Terahertz magneto-optic generalized ellipsometry using synchrotron and blackbody radiation

We report on the first setup and experimental verification of terahertz frequency domain magneto-optic generalized ellipsometry using a combination of highly brilliant terahertz synchrotron and conventional blackbody radiation sources. The polarizer-sample-rotating-analyzer ellipsometry principle is employed to measure the three normalized Stokes vector elements excluding depolarization information, and the upper left 3x3 block of the normalized 4x4 Mueller matrix accordingly for wave numbers from 30 to 650 cm(-1) (0.9-20 THz). We discuss setup, measurement, and data analysis procedures specific to the use of synchrotron radiation for terahertz ellipsometry. Two sample systems with different free-charge-carrier properties were studied and are presented here to illustrate terahertz ellipsometry and data analysis. The first example is low-chlorine-doped ZnMnSe, a dilute magnetic semiconductor. Analysis of the normalized Mueller matrix elements using the Drude magneto-optic dielectric function tensor model over the entire spectral range from 30 to 650 cm(-1) allowed the independent determination of the free-charge-carrier properties effective mass, concentration, and mobility. We further present and discuss Mueller matrix spectra obtained from highly oriented pyrolytic graphite at low temperatures. The spectra of this second example, a two-dimensionally confined charge carrier system, reveal distinct fingerprints of chiral electronic transitions between Landau levels. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.