7. Glossary

photo-commutator antenna; photoconductive antenna

A device that detects (or emits) electromagnetic fields whose spectrum extends beyond THz. Two electrodes are deposited on a resistive semiconductor with a very short excited carrier lifetime. Illumination by an optical pulse creates an electron-hole plasma in the space between the electrodes. These photo-carriers are accelerated by the THz wave field simultaneously bathing the device, and the induced electric current is proportional to the THz field at that instant.

corps noir; black body

A body that perfectly absorbs all the electromagnetic radiation that illuminates it, whatever the frequency of that radiation. Kirchhoff's law indicates that this body is the most efficient emitter of so-called thermal radiation, according to Planck's law.

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