Terahertz harmonic generation from graphite pencil drawings

We study the third harmonic generation (THG) of graphite layers on paper substrate upon excitation with intense (up to 100 kV/cm) narrowband terahertz (THz) pulses. Highest THG efficiencies are comparable with those of CVD-grown single-layer graphene. Samples were hand-drawn, using commercially available pencils. The THG response showed a high sensitivity regarding the hatching direction relative to the THz polarization orientation. Using Raman spectroscopy, we confirmed the occurrence of graphene-like structures in the samples. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of virtually no cost and easy to fabricate materials for THz nonlinear optics.