Phase-resolved measurement and control of ultrafast dynamics in terahertz electronic oscillators.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 38956022.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-48782-4 and PMC identifier 11219870.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
As a key component for next-generation wireless communications (6 G and beyond), terahertz (THz) electronic oscillators are being actively developed. Precise and dynamic phase control of ultrafast THz waveforms is essential for high-speed beam steering and high-capacity data transmission. However, measurement and control of such ultrafast dynamic process is beyond the scope of electronics due to the limited bandwidth of the electronic equipment. Here we surpass this limit by applying photonic technology. Using a femtosecond laser, we generate offset-free THz pulses to phase-lock the electronic oscillators based on resonant tunneling diode. This enables us to perform phase-resolved measurement of the emitted THz electric field waveform in time-domain with sub-cycle time resolution. Ultrafast dynamic response such as anti-phase locking behaviour is observed, which is distinct from in-phase stimulated emission observed in laser oscillators. We also show that the dynamics follows the universal synchronization theory for limit cycle oscillators. This provides a basic guideline for dynamic phase control of THz electronic oscillators, enabling many key performance indicators to be achieved in the new era of 6 G and beyond.