We developed a novel, flexible and scalable emitter of extremely asymmetric and intense terahertz field transients together with the groups of Dominique Bougeard (UR) and Mackillo Kira (University of Michigan) as well as collaborators from the Helmut Schmidt University and the Justus Liebig University Gießen. Making use of shift currents and local charging dynamics in asymmetrically coupled epitaxial semiconductor heterostructures, we generated waveforms exhibiting less than an oscillation half-cycle, peak fields above 1.1 kV cm^-1 and spectra spanning into the mid-infrared, marking a milestone for next-generation high-repetition-rate (multi-)terahertz sources.

Press release (University of Michigan) in English
Press release (Mirage) in English

The results have been published in Light: Science and Applications.