CCD-based imaging and 3D space-time mapping of terahertz fields via Kerr frequency conversion

We investigate the spatially and temporally resolved four-wave mixing of terahertz (THz) fields and optical pulses in large-bandgap dielectrics, such as diamond. We show that it is possible to perform beam profiling and space-time resolved mapping of THz fields by encoding the spatial information into an optical signal, which can then be recorded by a standard CCD camera. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America