Theory of a laser-plasma method for detecting terahertz radiation

A theory is developed for calculating the spectrum and the shape of a terahertz wave packet from the temporal profile of the energy of the second harmonic of the laser field generated during nonlinear interaction of laser and terahertz pulses in an optical-breakdown plasma. The spectral and temporal characteristics of the second-harmonic envelope and a terahertz pulse are shown to coincide only for short laser pulses. For long laser pulses, the second-harmonic spectral line shifts to the red and its temporal profile is determined by the time integral of the electric field of terahertz radiation.     

On the possibility of terahertz wave generation upon dense gas optical breakdown

The possibility of applying the physical principles underlying the operation of a solid-state terahertz oscillator to plasma gas-discharge media is analyzed. A new method of electromagnetic wave generation in the terahertz frequency range is proposed. It is based on the excitation of plasma-oscillation current by a static electric field in a laser spark produced by an axicon lens, followed by the radiation of an electromagnetic pulse through the Cherenkov mechanism.     

Strong enhancement of terahertz radiation from laser filaments in air by a static electric field

We observe a 3 order of magnitude enhancement of the terahertz energy radiated by a femtosecond pulse undergoing filamentation in air in the presence of a static electric field. Measurements of terahertz pulse duration, spectrum, polarization, and radiation pattern elucidate the physical processes responsible for this radiation. A theoretical model explains the results and predicts another 3 orders of magnitude enhancement with a terawatt laser pulse.     

Role of pulse shaping in control of focus and intensity of terahertz radiation

In this work, we uncover the role of lasers pulse shaping for controlling the terahertz peaks with their separation in addition to their intensities. We have developed a mathematical model for obtaining the amplitude, frequency, and power of the emitted Terahertz radiation for the lasers whose shape is tailored based on the index and skew parameter. Then the results are compared with the case of Gaussian laser pulse in collisional plasma. We optimize the process by applying magnetic field and by varying the index of the lasers for compensating the negative influence of collisions on the THz emission. Specifically the effect of laser beam width, magnetic field and collision frequency is investigated on the electric field of the terahertz radiation and the efficiency of the mechanism.     

Generation of electromagnetic waves in the terahertz frequency range by optical rectification of a Gaussian laser pulse in a plasma in presence of an externally applied static electric field

We propose a theoretical model for the generation of electromagnetic waves in the terahertz (THz) frequency range by the optical rectification of a Gaussian laser pulse in a plasma with an applied static electric field transverse to the direction of propagation. A Gaussian laser pulse can exert a transverse component of the quasi‐static ponderomotive force on the electrons at a frequency in the THz range by a suitable choice of the laser pulse width. This nonlinear force is responsible for the density oscillation. The coupling of this oscillation with the drift velocity acquired by electrons due to the applied static electric field leads to the generation of a nonlinear current density. A spatial Gaussian intensity profile of the laser beam enhances the generated THz yield by many folds as compared to a uniform spatial intensity profile.     

Studies on the mechanisms of powerful terahertz radiations from laser plasmas

A survey on the mechanisms of powerful terahertz (THz) radiation from laser plasmas is presented.Firstly,an analytical model is described,showing that a transverse net current formed in a plasma can be converted into THz radiations at the plasma oscillation frequency.This theory is applied to explain THz generation in a gas driven by two-color laser pulses.It is also applied to THz generation in a tenuous plasma driven by a chirped laser pulse,a few-cycle laser pulse,a DC/AC bias electric field.These are well verified by particle-in-cell simulations,demonstrating that THz radiations produced in these approaches are nearly single-cycles and linear polarized.In the chirped laser scheme and the few-cycle laser scheme,THz radiations with the peak field strength of tens of MV/cm and the peak power of gigawatt can be achieved with the incident laser intensity less than 10 17 W/cm 2.     

半绝缘GaAs光电导开关产生太赫兹波电场屏蔽效应的二维Monte Carlo模拟

利用Ensemble-Monte Carlo模拟方法，对不同实验条件下半绝缘GaAs(SI-GaAs)光电导开关作为偶极辐射天线在辐射太赫兹电磁波(太赫兹波)中体内电场的分布以及空间电荷屏蔽效应对太赫兹波辐射的影响进行了模拟.载流子的时域空间电场分布表明:用高能量激光脉冲触发低压偏置的GaAs开关，空间电荷屏蔽是限制太赫兹波辐射功率的一个重要因素，并且空间电荷屏蔽能够引起太赫兹波呈现双极性.当高能量飞秒激光脉冲以全电极间隙触发大孔径光电导天线时，空间电荷电场屏蔽效应对太赫兹波的影响不大. 关键词： 光电导开关 Ensemble-Monte Carlo模拟 辐射场屏蔽 空间电荷屏蔽     

Investigation of parameters of terahertz pulses generated in single-domain LiNbO<Subscript>3</Subscript> crystal by step-wise phase mask

A new scheme for the efficient generation of broadband terahertz radiation via optical rectification of femtosecond laser pulses in the single-domain lithium niobate crystal equipped with the step-wise phase mask (SPM) is investigated. It is shown that using the SPM one can provide the phase matching for all the spectral components of a terahertz pulse by providing the effective conversion of laser radiation in the terahertz region. The angular distribution of spectral components, as well as the temporal shape of terahertz pulses in the wave zone is studied. These results can be applied in the time-domain spectroscopy, the imaging of hidden objects, and etc.     

THz emission from semiconductor surfaces

We provide a review of experimental and theoretical work on electromagnetic terahertz pulse emission from semiconductor surfaces excited by femtosecond laser radiation. The main terahertz emission mechanisms are analysed. The terahertz emission from InAs and Ge is explained by the photo-Dember effect and electric field induced optical rectification. Electronic band structure and carrier scattering mechanisms are investigated by means of terahertz emission and absorption spectroscopy in InAs, InSb and Ge. To cite this article: V.L. Malevich et al., C. R. Physique 9 (2008).     

Plasma mechanisms of pulsed terahertz radiation generation

We present the results on generating terahertz radiation in the plasma of an optical discharge arising in the atmosphere during the focusing of femtosecond laser radiation. Different generation schemes related to focusing of the optical radiation by spherical and axicon lenses, with a constant electric field imposed on the laser spark region, as well as with the use of bichromatic laser radiation, are studied. Directivity patterns and polarization distributions of the terahertz radiation are analyzed in detail for different generation techniques. Comparison with the experimental results obtained by other research groups is given. Possible nonlinear mechanisms of the terahertz radiation generation are discussed.     

Supercontinuous high harmonic generation from asymmetric molecules in the presence of a terahertz field

We have investigated high-order harmonic generation from asymmetric molecules. It is found that supercontinuous high harmonics,which are produced from asymmetric molecules by significantly steering the ionization,are broken down when the electric field of the 5-fs driving laser pulse is increased to 0.16 a.u. The high harmonic generation from asymmetric molecules with the presence of a terahertz field is also investigated. This reveals that the terahertz controlled laser pulse significantly increases the energy difference between photons,emitted from the ejected electrons,in the first and second halves of the optical cycle at the centre of the driving laser pulse. In this way,a 200-eV broadband supercontinuum can be produced in the plateau,from which a 60-as pulse with a bandwidth of 60 eV can be directly obtained with a minor post-pulse.     

Nonlinear cross-phase modulation with intense single-cycle terahertz pulses

We have demonstrated nonlinear cross-phase modulation in electro-optic crystals using intense, single-cycle terahertz (THz) radiation. Individual THz pulses, generated by coherent transition radiation emitted by subpicosecond electron bunches, have peak energies of up to 100 microJ per pulse. The time-dependent electric field of the intense THz pulses induces cross-phase modulation in electro-optic crystals through the Pockels effect, leading to spectral shifting, broadening, and modulation of copropagating laser pulses. The observed THz-induced cross-phase modulation agrees well with a time-dependent phase-shift model.     

基于半解析自洽理论研究相对论激光脉冲驱动下阿秒X射线源的产生

发展了一种描述相对论激光脉冲与稠密等离子体相互作用产生阿秒X射线源的半解析自洽理论.该理论模型不仅可以获得等离子体界面的振荡轨迹、振荡面电场和磁场等物理参数,而且能够精确计算出激光脉冲驱动下阿秒X射线源的频谱,结果与粒子模拟程序一致.理论计算结果表明阿秒X射线源的辐射特性与等离子体界面随时演化过程相关,在周期量级激光场驱动下等离子体界面振荡振幅呈现中心不对称,通过改变激光场的载波包络相位实现对等离子体界面振荡的控制,获得准单阿秒X射线源.     

Intense Cherenkov-type terahertz electromagnetic radiation from ultrafast laser-plasma interaction

A Cherenkov-type terahertz electromagnetic radiation is revealed, which results efficiently from the collective effects in the time-domain of ultrafast pulsed electron current produced by ultrafast intense laser--plasma interaction. The emitted pulse waveform and spectrum, and the dependence of laser pulse parameters on the structure of the radiation field are investigated numerically. The condition of THz radiation generation in this regime and Cherenkov geometry of the radiation field are studied analytically.     

Terahertz polarization imaging

We present a new method to measure the polarization state of a terahertz pulse by using a modified electro-optic sampling setup. To illustrate the power of this method, we show two examples in which the knowledge of the polarization of the terahertz pulse is essential for interpreting the results: spectroscopy measurements on polystyrene foam and terahertz images of a plastic coin. Both measurements show a sample-induced rotation of the terahertz electric field vector, which is surprisingly large and is a strong function of frequency. A promising aspect of our setup is the possibility of simultaneously measuring both transversal electric field components.     

Generation of terahertz radiation by the optical breakdown induced by a bichromatic laser pulse

Experimental results are presented on generation of terahertz radiation by the air breakdown induced by a high-intensity laser pulse having not only a fundamental component, but also a second-harmonic one. A theoretical explanation of the experimental data is proposed, based on a model of field ionization of a gas by a bichromatic laser.     

0.14 THz高功率太赫兹脉冲的参数测量

给出了0.14 THz高功率单次脉冲信号的频率和功率的测量方法及实验结果。针对高功率太赫兹脉冲频率高、峰值功率高和脉宽短的特点,实验中采用了截止波导滤波法与谐波混频法相结合的方式准确测定了脉冲信号频率,利用辐射场功率密度积分法获取了辐射脉冲的远场功率分布,并给出了单次脉冲的辐射功率。某实验条件下的测量结果表明,0.14 THz高功率太赫兹脉冲的频率为0.146 3 THz,脉宽约为1.5 ns,功率不小于0.5 MW。     

Study of the surface and far fields of terahertz radiation generated by large-aperture photoconductive antennas

We have studied analytically the temporal characteristics of terahertz radiation emitted from a biased largeaperture photoconductive antenna triggered by an ultrashort optical pulse. We have included the effects of the finite lifetime and transient mobility dynamics of photogenerated carriers in the analysis. Succinct explicit expressions are obtained for the emitted radiation in the surface field and in the far field. The dependence of the waveforms of the radiated field on the fluence and duration of triggering optical pulse, carrier relaxation time and carrier lifetime are discussed in detail using the obtained expressions.     

不同中心波长飞秒脉冲激发InAs表面辐射太赫兹波的机理研究

研究了p型(100)InAs在不同中心波长飞秒激发光(750—850nm)作用下的太赫兹(THz)波辐射特性.这种太赫兹辐射的光谱性质与光学Dember效应密切相关,飞秒脉冲激发下产生的载流子在InAs表面的Dember场内做加速运动,从而辐射出THz电磁波.实验结果表明：不同中心波长的激发光作用下,InAs表面产生的Dember电场、光生载流子浓度、谷间散射效应以及处于不同状态的载流子数目都发生了变化,因而激发出太赫兹波的功率、振幅、频谱分布和有效谱宽是不同的.这项研究将有利于THz时域光谱技术以及实验     

不同中心波长飞秒脉冲激发InAs表面辐射太赫兹波的机理研究

研究了p型(100)InAs在不同中心波长飞秒激发光(750—850nm)作用下的太赫兹(THz)波辐射特性.这种太赫兹辐射的光谱性质与光学Dember效应密切相关，飞秒脉冲激发下产生的载流子在InAs表面的Dember场内做加速运动，从而辐射出THz电磁波.实验结果表明：不同中心波长的激发光作用下，InAs表面产生的Dember电场、光生载流子浓度、谷间散射效应以及处于不同状态的载流子数目都发生了变化，因而激发出太赫兹波的功率、振幅、频谱分布和有效谱宽是不同的.这项研究将有利于THz时域光谱技术以及实验