Crystal Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) Using Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THZ-TDS) has been used to measure the absorption spectra in the range 7-100 cm(-1) (0.2-3 THz) of single crystal pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). Absorption was measured in transmission mode as a function of incident polarization with the incident and transmitted wave vectors oriented along the crystallographic directions [100], < 10(a/c)(2)>, and < 110 >. Samples were rotated with respect to the incident polarization while absorption was measured at both 300 and 20 K. Comparatively minor differences were observed among the three orientations. Two broad absorptions at 72 and >90 cm(-1), and several weaker absorptions at 36, 55, 80, and 82 cm(-1), have been observed at cryogenic temperatures.