Terahertz Kerr effect

Dynamic Kerr effect responses in the terahertz range.

Dynamic Kerr effect measurements provide a simple realization of a nonlinear experiment. We propose a field-off experiment where an electric field of one or several sinusoidal cycles with frequency omega is applied to a sample in thermal equilibrium. Afterwards, the evolution of the polarizability is measured. If such an experiment is performed in the terahertz range it might provide valuable i...

Large plasma-edge broadened magneto-optic-polar-Kerr-effect-based broadband incoherent detection of terahertz spectral frequencies

Simultaneous measurements of terahertz emission and magneto-optical Kerr effect for resolving ultrafast laser-induced demagnetization dynamics

High accuracy Kerr effect measurement technique

Apparatus and techniques are demonstrated which allow gas phase dc electro-optic Kerr effect measurements to be made with 0.1% absolute accuracy and nanoradian sensitivity. Measurements of the electric-field-induced birefringence of a gas are calibrated against a liquid Kerr cell, which is in turn calibrated absolutely in situ. Some of the problems addressed in this work are control of stray bi...

Optical Kerr effect spectroscopy of simple liquids.

In this paper, we review the state of the field of optical Kerr effect (OKE) spectroscopy of simple liquids, with a focus on results from our laboratory. We discuss the history and the theoretical underpinnings of this technique. We consider contemporary issues in the interpretation of OKE spectra, including the origin of the "intermediate" response and the factors affecting the shape of the re...