Elastic and magnetic dynamics of nanomagnet-ordered arrays impulsively excited by subpicosecond laser pulses

This Letter reports on the first observation of elastic and magnetic dynamics of ordered arrays of permalloy nanodots excited by low-intensity 120 fs light pulses. The first order of the diffraction pattern, generated by the probe beam in a pump-probe configuration, is used for time-resolved reflectivity and time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. The nonadiabatical absorption of the pump triggers an acoustic standing wave, detected by the reflected probe signal, with a frequency related to the array wave vector. Instead, the magneto-optical signal exhibits, on the nanosecond time scale, the signature of the heat-exchange diffusion processes. In addition, a clear oscillation of the magnetic signal, at a frequency close to the frequency of the acoustic wave, is unambiguously detected. Finally, the interplay between the elastic and magnetic dynamics is analyzed and interpreted.     

Light scattering from nonequilibrium electron-hole plasma excited by picosecond laser pulses in GaAs

A picosecond dye laser is used to excite electron-hole plasma of density between 10¹⁸ to 10¹⁹ cm^-3 in GaAs. The plasma density and distribution function within ? 20 psec of excitation is probed by Raman scattering. The lineshape of the single particle excitation spectra of the plasma can be explained only by assuming that the electron distribution function is in nonthermal equilibrium.     

Phonon emission from a metallic film excited by nanosecond electrical pulses

We report the first measurements of heat pulses generated by electrical excitation of a thin metallic film on a nanosecond time scale. Using heater power densities of between 8 and 800 Wmm^-2, we found a significant variation of the phonon pulse length reaching the bolometer and also of the ratio of transverse to longitudinal polarisation amplitudes. The phenomena were attributed to diffusive propagation due to highly frequency dependent phonon scattering within a thin damaged layer at the surface of the sapphire substrate.     

Nonlinear propagation of subpicosecond ultraviolet laser pulses in air

We report filamentation of subpicosecond UV laser pulses with only millijoule energy in atmosphere. The results are in good agreement with a numerical simulation using a quasi-three-dimensional propagation code.     

Absorption of subpicosecond ultraviolet laser pulses in high-density plasma

The absorption of 250 fs KrF laser pulses incident on solid targets of aluminum, copper and gold has been measured for normal incidence as a function of laser intensity in the range of 10¹²–10¹⁴ W cm^–2 and as a function of polarization and angle of incidence for the intensity range of 10¹⁴–2.5×10¹⁵ W cm^–2. As the intensity increases from 10¹² W cm^–2 the reflectivity at normal incidence changes from the low-intensity mirror reflectivity value to values in the range of 0.5–0.61 at 10¹⁴ W cm^–2. For this intensity maximum absorption of 63–80% has been observed for p-polarized radiation at angles of incidence in the range of 54°–57°, increasing with atomic number. The results are compared with the expected Fresnel reflectivity from a sharp vacuum-plasma interface with the refractive index given by the Drude model and also to numerical calculations of reflectivity for various scale length density profiles. Qualitative agreement is found with the Fresnel/Drude model and quantitative agreement is noticed with the numerical calculations of absorption on a steep density profile with normalized collision frequencies, v/, in the range of 0.13–0.15 at critical density and normalized density gradient scale lengths, L/₀, in the range of 0.018–0.053 for a laser intensity of 10¹⁴ W cm^–2.At 2.5×10¹⁵ W cm^–2 a small amount of preplasma is present and maximum absorption of 64–76% has been observed for p-polarized radiation at angles of incidence in the range of 45°–50°.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Rudolf Wienecke on the occasion of his 65^th birthdayOn leave from: Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2G7, Canada     

Estimation of electron density and temperature of semiconductor surfaces excited by ultra-short laser pulses

A simple technique, based on the interference principle, to obtain simultaneously the instantaneous electron density and temperature of ultra-short laser-excited semiconductor surface plasma is proposed and demonstrated. The interference of the incident laser and the surface plasmons forms nano-ripples on the surface. From the observed nano-ripple period, one can easily retrieve the density and temperature information. As a demonstration of the technique, the electron density and temperature are obtained for various band gap semiconductor materials based on the experimentally observed nano-ripples using 800 and 400 nm light in various ambient media and incident angles. The electron density estimated varied in the range of 2 $n_{\mathrm{c} }$ –10 $n_{\mathrm{c}}$ and the corresponding electron temperature in the range 10 $^{4}$ –10 $^{5}$ K, depending on the material band gap, the incident laser intensity, the ambient medium, the angle of incidence, and the laser wavelength. The information of the electron density and temperature is useful for choosing laser parameters (like fluence, wavelength, angle of incidence, ambient medium) and target materials (different band gap semiconductors) for obtaining a better size controllability of the nanostructure production. The information can also help one in obtaining essential plasma parameter inputs in the quest for understanding ultra-fast melting or understanding the pre-plasma conditions created by the pre-pulse of ultra-high intensity laser pulses.     

Long-range filamentary propagation of subpicosecond ultraviolet laser pulses in fused silica

We report on what is to our knowledge the first observation of subpicosecond ultraviolet laser pulse filamentation in transparent solid materials. Robust filaments were created in fused silica and observed over distances that exceed 3 cm in length. Intensities as high as 10(13) W/cm2 were found to be transported in the filamented beam without material damage in the bulk of the fused-silica sample.     

Characterisation of a train of subpicosecond laser pulses by fringe resolved autocorrelation measurements

Fringe resolved autocorrelation functions generated by a train of subpicosecond laser pulses from a synchronously pumped ring dye laser were recorded. By comparison with calculated correlation functions one can not only derive the pulse duration of the center pulse, but also draw conclusions about the quasicontinuous background or satellite pulses of lower intensity.     

Internal amplification of subpicosecond pulses from a cw mode-locked dye laser

Subpicosecond pulses from a synchronously and passively mode-locked cw rhodamine 6G dye laser have been amplified with a gain of 10–80 in a range of 577–615 nm by a simple method in which the laser medium inside the cavity acts simultaneously as an amplifier pumped by the second harmonic of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Under the good mode-locked condition, there was no appreciable pulse broadening effect due to amplification even in a very short subpicosecond regime, while imperfectly mode-locked pulses were amplified with considerable pulse broadening effect even in the picosecond regime.     

Linear photogalvanic current excited in sillenite crystals by femtosecond laser pulses

We observe electric pulses generated in sillenite crystals (Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ and Bi₁₂TiO₂₀) by 100-fs laser pulses at the wavelength of 400 nm (below the band gaps of both crystals). The peak value of the current pulses scales linearly with the intensity of laser pulses up to ∼45 GW/cm². The direction of the induced current depends on the polarization state of the laser pulse. This polarization dependence and features of the current detection via charge accumulation at the sample electrodes allow us to conclude that the electric pulses are generated due to the linear photogalvanic effect.     

Conical four-wave mixing in sodium vapour excited by femtosecond laser pulses

Broadband (sometimes exceeding 1500 cm^-1) red-shifted (with respect to the sodium 3S–3P transition frequency) conical emission has been observed with the pump wavelength tuned in the range between 540 and 589 nm. Such broadband emission was attributed to the generation and amplification of light at the Rabi sideband frequencies in the field of intense femtosecond laser pulses. It has been shown that the cone angle of the emitted radiation is determined by the process of four-wave mixing under the conditions of longitudinal (Cherenkov-type) phase matching. PACS 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Re; 42.50.Hz     

Generation of subpicosecond electrical pulses by optical rectification

We describe the generation of subpicosecond electrical pulses by optical rectification of ultrashort optical pulses. The electrical pulses are generated by the second-order nonlinear response of a LiTaO(3) crystal bonded to a coplanar transmission line. A bipolar temporal waveform with a width of 875 fs was measured after a propagation distance of 175mum . This pulse width was limited by the response time of the photoconductive sampler. We observed both broadening and amplitude reduction in the temporal waveform owing to propagation.     

Nonlinear phenomena in chromatophores of photosynthetic bacteria excited by picosecond laser pulses

The contradictions between the fluorescence and difference absorption data on primary processes of photosynthesis have been elucidated taking into account light absorption by the excited states as well as nonlinear processes taking place in the chromatophore samples excited selectively by picosecond light pulses.     

Generation of subpicosecond vacuum ultraviolet pulses at 126 nm by using harmonics of a subpicosecond Ti:Sapphire laser

Subpicosecond vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) pulses at the wavelength of 126 nm have been generated in rare gases as a result of the 7th harmonic radiation of a subpicosecond Ti:Sapphire laser oscillating at 882 nm. The VUV harmonic intensity was optimized in Xe at the pressure of 1.2 Torr. The behavior of the harmonic emission was qualitatively reproduced by the classical nonlinear optics. The increase of the harmonic intensity was limited by multiphoton ionization of Xe.