Application of plasma-wave detectors for ultra-short pulse terahertz radiation

We demonstrate detection of individual pulses of terahertz radiation generated in femtosecond laser systems by InGaAs plasma-wave terahertz detectors. Nonlinearity of the detection mechanism is analyzed experimentally by comparison of saturation effects at femtosecond and nanosecond terahertz excitations. Good sensitivity and wide dynamic range make these detectors promising for short-pulsed terahertz applications.