Tunnel current control apparatus and tunnel current control method
AssigneeHamamatsu Photonics K.K.
InventorsYoichi Kawada, Hironori Takahashi, Jun Takeda, Ikufumi Katayama, Yusuke Arashida, Katsumasa Yoshioka
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Abstract
A tunnel current control apparatus includes a terahertz wave generation element configured to generate and output a terahertz wave pulse, a CEP adjustment unit configured to adjust a CEP of the terahertz wave pulse, and an off-axis parabolic mirror serving as a focusing element configured to focus the terahertz wave pulse in a gap between a first conductive object and a second conductive object. The CEP adjustment unit can arbitrarily adjust the CEP of the terahertz wave pulse.
Claims8
A tunnel current control apparatus for controlling a tunnel current flowing between a first conductive object and a second conductive object, the apparatus comprising:
- a terahertz wave generation element configured to generate and output a terahertz wave pulse;
- a carrier envelope phase (CEP) adjustment unit configured to input the terahertz wave pulse output from the terahertz wave generation element, adjust a CEP of the input terahertz wave pulse, and output the terahertz wave pulse after the CEP adjustment;
- and
- a focusing element configured to input the terahertz wave pulse output from the CEP adjustment unit, and focus the input terahertz wave pulse in a gap between the first conductive object and the second conductive object, wherein
- the CEP adjustment unit includes:
- a circularly polarized light pulse generation element configured to input the terahertz wave pulse output from the terahertz wave generation element, and output the terahertz wave pulse as circularly polarized light;
- a half-wave plate configured to input the terahertz wave pulse output from the circularly polarized light pulse generation element, be rotatable about an axis parallel to an input direction, and output the terahertz wave pulse having the CEP corresponding to a rotation direction;
- and
- a linearly polarized light pulse generation element configured to input the terahertz wave pulse output from the half-wave plate, and output the terahertz wave pulse as linearly polarized light.
A tunnel current control method for controlling a tunnel current flowing between a first conductive object and a second conductive object, the method comprising:
- a generation step of, by a terahertz wave generation element, generating and outputting a terahertz wave pulse;
- a carrier envelope phase (CEP) adjustment step of, by a CFP adjustment unit configured to input the terahertz wave pulse output from the terahertz wave generation element, adjusting a CEP of the input terahertz wave pulse, and outputting the terahertz wave pulse after the CEP adjustment;
- and
- a focusing step of, by a focusing element configured to input the terahertz wave pulse output from the CEP adjustment unit, focusing the input terahertz wave pulse in a gap between the first conductive object and the second conductive object, wherein
- in the CEP adjustment step,
- a circularly polarized light pulse generation element configured to input the terahertz wave pulse output from the terahertz wave generation element is used to output the terahertz wave pulse as circularly polarized light,
- a half-wave plate configured to input the terahertz wave pulse output from the circularly polarized light pulse generation element, and be rotatable about an axis parallel to an input direction is used to output the terahertz wave pulse having the CEP corresponding to a rotation direction, and
- a linearly polarized light pulse generation element configured to input the terahertz wave pulse output from the half-wave plate is used to output the terahertz wave pulse as linearly polarized light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.