Anomalous spectral behavior of vectorial apertured ultrashort pulsed beams beyond the paraxial approximation

Based on the vectorial Rayleigh diffraction integrals, the analytical expression for the spectral intensity of a vectorial nonparaxial ultrashort pulsed Gaussian beam diffracted at a circular hard-aperture is derived. The effect of f-parameter (f = 1/k₀w₀) on the spectral anomalies near phase singularities of the vectorial nonparaxial ultrashort pulsed beams is studied. It is shown that the spectral switch near the phase singularity of diffracted vectorial nonparaxial ultrashort pulsed beam still exists beyond paraxial regime, but disappears when the f-parameter is larger than a certain value.     

超短脉冲光束传输缓变包络近似理论的失效和空间奇异性的形成与消除

研究了单周期或更短的超短脉冲光束在真空中的传输.结果显示,在此情况下缓变包络近似理论已不再有效,其失效的原因是,该理论导致了脉冲光束解的空间奇异性,并使脉冲光束不再具有符合物理意义的光束行为,而通过复解析信号的分析方法可以消除这种空间奇异性.给出了时间波形为Gauss,Hyperbolic Secant和Lorentz的脉冲光束奇异性的计算模拟,并给出了解决这些奇异性的复解析信号解.同样,会发现在脉冲光束超过一定的长度后两种解是一致的.     

自由空间中超短脉冲光束的非傍轴效应分析

在应用时间与空间傅里叶变换的基础上, 运用泰勒展开的方法, 得出了一种对多周期超短脉冲光束进行非傍轴修正的方法, 并将其应用于脉冲高斯光束．与数值结果的比较表明, 对于束宽在波长量级的脉冲光束, 二阶修正已经很接近非傍轴精确解, 并在例子中观察到：由于超短脉冲光束中时空耦合效应的存在, 脉冲的时间分布将会影响修正的空间分布．     

Ponderomotive acceleration of electrons by an ultrashort laser pulse

By using the corrected solutions for an ultrashort laser pulse, we study the laser-driven electron violent acceleration in vacuum. Our simulations demonstrate that an ultrashort laser pulse with an intensity a₀≡eE₀/m_eωc=3 can accelerate electrons to an energy more than 0.5 GeV. The scaling laws for the net energy gain in different pulse length and laser radius at focus are also studied. Its acceleration mechanism is found to be ponderomotive acceleration.     

Optical solitons in dense resonant media

Exact single-soliton solutions of the modified system of Maxwell-Bloch equations, in which the dipole-dipole interactions of the atoms of a dense resonant medium are taken into account, are obtained. Two propagation regimes are analyzed: “coherent,” where the pulse duration is much shorter than both relaxation times (T _p ? T ₁, T ₂), and “incoherent,” where the pulse duration falls between the relaxation times (T ₂ ? T _p ? T ₁). It is predicted, for the first time, that soliton propagation of an ultrashort pulse is possible in a dense resonant absorbing medium in an incoherent interaction regime. The differences between the amplitude and phase characteristics of the solitons considered and the corresponding characteristics of the solitons for McCall-Hahn self-induced transparency are noted.     

Propagation of ultrashort pulsed beams in dispersive media

Starting from the Rayleigh diffraction integral, the propagation equation of ultrashort pulsed beams in dispersive media is derived without making the paraxial approximation and slowly varying envelope approximation (SVEA). The spatiotemporal properties of ultrashort pulsed beams in dispersive media, such as spectrum redshifting, narrowing and pulse distortion are illustrated with pulsed Gaussian beams. It is stressed that the “antibeam“ behaviour of ultrashort pulsed beams can be avoided, if a suitable truncation function is chosen.     

Elimination of the spatial singularity of ultrashort pulsed beams in dispersive media

Under the condition that the propagation constant k in dispersive media should be larger than zero, a simple method is proposed to eliminate the spatial singularity of ultrashort pulsed beams propagating in dispersive media. Taking the pulsed Gaussian beam (PGB) as a typical example, the analytical propagation equation in the space–time domain is derived and the spatiotemporal propagation properties of PGBs in normal and anomalous dispersive media are discussed both analytically and numerically. The physical explanation of the results is presented.     

Diffraction of an ultrashort pulsed beam with arbitrary polarization state from a volume holographic grating in LiNbO3 crystals

Based on a modified coupled wave theory of Kogelnik, we have studied the diffraction of an ultrashort pulsed beam with an arbitrary polarization state from a volume holographic grating in photorefractive LiNbO₃ crystals. The results indicate that the diffracted intensity distributions in the spectral and temporal domains and the diffraction efficiency of the grating are both changed by the polarization state and spectral bandwidth of the input pulsed beam. A method is given of choosing the grating parameters and input conditions to obtain a large variation range of the spectral bandwidth of the diffracted pulsed beam with an appropriate diffraction efficiency. Our study presents a possibility of using a volume holographic grating recorded in anisotropic materials to shape a broadband ultrashort pulsed beam by modulating its polarization state.     

Interaction of an electron bunch with a laser pulse in vacuum

The output properties of electrons accelerated by the vacuum laser acceleration scheme CAS (capture and acceleration scenario) are addressed. The transport process of the electron bunch, the fraction of the CAS electrons of the incident electrons, the correlation of electron energy with position and scattering angle, the energy spectrum and angular distributions as well as the emittance of the outgoing electrons are studied at a laser intensity of a₀=10. In addition, the effects of the laser intensity, beam width, and pulse duration on the properties of the output electrons are also examined. Physical explanations of those output characteristics are presented based on the mechanism behind the CAS scheme. The feasibility of CAS to become a realistic laser accelerator scheme is explored. PACS 41.75.Jv; 42.60.Jf; 41.85.Ja     

超短脉冲复宗量拉盖尔-高斯光束

从超短高斯脉冲光束出发。根据拉盖尔多项式的性质,用理论解析推导的方法。给出了一组新的超短脉冲光束的解析解,称为超短复宗量拉盖尔-高斯脉冲光束。此脉冲光束解的每个频率分量都是复宗量拉盖尔-高斯光束。时间脉冲的形状是任意的,具有相同的衍射距离参量,并且可以描述短于一个光学周期的超短脉冲。对这种超短脉冲光束及其在自由空间中的传输过程进行了较为细致的研究,分析了超短复宗量拉盖尔一高斯脉冲光束的轴上光强、光强的横向分布、衍射性质、脉冲极性反转、脉冲延迟等。讨论了引入缓变包络近似后出现的时空奇异性。     

超短脉冲复宗量厄米高斯光束

从超短高斯脉冲光束出发,根据复宗量厄米函数的性质,用理论解析推导的方法,给出了一组新的超短脉冲光束的解析解,称为超短复宗量厄米高斯脉冲光束。此脉冲光束解的每个频率分量都是复宗量厄米高斯光束,时间脉冲的形状是任意的,具有相同的衍射距离参量,并且可以描述短于一个光学周期的超短脉冲。对这种超短脉冲光束及其在自由空间中的传输过程进行了较为细致的研究,分析了超短复宗量厄米高斯脉冲光束的轴上光强、光强的横向分布、等衍射性质、脉冲极性反转、脉冲延迟等基本性质。讨论了引入缓变包络近似后出现的时空奇异性。     

Theorie der nichtstationären Anregung von Exziton-Polaritonen durch Zweiphotonenabsorption

Theory of nonstationary Exciton-Polariton Generation by Two-photon Absorption A theory of nonstationary two-photon absorption for nonlinear non-centrosymmetric crystals is presented. The time-dependent radiation flux density of the generated polariton beam is calculated under the condition of an ultrashort laser pulse duration T_L ? ΓT^?1 (ΓT is the exciton line width) and a stationary incoherent test field. The “mechanical” response of the excitons and different group velocities of the polariton and the laser and test fields are taken into account. the spatial dispersion of the exciton motion being neglected. With a rectangular laser pulse shape the analytically nonstationary solutions are discussed for identical and for different group velocities of laser and test fields. Using the conservation laws for energy and quasimomentum we illustrate, by considering the polariton dispersion branches, the various possible cases of two-photon absorption in uniaxial piezocrystals.     

自由空间中超短啁啾洛仑兹脉冲光束的空间奇异性

给出了超短啁啾洛仑兹脉冲光束在自由空间中的传输方程，研究了啁啾对洛仑兹脉冲光束空间奇异性的影响．理论及数值模拟的结果表明，由于啁啾的作用，对于脉冲宽度大于一个光波振荡周期的洛仑兹脉冲光束同样存在空间奇异性．在初始位置，啁啾洛仑兹脉冲光束的空间奇异性出现在脉冲的前沿或后沿．当洛仑兹脉冲光束传输以后，啁啾洛仑兹脉冲光束的空间奇异性将更加强烈．     

超短激光脉冲驱动的Thomson散射空间分布特性

研究了超短激光脉冲驱动的Thomson散射的辐射空间分布. 发现辐射的空间分布对称性显著地依赖于超短脉冲的载波相位η₀，在η₀＝0，π时，辐射的空间分布呈现出二重或一重对称性；而在其他载波相位时，这些空间分布对称性遭到破坏. 辐射光的准直性也依赖于驱动脉冲的载波相位，在η₀＝±π/2时辐射光的准直性最好. 这些结果表明可以通过改变驱动激光脉冲的载波相位来控制辐射光的空间分布，也可以利用辐射空间分布对相位的依赖特性来测量超短激光脉冲的载波相位. 关键词： Thomson散射 空间分布 载波相位     

Studying the effect of biaxial anisotropy on nonlinear magnetization oscillations accompanying the 90° pulsed magnetization process in ferrite–garnet films with easy-plane anisotropy

Time dependences of the azimuthal component of the torque T _φ(t) acting on magnetization are calculated to understand the nature of the delayed magnetization acceleration effect observed during the 90° pulsed magnetization of real ferrite–garnet films, in which biaxial anisotropy exists alongside with in-plane anisotropy. A calculation technique based on analyzing an operating point trajectory is used. Calculations show that if the effective anisotropy field H _K2 is comparable to the magnetizing pulse amplitude H _ma, abruptly ascending regions at characteristic times t* in curves T _φ(t) arise, in the limit of which nonlinear magnetization oscillations formed. The shape of these regions depends weakly on the magnetizing pulse front duration τ_f. This explains the reason of the weak dependence of the nonlinear magnetization oscillations on duration of the magnetizing pulse front. Calculations also show that the main features of the delayed acceleration effect are less clear upon an increase of the pulse amplitude: the behavior of curves T _φ(t) becomes smoother near times t*, and an increase in the pulse front duration is accompanied by a stronger drop in the intensity of magnetization oscillations.     

Spatiotemporal behaviors and singularity of ultrashort pulsed Elegant Hermite-Gaussian beams

Analytical propagation expressions of ultrashort pulsed Elegant Hermite-Gaussian beams are derived and spatiotemporal properties of the pulses with different transverse modes are studied. Singularity of the complex amplitude envelope solution of the pulses obtained under slowly varying envelope approximation is analyzed in detail. The rigorous analytical solution of the pulse is deduced and no singularity emerges in the solution. The obtained results indicate that the transverse mode affects not only the spatiotemporal properties but also the singularity of the pulses. Time delay of the off-axis maximum intensity is more obvious and the singularity is located nearer to the z-axis for the pulse with higher transverse modes.     

The M factor of partially coherent ultrashort pulsed beams

Starting from the space-time Wigner distribution function and taking the Gaussian Schell-model pulsed beam as a typical example, the M² factor of partially coherent ultrashort pulsed beams is studied. It is shown that the M² factor increases with increasing bandwidth and decreases with increasing spatial correlation. Furthermore, for chirped pulse, the M² factor increases as the chirp parameter increases.     

Temporal and spectral properties of ultrashort pulsed Laguerre-Gaussian beams in dispersive media

The temporal and spectral properties of ultrashort pulsed Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams propagating in dispersive media are studied both theoretically and numerically. It is shown that the on-axis pulse broadens with increasing propagation distance and the on-axis spectrum is blueshifted. For the off-axis spectrum the blueshifts decrease and then the spectrum becomes redshifted as the radial distance increases. The propagation of ultrashort pulsed LG beams in free space and of ultrashort pulsed Gaussian beams can be regarded as special cases of our results, and some interesting properties are discussed.     

Electron dynamics characteristics in high-intensity laser fields

This paper addresses the conditions under which the vacuum laser acceleration scheme CAS (capture and acceleration scenario), newly proposed by the authors (see, e.g., P.X. Wang et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 2253 (2001)), can be observed. Specifically, the laser intensity threshold (a₀)_th and the range of the electron incident momentum for the CAS scheme to emerge are examined. We found that (a₀)_th is critically dependent on the laser beam width w₀. At kw₀=60, (a₀)_th=8, which is an intensity obtainable using present laser systems. The required energy of the incident electron is in the range 5–15 MeV. This study is of significance in designing an experimental setup to test CAS and helpful in understanding the basic physics of CAS. Received: 4 March 2002 / Revised version: 25 March 2002 / Published online: 8 May 2002     

Diffraction properties of multi-layer volume holographic gratings under an ultrashort pulsed beam with arbitrary temporal profiles

The diffraction properties of a system of multi-layer volume holographic gratings under an ultrashort pulsed beam with arbitrary temporal profiles are investigated using the multi-layer coupled wave theory. The dependence of the pulse profiles of the diffracted beams, diffraction bandwidth and the total diffraction efficiency of the multi-layer system on the temporal profiles of the input ultrashort pulse are investigated. The calculated results indicate that the temporal shape of the input pulsed beams is an important factor in the analysis of the propagation characteristics. The analysis of this paper will be valuable for the applications of pulse shaping, processing and filter.