Generation of elliptically polarized terahertz waves from laser-induced plasma with double helix electrodes

By applying a helical electric field along a plasma region, a revolving electron current is formed along the plasma and an elliptically polarized far-field terahertz wave pattern is observed. The observed terahertz wave polarization reveals the remarkable role of velocity retardation between optical pulses and generated terahertz pulses in the generation process. Extensive simulations, including longitudinal propagation effects, are performed to clarify the mechanisms responsible for polarization control of air-plasma-based terahertz sources.     

Terahertz radiation by an ultrafast spontaneous polarization modulation of multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films

Terahertz (THz) radiation has been observed from multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films via ultrafast modulation of spontaneous polarization upon carrier excitation with illumination of femtosecond laser pulses. The radiated THz pulses from BiFeO3 thin films were clarified to directly reflect the spontaneous polarization state, giving rise to a memory effect in a unique style and enabling THz radiation even at zero-bias electric field. On the basis of our findings, we demonstrate potential approaches to ferroelectric nonvolatile random access memory with nondestructive readability and ferroelectric domain imaging microscopy using THz radiation as a sensitive probe.     

Smectic islands in antiferroelectric nanofilms

Heterochiral islands, in which topological dipoles are oppositely directed, are observed in freestanding antiferroelectric (SmC _A ^*) films. The topological dipoles in films with a transverse electric polarization and a planar molecule orientation at island boundaries are coplanar with an electric field. The topological dipoles in films with a longitudinal polarization and a planar orientation at island boundaries are perpendicular to an electric field. For a radial director orientation at island boundaries, the topological dipoles in films with a longitudinal polarization are coplanar with a field. Changing the orientation of an electric field, we can control the position of a topological defect at an island boundary and the orientation of a topological dipole. Heterochiral islands can form dimers with an anomalously small interisland distance.     

Effect of polarization on the structure of electromagnetic field and spatiotemporal distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis><Superscript>+</Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">e</Emphasis><Superscript>–</Superscript> pairs generated by colliding laser pulses

We have studied the production of electron–positron pairs due to polarization of vacuum in the presence of the strong electromagnetic field of two counterpropagating laser pulses. The structure of the electromagnetic field with the circular polarization has been determined using the 3D model of focused laser pulses, which was proposed by Narozhny and Fofanov. Analytic calculations have shown that the electric and magnetic fields are almost parallel to each other in the focal region when the laser pulses are completely transverse in the electric (E-wave) or magnetic (H-wave) field. On the other hand, the electric and magnetic fields are almost orthogonal when laser pulses consist of a mixture of E- and H-waves of the same amplitude. It has been found that although the latter configuration of colliding laser pulses has a much higher pair production threshold, it can generate much shorter electron–positron pulses as compared to the former configuration. The dependence of the production efficiency of pairs and their spatiotemporal distribution on the polarization of laser pulses has been analyzed using the structure of the electromagnetic field in the focal plane.     

局域椭圆偏振光束强聚焦性质的研究

数值计算了局域椭圆偏振光束强聚焦时在焦平面上的横向场强分布、纵向场强分布、横向能流以及纵向角动量分布.结果显示在焦平面上光束总的纵向角动量为零,但在不同象限光束具有不同方向的纵向角动量.当相位延迟角度在0到π之间变化时横向场强分布基本不变,但纵向场强分布有很明显的变化.液晶相位延迟器由外部电压控制,使其相位延迟角度能在0到π之间可以连续取值.因而液晶相位延迟器的外接电压可以实现对焦平面上的纵向场强以及纵向角动量的实时调控.     

The von Neumann representation as a joint time–frequency parameterization for polarization-shaped femtosecond laser pulses

We generalize the joint time–frequency von Neumann representation of femtosecond laser pulses for usage with time-dependent polarization states. The electric field is expanded in terms of Gaussian-shaped transform-limited subpulses located on a discrete time–frequency lattice, each with a specific polarization state. This formalism provides an intuitive picture for the time- and frequency-dependent polarization state. It can also serve as a basis for polarization pulse shaping. As an illustration, we define pulses for which polarization parameters (ellipticity and orientation) are given directly in time–frequency phase space. This approach has applications in quantum control and other areas for which time- and frequency-dependent light polarization is relevant.     

Collisions of Single-Cycle and Subcycle Attosecond Light Pulses in a Nonlinear Resonant Medium

By numerically solving the system of Maxwell–Bloch equations, we have examined theoretically collisions of extremely short single-cycle and unipolar subcycle pulses in a nonlinear resonant medium under conditions that the light interacts coherently with the medium. The dynamics of the electric field of structures of light-induced polarization and inversion difference has been considered in the situation in which pulses are overlapped in the medium. We show that the states of the medium (to the right and to the left of the overlap region of the pulses) may differ. In particular, we show that polarization waves with different characteristics can exist in the regions of the medium that are located on opposite sides of the overlap region of the pulses. These waves travel in different directions and have different spatial frequencies.     

Femtosecond shaping of transverse and longitudinal light polarization

Femtosecond laser pulse shaping techniques have been restricted to propagating transverse electromagnetic waves. We present a scheme for pulse shaping of optical near fields based on the excitation of longitudinal electromagnetic fields with polarization-shaped light pulses. By solving Maxwell's equations for a model nanostructure, i.e., a scanning tunneling microscope tip, with help from the boundary-element method, we demonstrate that the electric field vector oscillates in a complex yet controllable fashion in three dimensions. Many applications are envisioned because literally another dimension in the optimal control of light-matter interaction is accessible.     

Electroluminescence study of polarization changes in lead magnoniobate crystals in pulsed electric fields

Electroluminescence is used to study changes in the polarization of crystals of a model ferroelectric relaxor, lead magnoniobate (PMN), in pulsed electric fields. The amplitude of the electoluminescence pulses produced during polarization and depolarization of PMN crystals is found to depend on the duration of the applied electric field pulses if this duration is shorter than the most probable time for polarization buildup. These data provide evidence of rapid changes in the polarization through realignment of the domain and heterophase structure at temperatures above the temperature for destruction of the induced macrodomain ferroelectric phase and evidence of an “excited” polarization state for short-lived pulses whose decay is accompanied by an enhancement in the amplitude of the depolarizing luminescence pulse and by a reduction in the time delay of its emission following the end of the field pulse. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 341–343 (February 1997)     

Bessel beams: Effects of polarization

An approximation to a Bessel beam produced by tightly focusing linearly polarized light is known to produce a smaller central lobe than focusing plane polarized light. This is because the plane polarized wave gives a broad central lobe caused mainly by a parasitic longitudinal field component. It is known that this problem can be overcome by focusing radially polarized light. Here we demonstrate that other polarization distributions based on a linear combination of transverse electric (TE1) and transverse magnetic (TM1) fields can give a beam even narrower than for the radially polarized case. Special cases of this combination are identified, corresponding to the smallest width (TE1), and the maximum peak intensity compared with the side lobes (electric dipole polarization). Axially-symmetric forms can be generated by illumination with elliptically polarized light. A particular case is azimuthal polarization with a phase singularity, which is equivalent to TE1. For a semi-angular aperture of 60°, the TE1 case gives a central lobe width 9% narrower than for radially polarized illumination, while for plane polarized illumination it is 12% wider than the radially polarized case.     

Effect of magnetic field on the stimulated photon echo in ytterbium vapors

Polarization of the stimulated photon echo (SPE) at the 0 ? 1 transition in ytterbium vapors in the presence of a longitudinal magnetic field of 0–40 G is experimentally and theoretically studied. The SPE is generated using three light pulses with identical linear polarizations, so that the SPE polarization is the same at zero magnetic field. In the presence of a weak magnetic field, the SPE polarization vector rotates around the magnetic field vector and the depolarization of the SPE signal takes place. Each of the SPE polarization components exhibits biharmonic oscillations depending on the magnetic field. In the presence of a strong magnetic field, these oscillations vanish and the SPE becomes depolarized. The experimental data are in qualitative agreement with the results of the numerical calculations performed with the method of the evolution operator for the finite-duration excitation pulses. The application of the results for the processing of optical data is discussed.     

Field control in the tight focus of polarization-shaped laser pulses

We show through simulations how to control the spatial field distribution of a tightly focused Gaussian beam of polarization-shaped femtosecond laser pulses. The field in the focus is calculated employing a decomposition into plane-wave components with appropriate incidence angles. Both polarization directions of the shaped pulse are treated separately and then superposed coherently. The incident polarization shape can be used to control the spatial and temporal evolution of the longitudinal field component. PACS 42.25.Ja; 42.30.-d; 42.65.Re     

Sharper focus for a radially polarized light beam

We experimentally demonstrate for the first time that a radially polarized field can be focused to a spot size significantly smaller [0.16(1)lambda(2)] than for linear polarization (0.26lambda(2)). The effect of the vector properties of light is shown by a comparison of the focal intensity distribution for radially and azimuthally polarized input fields. For strong focusing, a radially polarized field leads to a longitudinal electric field component at the focus which is sharp and centered at the optical axis. The relative contribution of this component is enhanced by using an annular aperture.     

Attosecond control in photoionization of hydrogen molecules

We report experiments where hydrogen molecules were dissociatively ionized by an attosecond pulse train in the presence of a near-infrared field. Fragment ion yields from distinguishable ionization channels oscillate with a period that is half the optical cycle of the IR field. For molecules aligned parallel to the laser polarization axis, the oscillations are reproduced in two-electron quantum simulations, and can be explained in terms of an interference between ionization pathways that involve different harmonic orders and a laser-induced coupling between the 1sσ(g) and 2pσ(u) states of the molecular ion. This leads to a situation where the ionization probability is sensitive to the instantaneous polarization of the molecule by the IR electric field and demonstrates that we have probed the IR-induced electron dynamics with attosecond pulses.     

Anharmonic pulses due to transition radiation

The possibility of using the transition radiation of an electron bunch to generate nonstationary anharmonic pulses in free space and in a dispersive medium is demonstrated. It is shown that the transition radiation of the bunch gives rise to an infinite train of nonstationary anharmonic pulses described by solutions to the Klein-Gordon equation. The polarization of the resulting field at its leading edge appears to be different from the field polarization at the interface. The leading edge becomes steeper with time. It is shown that the bunch density longitudinal distribution and the parameters of the dispersive medium can be determined from the values of the fields and their derivatives near the leading edge of the resulting signal.     

Generating spin currents in semiconductors with the spin Hall effect

We investigate electrically induced spin currents generated by the spin Hall effect in GaAs structures that distinguish edge effects from spin transport. Using Kerr rotation microscopy to image the spin polarization, we demonstrate that the observed spin accumulation is due to a transverse bulk electron spin current, which can drive spin polarization nearly 40 microns into a region in which there is minimal electric field. Using a model that incorporates the effects of spin drift, we determine the transverse spin drift velocity from the magnetic field dependence of the spin polarization.     

Surface ripple changes during Cr film ablation with a double ultrashort laser pulse

Surface modification is investigated experimentally by varying the time separation of double femtosecond laser radiation and surface ripples by varying the time separation and polarization direction of double pulses train. Nanometer-sized particles are formed during resolidification of the molten region when the second pulse arrives within 10 ps and the molten material is ejected much after 10 ps. The ripple in the outer region remains oblique to the sum of the vector direction of the two pulses when the time delay is zero. With time delay ranging from 0.5 to 10 ps and different polarization directions of the laser radiation, the ripple generally aligned perpendicular to the polarization direction of the electric field with multiple pulses in the vicinity of ablation threshold is effectively eliminated without fragments at the edge. Furthermore, remnant ripples on irradiated area at higher energies with the same polarization direction are removed by irradiation at a lower energy with each different polarization direction of double pulse. Based on morphological observations for different time delays, possible mechanisms of ripple formations and eliminations are suggested.     

Rapid start of oscillations in a magnetron with a "transparent" cathode

We report on the improvement of conditions for the rapid start of oscillations in magnetrons by increasing the amplitude of the operating wave that is responsible for the capture of electrons into spokes. This amplitude increase is achieved by using a hollow cathode with longitudinal strips removed, thereby making the cathode transparent to the wave electric field with azimuthal polarization. In addition, an optimal choice of the number and position of cathode strips provide favorable prebunching of the electron flow over the cathode for fast excitation of the operating mode. Particle-in-cell simulations of the A6 magnetron demonstrate these advantages of this novel cathode.     

Modulation of terahertz generation in dual-color filaments by an external electric field and preformed plasma

Terahertz generation driven by dual-color filaments in air is demonstrated to be remarkably enhanced by applying an external electric field to the filaments. As terahertz generation is sensitive to the dual-color phase difference, a preformed plasma is verified efficiently in modulating terahertz radiation from linear to elliptical polarization. In the presence of preformed plasma, a dual-color filament generates terahertz pulses of elliptical polarization and the corresponding ellipse rotates regularly with the change of the preformed plasma density. The observed terahertz modulation with the external electric field and the preformed plasma provides a simple way to estimate the plasma density and evaluate the photocurrent dynamics of the dual-color filaments. It provides further experimental evidence of the photo-current model in governing the dual-color filament driven terahertz generation processes.     

Surface impedance of a spatially dispersive medium

The surface impedance for non-normal specular reflection from a spatially dispersive medium is calculated using the additional boundary condition of vanishing polarization at the surface. There is no dependence on the longitudinal dielectric constant for either polarization directions of the electric field in contrast to the formula derived by Kliewer and Fuchs.