Characterization of the third-harmonic radiation generated by intense laser self-formed filaments propagating in air

We perform laboratory experiments to study ultraviolet radiation generated by intense self-formed laser filaments produced by propagating high-power femtosecond laser pulses in air. The laser used in the experiment is a 0.5 TW Ti:sapphire system with the center wavelength at 800 nm. The observed ultraviolet emission occurs in the form of the third harmonic and frequency-upshifted radiation from the fundamental. We present direct characterization of the generated harmonic and frequency-upshifted radiation, including transverse imaging and spatially resolved spectral measurements.     

Measurement of filament length generated by an intense femtosecond laser pulse using electromagnetic radiation detection

We present a new method to measure the length of a filament induced by the propagation of intense femtosecond laser pulses in air. We used an antenna to detect electromagnetic pulses radiated from multipole moments inside the filament oscillating at the plasma frequency. The results are compared with the values detected from the backscattered fluorescence induced by multiphoton ionization of nitrogen molecules excited inside the filament. The values are found to be in good agreement. Received: 6 November 2002 / Revised version: 27 January 2003 / Published online: 24 April 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +1-418/656-2623, E-mail: shosseini@phy.ulaval.ca     

Forward acceleration and generation of femtosecond megaelectronvolt electron beams by an ultrafast intense laser pulse

We present a new mechanism of energy gain of electrons accelerated by a laser pulse.It is shown thatwhen the intensity of an ultrafast intense laser pulse decreases rapidly along the direction of propagation,electrons leaving the pulse experience an action of ponderomotivc deceleration at the descending part ofa lower-intensity laser field than acceleration at the ascending part of a high-intensity field, thus gain netenergy from the pulse and move directly forward. By means of such a mechanism, a megaelectronvoltelectron beam with a bunch length shorter than 100 fs could be realized with an ultrafast(≤30 fs),intense (>10~(19)W/cm~2)laser pulse.     

High-power third-harmonic flat pulse laser generation

The generation of a high-power laser pulse at 266 nm that is longitudinally shaped according to a prefixed intensity profile is reported. The main features of the pulse shape modifications due to second- and third-harmonic conversions are measured, and the results are in good agreement with the theory. The UV temporal shape depends on the chirp of the fundamental pulse and on the crystal phase-matching angle. Exploiting the large stretching imposed on the third-harmonic signal, we show that the pulse intensity profile can be obtained by spectral single-shot measurements.     

空气中激光等离子体通道的三次谐波辐射研究

对超强飞秒激光脉冲在空气中形成的长等离子体通道的三次谐波辐射进行了研究．实验研究发现三次谐波的转换效率在通道范围内基本保持不变.还对等离子体通道锥角辐射中的三次 谐波的辐射角进行了研究，结果表明其辐射角接近6mrad，与理论计算结果符合得很好． 关键词： 三次谐波 等离子体通道     

Multiframe observation of an intense femtosecond optical pulse propagating in air

We have demonstrated femtosecond time-resolved and picosecond time-interval successive observations of a single femtosecond optical pulse propagating in air with ultrafast self-modulation such as filamentation. A quadruple femtosecond probe pulse crossing an intense propagating pulse at picosecond intervals was able to capture directly four successive images of the propagating pulse as in a movie but with femtosecond time resolution. From this observation, we can directly analyze and recognize the propagation process, which is significantly affected by pulse-energy fluctuation, and (or) atmospheric turbulence from shot to shot.     

类氢离子在强激光场中产生的阿秒脉冲

利用数值方法求解一维模型氢原子和类氢离子在强激光场中的含时薛定谔方程,研究了由它们产生的高次谐波谱构造的阿秒脉冲规律。研究结果表明,对于高电荷离子而言,由于高次谐波平台的显著展宽,使得构造的相应阿秒脉冲的宽度大幅度缩短,从而可以得到脉宽低于 阿秒的超短脉冲。     

Harmonic generation by an intense laser pulse in neutral andionized gases

Reported are the results of a harmonic generation experiment in a simple gas (hydrogen) using 1-ps, 1-μm laser pulses with a range of intensities extending from below to far above the laser ionization saturation threshold. The scaling with intensity above saturation of the third harmonic generated by a single laser-pulse in a filled gas cell is observed not to fit with a simple model that takes into consideration volume ionization effects alone. In another experiment, a pump-probe type, an upper limit on the conversion efficiency of third-harmonic generation in a preformed plasma is determined. It is found to be in agreement with the efficiency predicted by a relativistic harmonic generation theory     

Second-and third-harmonic generation by carbon nanotubes irradiated with femtosecond laser pulses

Femtosecond pulses of a Cr:forsterite laser are used to study second-and third-harmonic generation in a layer of single-wall carbon nanotubes produced by low-velocity spraying. The harmonic amplitude in our experiments scales as (I _p)ⁿ as a function of the pump intensity I _p, with n=2 and 3 for the second and third harmonics, respectively. This scaling law holds up to pump intensities on the order of 10¹²W/cm². The ratio of the maximum signal to the averaged background in the spectra of the second and third harmonics is estimated as 50 and 30, respectively. The second and third harmonics produced by a linearly polarized pump field are also linearly polarized, with their polarization vectors oriented along the polarization direction of the pump field. The capabilities of nonlinear-optical methods for structural and morphological analysis of carbon nanotubes are discussed, as well as ways to create solid-state carbon-nanotube generators of optical harmonic.     

超短脉冲强激光在空气中的传输

超短脉冲强激光在空气中传输时由于非线性克尔自聚焦效应会使激光光束聚焦，造成空气的离化而形成等离子体，等离子体对激光光束又会产生散焦作用，这两种过程的动态平衡可以形成很长的等离子体通道，从而产生一系列复杂而有趣的现象．文章对通道形成的机理、锥角辐射、超连续谱和三次谐波的产生进行了阐述，并介绍了目前等离子体通道形成的几种理论模型．文章还对通道内的各种复合和辐射机制进行了分析．     

Ultrafast electron dynamics on the silicon surface excited by an intense femtosecond laser pulse

The electron dynamics on the silicon surface during the pump ultrashort infrared laser pulse is studied by time-resolved optical microscopy and electron-emission measurements. It is found that the optical response of the material under the conditions where a dense electron-hole plasma is formed is determined by the renormalization of the band spectrum of the material rather than by intraband transitions of photoexcited carriers. Nonlinear Auger recombination in the plasma enhanced by the plasma-induced renormalization of the band gap and accompanied by the generation of hot charge carriers stimulates intense prompt emission of such carriers from the surface of the photoexcited material, whose work function decreases owing to the large plasma-induced renormalization of the energies of higher conduction bands.     

Simulation of third-harmonic and supercontinuum generation for femtosecond pulses in air

Numerical simulations of third-harmonic and supercontinuum generation for femtosecond pulses propagating in air are presented which, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, do not rely on the decomposition of the total field into slowly-varying fields centered around the fundamental and third-harmonic. The simulation results are interpreted using an effective three-wave mixing approach, and together they provide new insights into the relation between third-harmonic and supercontinuum radiation. PACS 42.65.Jx; 42.65.Ky; 52.35.Mw     

Multiple filamentation of intense femtosecond laser pulses in air

The propagation of focused femtosecond laser pulses with supercritical peak powers in air has been investigated by the methods of optical visualization, profilometry, and calorimetry. Laser pulses with supercritical powers create a bundle of submillimeter filaments with a diameter of about 5 μm ahead of the lens focus; the maximum number of filaments in the beam cross section and their length increase linearly and sublinearly, respectively, with the radiation peak power. The optical visualization and calorimetry indicate that the plasma channels of filaments are optical contrast (a plasma density of 10¹⁸–10¹⁹ cm⁻³), ensuring the refraction of laser radiation incident on them.     

High-order optical vortex harmonics generated by relativistic femtosecond laser pulse

Harmonics generated by an intense femtosecond Gaussian laser pulse normally incident on a spiral-shaped thin foil target were studied.By using two-dimensional(2D) particle-in-cell(PIC) simulation,we observed evident odd harmonics signals in the reflection direction and found that the reflected field has a helical structure determined by the target shape.This method provides a new way to generate an intense ultraviolet vortex with high-order topological charge by use of ultrahigh intense laser-driven harmonics.     

Spectral attenuation of a 400-nm laser pulse propagating through a plasma filament induced by an intense femtosecond laser pulse

The spectral attenuation of a 400-nm probe laser propagating through a femtosecond plasma in air is studied. Defocusing effect of the low-density plasma is an obvious effect by examining the far-field patterns of the 400-nm pulse.Besides, the energy of 400-nm pulse drops after interaction with the plasma, which is found to be another effect leading to the attenuation. To reveal the physical origin behind the energy loss, we measure fluorescence emissions of the interaction area. The fluorescence is hardly detected with the weak 400-nm laser pulse, and the line spectra from the plasma filament induced by the 800-nm pump pulse are clearly shown. However, when the 400-nm pulse propagates through the plasma filament, the fluorescence at 391 nm from the first negative band system of N_2~+ is enhanced, while that from the second positive band of neutral N_2 at 337 nm remains constant. Efficient near-resonant absorption of the 400-nm pulse by the first negative band system occurs inside the plasma, which results in the enhanced fluorescence. Furthermore, the spectral attenuation of the 400-nm probe laser is measured as a function of the pump–probe time delay as well as the pump-pulse energy.     

Three-dimensional simulation on explosions of hydrogen atomic clusters irradiated by an intense femtosecond laser pulse

Using classic particle dynamics simulations, the interaction process between an intense femtosecond laser pulse and icosahedral hydrogen atomic clusters H_{13}, H_{55} and H_{147} has been studied. It is revealed that with increasing number of atoms in the cluster, the kinetic energy of ions generated in the Coulomb explosion of the ionized hydrogen clusters increases. The expansion process of the clusters after laser irradiation has also been examined, showing that the expansion scale decreases with increasing cluster size.     

Formation of nanostructures by an intense femtosecond pulse laser irradiating Au film on sapphire substrate

We investigate the morphology change of Au film on sapphire substrate by irradiating with a 1 kHz femtosecond pulse laser. Under observation of a scanning electron microscope, a textured nanostructure was formed in the exposed area on Au film due to laser ablation and subsequent stress relaxation. This process was strongly determined by the laser intensity profile and the dynamics of molten liquid. With the increasing of laser pulses number, the Au film was broken down and then a few polarization-dependent nanoripples arranged in the same direction appeared on the sapphire surface, which may result from a spatial modulation of energy due to the interference between the incident light and the excited surface plasmon polaritons. In addition, we used an energy dispersive spectrometer to analyze the chemical composition of nanoripples on the surface and in the ablated crater, respectively. The changes of O and Al elements implied that a complicated chemical transformation participated in the nanoripples formation process. We believe that present results are very useful for the analysis of the interaction between femtosecond laser and solids, especially the film material.     

A LIDAR technique to measure the filament length generated by a high-peak power femtosecond laser pulse in air

We demonstrate a new method for measuring the length of a femtosecond laser pulse induced filament in air using a LIDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging) technique. The LIDAR involves a detector with a fast response time. The back-scattered multiphoton induced fluorescence from nitrogen molecules excited inside the filament is measured, from which the length of the filament can be determined. We find good agreement between the measured filament length and the length estimated from burn patterns on paper. In addition, good qualitative agreement between the experimental measurement and numerical simulations is obtained for the signal features of the filament. We propose that this new method can be used to quantitatively determine filamentation at longer distances. Received: 11 June 2002 / Revised version: 21 October 2002 / Published online: 5 February 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +1-418/656-2623, E-mail: aiwasaki@phy.ulaval.ca     

Interaction of light filaments generated by femtosecond laser pulses in air

The interaction of two light filaments propagating in air is simulated. Simulations show that the interaction of the two light filaments displays interesting features such as attraction, fusion, repulsion, and spiral propagation, depending on the relative phase shift and the crossing angle between them. A long and stable channel can be formed by fusing two in-phase light filaments. The channel becomes unstable with the increase of the crossing angle and phase shift. The interaction of two light filaments in different planes is studied and the spiral propagation is observed.