Second harmonic generation accompanying linear mode conversion in a laser-produced plasma

Second harmonic (SH) generation in a laser produced plasma (NdYAG laser with wavelength 1.06 μm, pulse duration 30 ps, intensity 10¹³Wcm^-2) was investigated experimentally as a function of polarization and angle of incidence of the laser beam. The results are in agreement with theoretical predictions for SH generation in the presence of linear mode conversion in the plasma.     

Lepton pair production in high-frequency laser fields

The production of electron-positron and muon-antimuon pairs in high-frequency laser fields via few-photon absorption is considered. It is assumed that an intense X-ray laser beam collides either with a relativistic ion beam or with a second, equally intense laser beam. We study the generation of free e ⁺ e ^? pairs, free μ⁺μ^? pairs, and bound-free e ⁺ e ^? pairs where in the latter case the electron is born in a low-lying atomic orbit of the projectile nucleus. Effects resulting from the finite nuclear size, the laser’s polarization state, and its magnetic field component are examined, which are testable experimentally by virtue of upcoming X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) devices.     

Production of intensities of ∼ 1019 W/cm2 by a table-top KrF laser

We report on the generation of intensities of 10¹⁹ W/cm^–2 by focusing the output beam of a table-top hybrid dye-excimer laser system operating at 248 nm. The laser system uses a pulsed dye laser and a single, commercially available excimer gain module. Considerations and optical arrangements for the optimization of the phase-front and the beam homogeneity of ultraviolet excimer amplifiers are presented.Prof. F.P. Schäfer on the occasion of his 65th birthday.     

Generation regimes of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with transverse LED pumping and multiloop self-pumped phase-conjugate cavity

The generation regimes in a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with transverse LED pumping and multiloop self-pumped phase-conjugate cavity on the gain gratings are studied. The differential efficiency of laser is 27% in the free-running regime at a pulse energy of up to 1 J and quality parameter M ² of no greater than 1.5. The pulse energy under passive Q-switching is no less than 60% of the pulse energy in the free-running regime at the same beam quality. The generation of the narrow-band radiation is demonstrated. A generation band of no greater than 1.2 GHz corresponds to the primary single-frequency high-power laser pulse in the free-running mode under conditions for self-Q-switching on the gain gratings. When additional elements (F ₂ ^? :LiF and Cr⁴⁺:YAG crystals) are introduced in the optical scheme of the phase-conjugate cavity, similar narrowband single-mode generation is observed in the passive Q-switching regime as a pulse train or monopulse. The laser pulse power is up to 2 MW at a pulse duration of 20 ns.     

All-solid-state CW Nd:GdVO<Subscript>4</Subscript>-LBO red laser under direct 912 nm pumping

We report a red laser at 670.5 nm generation by intracavity frequency doubling of a continuous wave (CW) laser operation of a 1341 nm Nd:GdVO₄ laser under in-band diode pumping at 912 nm. An LBO crystal, cut for critical type I phase matching is used for second harmonic generation of the laser. At an incident pump power of 8.9 W, as high as 347 mW of CW output power at 670.5 nm is achieved. The fluctuation of the red output power was better than 3.7% in the given 30 min, and the beam quality factor M ² is 1.65.     

Generation of THz Radiation from Laser Beam Filamentation in a Magnetized Plasma

The terahertz (THz) frequency radiation production as a result of nonlinear interaction of high intense laser beam with low density ripple in a magnetized plasma has been studied. If the appropriate phase matching conditions are satisfied and the frequency of the ripple is appropriate then this difference frequency can be brought in the THz range. Self focusing (filamentation) of a circularly polarized beam propagating along the direction of static magnetic field in plasma is first investigated within extended‐paraxial ray approximation. The beam gets focused when the initial power of the laser beam is greater than its critical power. Resulting localized beam couples with the pre‐existing density ripple to produce a nonlinear current driving the THz radiation. By changing the strength of the magnetic field, one can enhance or suppress the THz emission. The expressions for the laser beam width parameter, the electric field vector of the THz wave have been obtained. For typical laser beam and plasma parameters with the incident laser intensity ≈ 10¹⁴ W/cm², laser beam radius (r₀) = 50 μm, laser frequency (ω₀) = 1.8848 × 10¹⁴rad/s, electron plasma (low density rippled) wave frequency (ω₀) = 1.2848 × 10¹⁴ rad/s, plasma density (n₀) = 5.025 × 10¹⁷cm^–3, normalized ripple density amplitude (μ)=0.1, the produced THz emission can be at the level of Giga watt (GW) in power (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Enhanced harmonic generation by breaking the phase-matching symmetry

We introduce two static methods to break the phase-matching symmetry in third harmonic generation with a focused Gaussian beam in the tight focusing limit, dramatically increasing the conversion efficiency and mode quality. Both rely on inhibiting harmonic generation immediately after the beam waist, preventing the near perfect cancellation of the third harmonic generation (THG) from before and after the focus. The first method involves placing a thin metal septum at the waist: the laser drills a small pinhole, which, in turn, disrupts the beam focus after the pinhole. The second method is based on placing a large χ⁽³⁾ gas before the focus and a small χ⁽³⁾ gas after the focus.     

Studies on laser–plasma interaction physics for shock ignition

We realized a series of experiments to study the physics of laser–plasma interaction in an intensity regime of interest for the novel “Shock Ignition” approach to Inertial Fusion. Experiments were performed at the Prague Asterix Laser System laser in Prague using two laser beams: an “auxiliary” beam, for pre-plasma creation, with intensity around 7?×?10¹³?W/cm² (250?ps, 1ω, λ?=?1315?nm) and the “main” beam, up to 10¹⁶?W/cm (250?ps, 3ω, λ?=?438?nm), to launch a shock. The main goal of these experiments is to study the process of the formation of a very strong shock and the influence of hot electrons in the generation of very high pressures. The shock produced by the ablation of the plastic layer is studied by shock breakout chronometry. The generation of hot electrons is analyzed by imaging Kα emission.     

Pulsed laser ablation and deposition of silicon

A KrF laser was used to ablate a polycrystalline Si target for deposition of Si on MgO and GaAs substrates at room temperature. The deposition was performed in 10⁻⁸ mbar, with two types of laser beams: a homogeneous beam being imaged onto the target (2.9 J/cm²), and a non-homogeneous which is nearly focused (2 J/cm², 6.5 J/cm²). In both cases, the beam was scanned over an area of 1 cm². For the homogenous beam, we observed only a limited number of droplets (<0.1 μm). A high number of micron-sized (<5 μm) droplets were observed on the film by the higher fluence nonhomogeneous laser beam. Raman spectroscopy showed that the micron-sized droplets are crystalline while the film is amorphous. The generation of the large droplets is most likely related to the cone structures formed on the ablated target. We also compared cone formation on a polycrystalline Si target and a single crystalline Si wafer, using multiple laser pulses onto a single spot.     

Modeling of terahertz radiation emission from a free‐electron laser

In this article, we report the generation of terahertz (THz) radiation using the interaction of a laser‐modulated relativistic electron beam (REB) with a surface plasma wave. Two laser beams propagating through the modulator interact with the REB, leading to velocity modulation of the beam. This results in pre‐bunching of the REB. The pre‐bunched beam travels through the drift space, where the velocity modulation translates into density modulation. The density‐modulated beam, on interacting with the surface plasma pump wave, acquires an oscillatory velocity that couples with the modulated beam density to give rise to a nonlinear current density which acts as an antenna to give THz radiation. By optimizing the parameters of the beam and the wiggler, we obtain power of the order of 10⁻⁴ using the current scheme.     

Efficient yellow beam generation by intracavity sum frequency mixing in DPSS Nd:YVO4 laser

We present our studies on dual wavelength operation using a single Nd:YVO₄ crystal and its intracavity sum frequency generation by considering the influence of the thermal lensing effect on the performance of the laser. A KTP crystal cut for type-II phase matching was used for intracavity sum frequency generation in the cavity at an appropriate location for efficient and stable yellow output power. More than 550 mW of stable CW yellow-orange beam at 593.5 nm with beam quality parameter (M ²) ～4. 3 was obtained. The total pump to yellow beam conversion efficiency was estimated to be 3.83%.     

504 nm blue-green laser based on sum-frequency mixing of diode pumped Nd<Superscript>3+</Superscript> lasers

We report for the first time a continuous-wave (CW) blue-green radiation at 504 nm by intracavity sum-frequency generation of 946 nm Nd:YAG laser and 1080 nm Nd:YAlO₃ (Nd:YAP) laser. Using type-I critical phase matching LiB₃O₅ (LBO) crystal, 504 nm blue-green laser was obtained by 946 and 1080 nm intra-cavity sum-frequency mixing, and output power of 215 mW was demonstrated. At the output power level of 215 mW, the output power stability is better than 4.7% and laser beam quality M² factor is 1.21.     

500.5-nm blue-green laser based on sum-frequency mixing of diode pumped neodymium lasers

We report for the first time a continuous-wave (CW) coherent radiation at 500.5 nm by intracavity sum-frequency generation of 1063 nm Nd:GdVO₄ laser and 946 nm Nd:YAG laser. Blue-green laser is obtained by using a doubly cavity, type-II critical phase matching KTiOPO₄ (KTP) crystal sum-frequency mixing. With total pump power of 27.8 W, TEM₀₀ mode blue-green laser at 500.5 nm of 421 mW is obtained. At the output power level of 421 mW, the blue-green power stability is better than 2.8% and laser beam quality M ² factor is 1.37.     

All solid-state CW orange-red laser at 620 nm

We report for the first time a continuous-wave (CW) orange-red radiation at 620 nm by intracavity sum-frequency generation of 1085-nm Nd:YVO₄ laser and 1444-nm Nd:YAG laser. Using type-II critical phase matching KTP crystal, 620-nm orange-red laser was obtained by 1085- and 1444-nm intra-cavity sum-frequency mixing, and output power of 223 mW was demonstrated. At the output power level of 223 mW, the output power stability is better than 3% and laser beam quality M ² factor is 1.32.     

TRIUMF resonant ionization laser ion source

The range of isotopes available at the TRIUMF Isotope Separator Accelerator (ISAC) facility has been greatly enhanced by adding a Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Source (RILIS). A large wavelength range is accessible with the fundamental, second and third harmonic generation of titanium-sapphire laser light. In addition a dedicated laser is available for non-resonant laser ionization. The first on-line beam ⁶²Ga was delivered in Dec. 2004. In general RILIS improves the intensity, purity and emittance of ion beams. ⁶²Ga and ²⁶Al and Be beams have been delivered so far on-line. This work was financed by TRIUMF which is federally funded via a contribution agreement through the National Research Council of Canada.     

43 W picosecond laser and second-harmonic generation experiment

Combining the advantages of diode-end-pumped Nd: YVO₄ and diode-side-pumped Nd: YAG amplifiers, a high average power and high beam quality picosecond laser is designed. The system delivers a picosecond laser with average power of 43.4 W and good beam quality of M² < 1.7. By focusing the high power picosecond laser in LBO crystal, 532 nm green laser with maximal power of 20.8 W is generated and the conversion efficiency of second-harmonic generation reaches 56.4% when 17.7 W green laser obtained from the fundamental frequency laser with power of 31.4 W and beam quality of M² < 1.25.     

Performance of a zoom homogenizer for reshaping coherent laser beams

We have reshaped the TEM₀₀ beam emitted by a diode-pumped Nd-Yag laser by means of an optical homogenizer with zoom. The laser beam, first enlarged up to a size of (100 × 37.5) mm², is homogenized and resized to a final dimension continuously adjustable from (130 × 4.5) mm² up to (130 × 52) mm². We measured the plateau uniformity, the root mean square fluctuation and the edge steepness of the beam according to the ISO standard definitions, showing a poor reliability of the above parameter values due to the definitions themselves, and propose an amendment to overcome this problem. We obtained a very sharp edge steepness, but the spatial coherence of the laser beam put a lower limit to the high-frequency intensity fluctuations on the plateau region of the homogenized beam. Finally, we discuss the optimum homogenizer design for spatially coherent laser beams, including the depth of focus issue.     

Sum and difference frequency generation of white light continuum with the ps pulses of Nd:YAG laser in a thick BBO crystal

The white light continuum (WLC) generated in water/D₂O mixture by pumping with the fundamental of ps Nd⁺³:YAG laser has been used as a variable frequency source for the sum frequency generation as well as for its amplification. 35 ps long pulses with 8 mJ energy at 1064 nm were mixed collinearly with the WLC generated by the same laser beam in a 20 mm thick BBO crystal. The obtained tunable output has been identified as the sum frequency between the fundamental and a portion of the WLC with the required phase matching. Theoretical simulations are also given along with a few initial experiments to use this combination for the difference frequency generation (optical parametric amplification) under non-collinear geometry.     

480-nm blue laser based on sum-frequency mixing of diode pumped Nd:ASL-Yb:YAG lasers

We report for the first time a continuous-wave (CW) coherent radiation at 480 nm by intracavity sum-frequency generation of 900 nm Neodymium Doped Strontium and Lanthanum Aluminate (Nd:ASL) laser and 1030 nm Yb:Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (Yb:YAG) laser. Blue laser is obtained by using a doubly cavity, type-I critical phase matching LiB₃O₅ (LBO) crystal sum-frequency mixing. With total pump power of 28.6 W, the blue laser at 480 nm of 170 mW is obtained. At the output power level of 170 mW, the blue power stability is better than 4.7% and laser beam quality M ² factor is 1.43.     

Degradation of beam quality and depolarization of the laser beam in a step-index multimode optical fiber

The characteristics of a laser beam are altered during propagating through large-core multimode optical fibers. The distribution of modes excited by the input laser beam is modified by means of mode coupling on transmission through the fiber, leading to the degradation of beam quality and the depolarization of the delivered beam. The relationship between the beam quality factor (M²) of output beam from a large-core multimode fiber and the fiber length, as well as the relationship between the degree of polarization (V) of output beam from such a fiber and the fiber length, are introduced in this paper. When a laser beam was well launched into a large-core step-index multimode fiber, M² of the output beam was a compound tanh function of the fiber length. A linear polarization beam that well launched into such fiber suffered depolarization. The V of the output beam was an exponent function of fiber length. And the misalignment between beam axis and fiber axis made the beam quality degrade faster but made no difference of the utmost M² in the aligned and misaligned conditions. Also, the misalignment condition made the polarization of output beam degrade faster.