The Broadband Terahertz (THz)- Spectroscopy Laboratory is dedicated to perform (in-situ) spectroscopy measurements on samples of relevance for space research ranging from planetary materials (e.g. meteorites, samples from sample return missions, planetary surface simulants, frozen volatiles) to samples of interest for solid state spectroscopy (e.g. silicon- & diamond-based optoelectronics, photonics, quantum technology). Another purpose of the laboratory is the characterization of infrared optical properties of components considered for mission instrumentation.
The laboratory is equipped with a commercial Bruker 80V Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometer with the following capabilities:
Broadband infrared and terahertz spectroscopy between 1 and 740 THz
Modules for Raman and Photoluminescence measurements under excitation at 1064 Nanometer (nm).
Transmission and reflection measurements on solid samples at temperatures between 500 and 5 Kelvin (K).
Several emission sources are available:
Pulsed CO2 TEA laser, wavelength (tunable via a grating) lines in the range 9.2-10.8 µm, micropulse duration 50 ns, macropulse duration ~ 1µs, macropulse rep rate up to 20 Hz, peak macropulse intensity of about 500 kW/cm2.
Various far-infrared p-Ge and n-Si lasers, output peak power up to few mW.
Various far-infrared p-Ge and n-Si lasers, output peak power up to few mW.
Frequency-tunable Mixer source, TOPTICA TERASCAN 1550, spectral range 0-1.2 THz, resolution down to 10 MHz.
Quantum-cascade laser (in a close-cycle helium refrigerator), wavelength 17 µm, average power of few mW (temperature dependent) in cw mode, bandwidth 3.3 GHz
Cryogenic auxiliary equipment:
Silicon Bolometers (Infrared Labs, with different filter sets)sensitive in the range 2 mm - 15 µm, NEP ~2.5-13 W/Hz1/2
Liquid Helium flow cryostat (Janis), temperature range 500 – 5 k
