Numerical and experimental time-domain characterization of terahertz conducting polymers

A comprehensive framework for the theoretical and experimental investigation of thin conducting films for terahertz applications is presented. The electromagnetic properties of conducting polymers spin-coated on low-loss dielectric substrates are characterized by means of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and interpreted through the Drude-Smith model. The analysis is complemented by an advanced finite-difference time-domain algorithm, which rigorously deals both with the dispersive nature of the involved materials and the extremely subwavelength thickness of the conducting films. Significant agreement is observed among experimental measurements, numerical simulations, and theoretical results. The proposed approach provides a complete toolbox for the engineering of terahertz optoelectronic devices.