Recording of Terahertz Pulses of Microsecond Duration Using the Thermoacoustic Effect

We consider the possibility of using a thermoacoustic detector (TAD) for recording of high-power pulse radiation at frequencies of 0.55, 0.68, and 0.87 THz. Electromagnetic wave is transformed into an acoustic wave in a structure consisting of a 10-nm thick chromium film deposited on a quartz substrate and a layer of the immersion liquid that is in contact with the film. It is shown that for the pulse of microsecond duration (3-10 mu s) the waveform detected by the thermoacoustic detector is matched with high accuracy to the derivative of the terahertz pulse profile. For recording of electromagnetic radiation in the 0.5-0.9 THz frequency range it is possible to employ the simplified design of TAD, in which a transparent quartz substrate is in contact with a layer of water or ethanol.