Yasar Kutuvantavida
Doctor of Philosophy, (Physics)
Study Completed: 2013
College of Sciences
Citation
Thesis Title
Optical Properties of Organic NLO Chromophores for Terahertz Applications
Read article at Massey Research Online: 
The Terahertz (THz), region is a region of the electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and the infrared region, and just above the frequency bands of modern telecommunications, that remains largely untapped for applications. Terahertz generation and detection remain as significant technology challenges. Yasar Kutuvantavida investigated the ability of organic molecules synthesised by the Photonics group at Industrial Research Limited, Wellington, to generate terahertz radiation. In particular, a molecule intended for Terahertz applications must have a large and stable electro-optic (EO) coefficient for high power and wideband THz generation, and gap-free THz detection. A new technique to estimate the EO coefficient of polymers containing the organic molecules was developed. The magnitude of the EO coefficients for a range of molecules were determined and the long-term stability of the organic molecules was investigated, and methods to enhance the optical stability were proposed.
Supervisors
Professor Mark Waterland
Dr Grant Williams
Professor Simon Hall