Generation of tunable far-infrared radiation by the interaction of a superluminous ionizing front with an electrically biased photoconductor

Tunable radiation in the 0.1 THz to a few THz range by the interaction of a superluminous photoconducting front with an electrostatic “frozen-wave” configuration in a semiconductor is reported. The interaction converts the energy contained in the “frozen wave” into far-infrared radiation, whose frequency depends on the energy in the laser pulse creating the superluminous front and the wavelength of the static wave.