太赫兹参量源是一种激光驱动的太赫兹辐射源, 它具有高相干性、可调谐、室温运转等优点。在简要介绍太赫兹参量源的基本原理后, 重点总结了近年来国内外对太赫兹参量源的代表性研究成果, 主要包括: 1) 太赫兹参量源中常用的几种非线性晶体, 包括铌酸锂、磷酸钛氧钾、砷酸钛氧钾、磷酸钛氧铷; 2) 大单脉冲能量太赫兹参量源, 主要产生方法包括使用垂直表面出射结构、使用环形腔、增加非线性晶体损伤阈值等, 目前报道的最大单脉冲能量达到 17 μJ; 3) 高平均功率太赫兹参量源, 主要产生方法包括使用半导体激光器侧面泵浦激光器、兼顾提高泵浦光脉冲能量和脉冲重复频率等, 目前报道的最大平均功率为 367 μW; 4) 太赫兹参量源的理论模拟, 主要包括以耦合波方程为基础的, 分别针对太赫兹参量产生器、种子注入式太赫兹参量产生器、内腔泵浦与外腔泵浦太赫兹参量振荡器建立的理论模型。

Terahertz parametric source is a laser driven terahertz wave radiation source, which has many advantages such as high coherence, wide tunability and room temperature operation, etc. After a brief introduction to basic principle of terahertz parametric sources, this paper mainly summarizes the recent representative research results about terahertz parametric sources, including: 1) Commonly used nonlinear crystals including lithium niobate, potassium titanium phosphate, potassium titanyl arsenate, rubidium titanium phosphate; 2) Large pulse energy terahertz parametric sources. The main generation methods include using surface-emitted structure, using ring cavity, increasing the damage threshold of the nonlinear crystal, etc. The largest reported terahertz energy reaches 17 μJ; 3) High average power terahertz parametric sources. The main generation methods include deploying laser diode side-pumped laser as the pumping source, balancing the increase of the pulse energy and pulse repetition rate simultaneously, etc. The highest terahertz average power reported reaches 367 μJ till now; 4) Theoretical simulation on different kinds of terahertz source structures. Mainly based on the coupled wave equations, thetheoretical models for terahertz parametric generator, injection-seeded parametric generator, intracavity-pumped and extracavity-pumped terahertz parametric oscillators are introduced respectively.