Laser-Synchrotron Facility of the National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”

Crystallography Reports - The laser-synchrotron facility (LSF) of the National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute” (NRC KI) is a unique research complex that combines unprecedented...     

One-dimensional coherent four-wave mixing as a way to image the spatial distribution of atoms in a laser-produced plasma

An experimental technique based on coherent one-dimensional hyper-Raman-resonant four-wave mixing in broad cylindrically focused light beams has been developed for line-by-line imaging of spatial distribution of excited atoms in a low-temperature plasma of optical breakdown. The technique was applied to map excited lead atoms in a low-temperature laser-produced plasma.     

Nanocrystal-size-sensitive third-harmonic generation in nanostructured silicon

Third-harmonic generation (THG) in reflection geometry was studied in nanostructured silicon layers grown by electrochemical porosifying of p-type (110) silicon substrates. An order of magnitude enhancement of the THG efficiency compared to crystalline silicon (c-Si) was observed for the samples prepared on a highly doped substrate, whereas for the samples grown on a low-doped substrate the THG was much less efficient than for c-Si. The finding is discussed in terms of fluctuations of the electric field of the pump-laser irradiation in the layers of anisotropically distributed silicon nanocrystals. Received: 26 July 2002 / Revised version: 9 January 2003 / Published online: 3 April 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +7-95/939-1566, E-mail: leo@vega.phys.msu.su     

The influence of higher order waveguide modes on coherent four-wave mixing in hollow fibers

Coherent four-wave mixing (FWM) of laser pulses in gas-filled hollow fibers is studied. The experimental data and the expressions derived for the amplitude of the FWM signal indicate that the excitation of higher order waveguide modes is an important physical factor having a considerable influence on nonlinear optical processes in hollow fibers.     

Modeling of Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate Synthetase from Thermus Thermophilus in Complex with ATP and Ribose 5-Phosphate

Crystallography Reports - The positions of the substrates (ATP and ribose 5 phosphate) of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase from Thermus thermophilus were determined by molecular dynamics...     

Frequency conversion of subnanojoule femtosecond pulses in microstructure fibers

We experimentally demonstrate highly efficient multiplex frequency conversion of unamplified subnanojoule femtosecond pulses of Ti:sapphire laser radiation in fused silica microstructure fibers. Nonlinear optical spectral transformation of femtosecond pulses in an array of fused silica threadlike channels in these microstructure fibers results in the generation of isolated anti-Stokes spectral components within the wavelength range of 400–500 nm. An efficiency of frequency conversion of about 20% is achieved for 800-nm pump pulses with an energy of 0.7 nJ and a pulse duration of 70 fs.     

Pump-depleting four-wave mixing in supercontinuum-generating microstructure fibers

Four-wave mixing processes are shown to provide a high efficiency of non-linear optical frequency conversion and spectral transformation of ultrashort pulses in supercontinuum-generating microstructure fibers. Pump-depleting conversion of 800-nm radiation to the spectral range around 500 nm is achieved by phase-matching the parametric four-wave mixing process for 80-fs Ti:sapphire-laser pulses. The ways to use microstructure fibers for generating frequency-tunable radiation through four-wave mixing with the maximum efficiency of pump-field frequency conversion are discussed. PACS 42.65.Wi; 42.81.Qb     

Application of coherent four-wave mixing for two-dimensional mapping of the spatial distribution of excited atoms in a laser-produced plasma

An experimental technique for the two-dimensional mapping of the relative populations of excited states of atoms and ions in a low-temperature plasma of optical breakdown is developed on the basis of coherent four-wave mixing (FWM) with hyper-Raman resonances. The possibility to extract information concerning the spatial distribution of the populations of excited atomic and ionic states from two-dimensional maps of the FWM intensity allowing for phase mismatch and one-photon absorption is considered. Conditions when FWM in a plasma occurs in the phase-matched regime and is not subject to a considerable influence of one-photon absorption are experimentally determined.     

Relativistic Nonlinear Optical Phenomena in the Field of Subterawatt Laser Pulses

Experiments on the generation of high optical harmonics demonstrating that relativistic regimes of interaction of radiation with matter can be implemented in the field of mid-infrared laser pulses with a peak power of 0.3 TW have been reported. The observation of relativistic phenomena at such extraordinary low peak powers of the laser field becomes possible because of the formation of a high-quality space-time mode of the laser field with an exactly specified polarization state. Such a field structure ensures a high intensity of radiation in the focus of the beam and the effective acceleration of electrons by a low-frequency electromagnetic field of a high-contrast laser pulse with an exactly specified polarization at the extremely sharp vacuum-solid interface.

     

Pulse fidelity control in a 20-μJ sub-200-fs monolithic Yb-fiber amplifier

We discuss nonlinearity management versus energy scalability and compressibility in a three-stage monolithic 100-kHz repetition rate Yb-fiber amplifier designed as a driver source for the generation and tunable parametric amplification of a carrier-envelope phase stable white-light supercontinuum.