Ultrafast Optical Electronics: From Femtoseconds to Terahertz

The application of femtosecond optics to the measurement and characterization of the electronic properties of materials and devices is reviewed with emphasis on new approaches to the generation and detection of extremely fast electromagnetic transients. Specific topics discussed are: (i) the use of the inverse electro-optic effect for electrical pulse generation, (ii) the intrinsic speed of response of electro-optic materials, and (iii) a new approach to far-infrared spectroscopy which uses time-domain measurements of single-cycle pulses.