Overview
- The microscope confines terahertz fields to microscopic dimensions by positioning samples in the near field of spintronic emitters.
- A multilayer Bragg mirror filters the triggering laser, protecting delicate samples while preserving ultrafast terahertz pulses.
- Experiments on an atomically thin BSCCO sample cooled near absolute zero revealed collective superfluid oscillations at terahertz frequencies not previously visualized.
- The findings, published Feb. 4 in Nature, involved collaborators at Harvard, two Max Planck institutes, and Brookhaven National Laboratory, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
- Researchers plan to apply the tool to other two-dimensional materials, with prospective use in probing superconductors and assessing components for future terahertz communications.