High accuracy terahertz time-domain system for reliable characterization of photoconducting antennas

We report on a terahertz (THz) time-domain system to characterize photoconductive THz emitters and detectors, that is designed for highest reproducibility. This system is excellently suited for studying the performance of THz sources and detectors in a systematic manner, either by varying the substrate materials or the geometrical parameters of metallic antenna contacts building a photoconductive switch. After confirming the reproducibility and stability of the system with errors of only 1.9% (over 3 h) and 2.6% (over 9 days), we use the system to compare the performance of five low temperature grown (LT) GaAs wafers with growth temperatures between 200 degrees C and 300 degrees C. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.