We analyze Terahertz (THz) echoes by reflection on a sunflower leaf in order to evaluate the internal leaf structure (geometry, complex indices and thicknesses). The analysis is based on the thin film multilayer formalism in time and frequency domains. A high agreement is emphasized between experiment and theory, and we evaluate how realistic the multilayer solution can be in regard to our knowledge related to the sunflower leaf. A test campaign is performed in Charles Coulomb laboratory, which is equipped with the THz spectrometer.

Understanding the forces that enable protein interactions is a major scientific challenge. Indeed, Brownian diffusion alone, which is usually considered as the main engine of protein dynamics, does not explain the rapidity and efficiency of the biomolecular reactions at works in cells. In this work, we will present observations of the collective oscillations of a model protein driven out-of-equilibrium by means of optical excitation in aqueous medium using terahertz spectroscopy.

We have presented the results of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy measurements and a rigorous electrodynamic modeling of the optical characteristics of grating-based AlGaN/GaN plasmonic structures with low-doped two-dimensional electrongas in the frequency range of 0.1...1.5 THz. Two samples with grating aspect ratios (strip width/period) of 2.4/3 and 1.2/1.5 μm have been investigated. The measured transmission spectra are reconstructed in the calculations with high accuracy. The transmission spectrafor p-polarized incident radiation exhibits Fabri–Pérot oscillation behavior due to theoptically-thick substrate. The specific values of amplitude and spectral position of thetransmission maxima are associated with the coupling of terahertz radiation with 2Delectron gas due to plasmon excitations. Both calculations and transmission/reflectionmeasurements demonstrate that plasmonic structures with micro-scaled metallic gratinghave three-fold increase of non-resonant absorption of terahertz radiation in comparisonwith the bare heterostructure. The polarization measurements of the transmission spectra ofthe plasmonic structures well agree with calculations and indicate a well-pronounced filtering effect of the grating for the s-component of the incident electromagnetic wave. The obtained values of the transmission for p- and s-polarized incident radiation demonstrate the high quality of deposited metallic grating with the extinction ratio higher than 80:1 for sub- and few THz frequency range.

Increasing the data rates of wireless communicationsrequires to increase the carrier frequency to hundred’s of GHz,thus emitters and detectors that can operate at high data ratesare required. We review a possible source and receiver that canbeen used for THz communications. We present a photonic-basedemitter that provides a coherent THz signal in the 50–700+ GHz,based on the excitation of a uni-travelling carrier photodiodeby a two-frequency semiconductor laser that operates on twotransverse modes. The performance of THz detectors basedon GaAs field-effect transistors are also presented, along withcommunications using direct amplitude modulation at 8.3 Gbpsand an heterodyne communication at 1.5 Gbps.