强场宽带太赫兹波辐射的研究进展

太赫兹光谱分析和检测技术在材料特性研究、医学诊断、环境监控等方面具有广阔的应用前景。目前高性能太赫兹源的缺乏是太赫兹光谱检测和成像技术发展缓慢的制约因素之一。因此,强场宽带太赫兹源的开发一直是太赫兹领域的研究重点。综述超快飞秒激光脉冲驱动下强场太赫兹波辐射的研究进展,详述激光激励金属纳米薄膜、气体和液体中等离子体辐射宽频强场太赫兹波的现象和物理机制,并比较了各种强场太赫兹产生方法的特点和优缺点,最后讨论基于超快激光激发物质产生太赫兹波的发展前景及所面临的挑战。     

超强激光驱动天线靶的太赫兹辐射物理特性研究

利用激光与等离子体相互作用产生超强太赫兹辐射的研究成为国内外研究的热点。基于Smith提出的线形天线辐射理论,对超强超短激光脉冲驱动天线靶产生太赫兹的辐射特性进行研究,建立了完备的辐射空间分布和频谱空间分布表达式。利用激光脉冲长度与天线长度的比值对辐射场分布的影响,讨论了固定天线长度时的最佳激光脉冲长度,以及固定激光条件时,天线长度对辐射场的频谱和空间分布的调制作用。理论分析结果表明,激光脉冲长度决定了辐射频率范围,激光脉冲长度与天线长度的比值决定了辐射场峰值的方向和频谱分布,为设计合理实验方案提供理论依据。     

多脉冲激光增强太赫兹辐射的PIC模拟

 模拟了强激光和稀薄非均匀等离子体相互作用在界面辐射超强太赫兹波的物理过程,提出了利用多脉冲激光增强太赫兹辐射的方案,详细研究了多脉冲激光的脉冲个数（取１～４个）、脉冲间距等因素对太赫兹辐射功率和频率的影响。当入射激光包含4个脉冲时,辐射最强,此时的辐射功率是相同条件下单脉冲的6倍,可达到7.16 MW,辐射的太赫兹波的脉宽约为330 fs,总能量约为1 μJ。研究结果表明:多脉冲激光可以显著增强太赫兹辐射,且随着脉冲个数的增加,激起的电子静电波振幅变大,辐射功率也随之变大,直到尾流场饱和;当脉冲间距等于入射激光脉宽时辐射最强。     

电子在激光驻波场中运动产生的太赫兹及X射线辐射研究

采用单电子模型和经典辐射理论分别对低能和高能电子在线偏振激光驻波场中的运动和辐射过程进行了研究. 结果表明: 垂直于激光电场方向入射的低速电子在激光驻波场中随着光强的增大, 逐渐从一维近周期运动演变为二维折叠运动, 并产生强的微米量级波长的太赫兹辐射; 高能电子垂直或者平行于激光电场方向入射到激光驻波场中, 都会产生波长在几个纳米的高频辐射; 低能电子与激光驻波场作用中, 激光强度影响着电子的运动形式、辐射频率以及辐射强度; 高能电子入射时, 激光强度影响了电子高频辐射的强度, 电子初始能量影响着辐射的频率; 电子能量越高, 产生的辐射频率越大. 研究表明可以由激光加速电子的方式得到不同能量的电子束, 并利用电子束在激光驻波场的辐射使之成为太赫兹和X射线波段的小型辐射源. 研究结果可以为实验研究和利用激光驻波场中的电子辐射提供依据.     

超强激光场物理学

首先,评述了超强激光场的理论结果;其次,描述了超短光脉冲在密的气体和光学介质传播中的自作用;第三,评述了强场离化无碰撞等离子体中高度离化的离子产生,及高功率超短激光脉冲巨大强度的电场可用于电子加速;第四,分析了超短声脉冲和无线电脉冲的产生和应用,讨论了在不同条件下,激光辐射谐波和 Ｘ 射线激光的产生,进一步评述了超强激光脉冲与凝聚靶相互作用可以产生接近星体物质参数的高温、超密、强磁场和巨大压力等离子体;最后,简要叙述了激光激发核、核反应,高能电子─光子相互作用的可能效应及可能进行的实验。     

超强激光场物理学

首先,评述了超强激光场的理论结果;其次,描述了超短光脉冲在密的气体和光学介质传播中的自作用;第三,评述了强场离化无碰撞等离子体中高度离化的离子产生,及高功率超短激光脉冲巨大强度的电场可用于电子加速;第四,分析了超短声脉冲和无线电脉冲的产生和应用,讨论了在不同条件下,激光辐射谐波和 Ｘ 射线激光的产生,进一步评述了超强激光脉冲与凝聚靶相互作用可以产生接近星体物质参数的高温、超密、强磁场和巨大压力等离子体;最后,简要叙述了激光激发核、核反应,高能电子─光子相互作用的可能效应及可能进行的实验。     

电子动力学及相干辐射的强场调控与阿秒探测*--强场与阿秒物理领域中的重大课题研究进展

电子动力学及相干辐射的强场调控与阿秒探测是强场物理与阿秒物理领域中的重大课题。通过同步探测阿秒辐射和太赫兹辐射,文章作者首次实现了阿秒精度的太赫兹产生动力学的探测与控制,表明阿秒物理与太赫兹技术的结合有助于深入理解强场驱动下太赫兹产生机制和电子再散射动力学,展示了利用双色场控制电子波包相干相位,实现超快物理过程强场调控的可能。文章作者所提出的精确刻画太赫兹时域瞬时电场方案,有助于推动极化敏感的太赫兹谱学研究。可以预期,阿秒脉冲与太赫兹源技术不会局限于原子分子物理领域。实现阿秒物理与太赫兹技术之间的互为抽运与探测,将会极大地推动化学、材料科学、凝聚态物理等领域的高时空分辨的超快动力学探测。     

填充预等离子体通道靶激光电子加速研究北大核心CSCD

采用紧聚焦的超强短脉冲激光与固体通道靶相互作用是获得大电量、高准直相对论电子束的一种有效方式。实验中由于激光预脉冲烧蚀靶壁产生预等离子体会膨胀、填充到真空通道中,从而导致电子束品质发生变化。采用二维PIC粒子模拟程序研究了通道靶中填充预等离子体的电子加速过程。模拟结果显示,在功率密度为5.0×10^(20W/cm^(2))的超强短脉冲激光条件下,通道中填充一定密度的等离子体时激光场优先与低密度等离子体相互作用,激光脉冲与通道壁的相互作用减弱,电子加速机制由纵向场主导的真空电子加速转变为横向电场主导的等离子体电子加速,产生电子束具有更大的电荷量,但能量降低,发散角增大。     

激光入射角对靶面方向超热电子发射的影响

实验研究了超短超强激光脉冲与薄膜靶相互作用中产生的超热电子角分布随激光入射角的变化.在靶面方向观测到一束方向性很好的高能超热电子.该高能超热电子束的电子数目随着激光入射角的增大而增大.对结果的分析表明，表面准静态磁场是导致表面电子产生的主要原因. 关键词： 超热电子 表面准静态磁场 超强激光脉冲与等离子体相互作用     

超热电子产生的靶后相干渡越辐射光谱实验研究

利用OMA光学多道分析仪测量了激光与薄膜靶相互作用中产生的辐射光谱，在靶后观察到红移的二次谐波发射. 这种二次谐波是v×B加热产生的、具有微脉冲结构的超热电子束在等离子体-真空边界产生的相干渡越辐射(CTR). 随着激光能量的增大，红移峰向长波方向移动，光谱同时发生展宽. 分析认为，等离子体临界面的迅速膨胀是导致二次谐波红移的主要原因. 随着预脉冲能量的增大，临界面膨胀速度增大，导致了发射峰更大的红移. 实验还测量了靶面法线方向的辐射光谱，观察到基频辐射的红移和展宽. CTR为诊断临界面的运动方向和速度提供了一种新的方法. 关键词： 相干渡越辐射 超热电子 超短超强激光 等离子体相互作用     

Optimization of highly efficient terahertz generation in lithium niobate driven by Ti:sapphire laser pulses with 30 fs pulse duration

We systematically study the optimization of highly efficient terahertz(THz) generation in lithium niobate(LN)crystal pumped by 800 nm laser pulses with 30 fs pulse duration. At room temperature, we obtain a record optical-to-THz energy conversion efficiency of 0.43% by chirping the pump laser pulses. Our method provides a new technique for producing millijoule THz radiation in LN via optical rectification driven by joule-level Ti:sapphire laser systems, which deliver sub-50-fs pulse durations.     

Simulation of THz emission from laser interaction with plasmas

One-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) program is used to simulate the generation of high power terahertz (THz) emission from the interaction of an ultrashort intense laser pulse with underdense plasma. The spectra of THz radiation are discussed under different laser intensity, pulse width, incident angle and density scale length. High-amplitude electron plasma wave driven by a laser wakefield can produce powerful THz emission through linear mode conversion under certain conditions. With incident laser intensity of 10¹⁸ W/cm², the generated emission is computed to be of the order of several MV/cm field and tens of MW level power. The corresponding energy conversion efficiency is several ten thousandths, which is higher then the efficiency of other THz source and suitable for the studies of THz nonlinear physics.     

Intense Cherenkov-type terahertz electromagnetic radiation from ultrafast laser-plasma interaction

A Cherenkov-type terahertz electromagnetic radiation is revealed, which results efficiently from the collective effects in the time-domain of ultrafast pulsed electron current produced by ultrafast intense laser--plasma interaction. The emitted pulse waveform and spectrum, and the dependence of laser pulse parameters on the structure of the radiation field are investigated numerically. The condition of THz radiation generation in this regime and Cherenkov geometry of the radiation field are studied analytically.     

激光大气成丝中的非线性光频转换

超快强激光在光学介质（如空气）中传播时由于克尔自聚焦效应和等离体散焦效应动态平 衡会发生一种独特的非线性激光成丝现象。激光成丝过程会诱导一些独特的物理现象,如非线性 光频转换产生超连续光谱、等离子体诱导高压放电、锥形辐射等,在大气传感、天气控制等研究 领域具有重要的应用前景。本文针对飞秒激光大气成丝过程中与传输介质相互作用所诱导的非线 性发光过程,介绍了激光大气成丝所产生的超连续光谱（白光）激光、谐波产生和太赫兹波辐射 三种非线性光频转换现象,并着重探讨了太赫兹波辐射的物理机理、研究现状和应用前景。     

激光等离子体光丝中太赫兹频谱的调控

研究了双色激光场激发空气成丝产生太赫兹辐射频谱的变化规律.实验观察到随驱动光功率和光丝长度增加,太赫兹光谱主要发生红移的现象.分析表明,由于等离子体密度的增加,太赫兹辐射的趋肤深度减小,等离子体吸收主导了红移的发生.在光丝足够短的条件下,趋肤深度远大于光丝长度,从而产生等离子体振荡主导的太赫兹辐射光谱蓝移.本研究为超快宽带太赫兹辐射的频谱调控提供了新思路.     

Enhancement of terahertz wave difference frequency generation based on a compact walk-off compensated KTP OPO

A compact, walk-off compensated dual-wavelength KTP OPO near the degenerate point of 2.128 μm pumped by a Nd:YAG pulsed laser is employed as the pump for terahertz (THz) source based on difference frequency generation (DFG) in a GaSe crystal. Coherent THz radiation that is continuously tunable in the range of 81-1617 μm (0.186-3.7 THz) is achieved. An enhancement of 76.7% in average for the THz energies at different wavelengths is realized using the walk-off compensated KTP OPO than the common one. Using a 8 mm-long GaSe crystal, the maximum output THz pulse energy is 48.9 nJ with the peak power of 11 W, corresponding to the energy conversion efficiency of 5.4 × 10^− 6 and the photon conversion efficiency of about 0.09%.     

Circumventing the Manley-Rowe quantum efficiency limit in an optically pumped terahertz quantum-cascade amplifier

Using a microscopic theory based on the Maxwell-semiconductor Bloch equations, we investigate the feasibility of an optically pumped electrically driven terahertz (THz) quantum-cascade laser as a pathway to room-temperature THz generation. In optical conversion schemes the power conversion efficiency is limited by the Manley-Rowe relation. We circumvent this constraint by incorporating an electrical bias in a four level intersubband scheme, thereby allowing coherent recovery of the optical pump energy. The observed THz radiation is generated through both stimulated emission and automatically phase-matched quantum coherence contributions--making the proposed approach both a promising source for THz radiation and a model system for quantum coherence effects such as lasing without inversion and electromagnetically induced transparency.     

THz Radiation Generation via the Interaction of Ultra‐short Laser Pulses with the Molecular Hydrogen Plasma

In this paper, a two dimensional Particle In Cell‐Monte Carlo Collision simulation scheme is used to examine the THz generation via the interaction of high intensity ultra‐short laser pulses with an underdense molecular hydrogen plasma slab. The influences of plasma density, laser pulse duration and its intensity on the induced plasma current density and the subsequent effects on the generated THz signal characteristics are studied. It is observed that the induced current density in the plasma medium and THz spectral intensity are increased at the higher laser pulse intensities, laser pulse durations and plasma densities. Moreover, the generated THz electric field amplitude is reduced at the higher laser pulse durations. A wider frequency range for the generated THz signal is shown at the lower laser pulse durations and higher plasma densities. Additionally, it is found that the induced current density in hydrogen plasma medium is the dominant factor influencing the generation of THz pulse radiation. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

THz generation via optical rectification with ultrashort laser pulse focused to a line

We report on efficient THz pulse generation via optical rectification with femtosecond laser pulses focused to a line by a cylindrical lens. This configuration provides phase-matched conditions in the superluminal regime. 35 pJ THz pulses have been generated with this technique in a stoichiometric LiNbO₃ crystal pumped by 2 μJ femtosecond laser pulses at room temperature. An unusual superquadratic rise of the THz pulse energy with the laser pulse energy has been observed at high laser energies. This extraordinary energy dependence of the THz generation efficiency is explained by self-focusing of the laser beam in the crystal. Z-scan measurements and comparison of the THz pulse spectra created with laser pulses having different energies confirm this interpretation.     

THz radiation generation via the interaction of two‐colour ultra‐short laser pulses with SO2 and NH3 gases

In this work, using a two‐dimensional particle‐in‐cell Monte Carlo collision computation method, terahertz (THz) radiation generation via the interaction of two‐colour, ultra‐short, high‐power laser pulses with the polyatomic molecular gases sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and ammonia (NH₃) is examined. The influence of SO₂ and NH₃ pressures and two‐colour laser pulse parameters, i.e., pulse shape, pulse duration, and beam waist, on the THz radiation generation is studied. It is shown that the THz signal generation from SO₂ and NH₃ increases with the background gas pressure. It is seen that the THz emission intensity for both gases at higher laser pulse durations is higher. Moreover, for these polyatomic gases, the plasma current density increases with increase in the laser pulse beam waist. A more powerful THz radiation intensity with a larger time to peak of the plasma current density is observed for SO₂ compared to NH₃. In addition, many THz signals with small intensities are observed for both polyatomic gases. It is seen that for both SO₂ and NH₃ the generated THz spectral intensity is higher at higher gas pressures.