Transitions driven by a missing frequency

We demonstrate an intricate combination of strong and weak interactions of a broadband half-cycle pulse with Rydberg atoms. A transition, which is resonant with a frequency that was taken out of the frequency spectrum, can be enhanced. In the experiment, the broadband ultrashort terahertz half-cycle pulse propagates through water vapor, which absorbs on discrete lines in the spectrum, thus removing frequencies from the spectrum. The resulting pulse interacts with a rubidium Rydberg atom, which has a resonant transition with one of the missing frequencies. Under certain conditions, the transition probability is enhanced although the associated frequency was missing in the spectrum.     

All optical method for measuring the carrier envelope phase from half-cycle cutoffs

An all optical method is demonstrated for measuring the carrier-envelope phase （CEP） of few-cycle laser pulses. It is found that, in the few-cycle regime, the high harmonic spectrum generated from asymmetric molecules shows several half-cycle cutoffs that change their positions as the CEP varies. Such half-cycle cutoffs represent the fingerprint of different quantum trajectories and the waveform of the driving pulse. In this case, the CEP can be accurately measured from the half-cycle cutoffs.     

The above-threshold detachment of negative ions in half-cycle laser field

We study partial detachment rate and photodetachment asymmetry of F⁻ detached by half-cycle linearly polarized laser field using numerical simulation. Similar to photodetachment for negative ions in few-cycle laser fields, we find that partial detachment rates of a couple opposite directions in the above-threshold detachment of F⁻ are not equal, the detachment is asymmetric. Furthermore, the photodetachment asymmetry degree increases with carrier-envelop phase (CEP) as the peak laser intensity becoming stronger or the pulse width becoming shorter. The maximal asymmetry degree is stronger with higher laser intensity. We confirm the effect of the CEP, laser intensity and pulse width on the above-threshold detachment of F⁻ in half-cycle laser fields. It provides a possible way to determine the CEP of half-cycle laser fields by measuring detached photoelectrons.     

Cyclic State Orientation of Polar Molecules Produced by a Train of Half-Cycle Pulse Clusters of a Long Repetition Period

Using a variational method, we derive the optimal population distribution of angular momentum eigenstates for any given population range in a rotational wavepacket within the field-free cyclic state orientation framework. Correspondingly, we devise a train of half-cycle pulse clusters to purposively make the structure of the computed wavepacket approach the optimal population distribution, so that we can now utilize much more powerful means to realize an ideal orientation goal.     

Single attosecond pulse generation from asymmetric molecules with a multicycle laser pulse

A new scheme for single attosecond pulse generation from asymmetric molecules with a multicycle laser pulse is proposed. It is shown that both even and odd harmonics are generated from the asymmetric molecules, and the attosecond pulses are produced every full cycle of the driving laser field rather than each half-cycle. By filtering the harmonics in the cutoff of the spectrum, a single attosecond pulse can be obtained with a multicycle laser pulse with a duration of 2 times longer than the few-cycle pulse conventionally used.     

Rydberg state ionization by half-cycle-pulse excitation: strong kicks create slow electrons

The asymptotic velocity distribution of electrons ionized in half-cycle-pulse excitation of high Rydberg states (n=34), placed in a static electric field, is studied using electron velocity-map imaging. At weak half-cycle pulse strengths, the electrons escape over the saddle point in the potential. For strong half-cycle pulses, the electrons are emitted in the direction of the field kick. The much slower and less intense half cycle of opposite polarity, which necessarily follows the main half-cycle pulse, strongly affects the momentum distribution and reduces the excess energy of the electrons significantly.     

Efficient and long-lived field-free orientation of molecules by a single hybrid short pulse

We show that a combination of a half-cycle pulse and a short nonresonant laser pulse produces a strongly enhanced postpulse orientation. Robust transients that display both efficient and long-lived orientation are obtained. The mechanism is analyzed in terms of optimal oriented target states in finite Hilbert subspaces and shows that hybrid pulses can prove useful for other control issues.     

Displacing Rydberg electrons: the mono-cycle nature of half-cycle pulses

A THz "half-cycle" pulse is a fast ( <1 ps) unipolar pulse, followed by a slow unipolar pulse of opposite polarity. We found that the interaction of such THz pulses with very high Rydberg states results in a displacement of the electron within the atom, while the ionization is strongly suppressed. In classical terms: the first fast unipolar feature corresponds to a start kick of the Rydberg electron, while the second unipolar feature acts as a stop kick. A semiclassical model is presented which qualitatively reproduces the ionization suppression and redistribution.     

Subcycle dynamics of electron–hole pairs and high-harmonic generation in bulk diamond subjected to intense femtosecond laser pulse

We present calculation of photoexcitation and high-harmonic generation in bulk diamond induced by intense near-infrared laser pulse of photon energy 1.55 eV, time duration of 15 fs and peak field strength \(F= 0.4\) V/Å. Depending on the laser polarization direction, the pulsed irradiation creates electron–hole pairs and transient density fluctuations in a localized region of the crystal momentum space. As a consequence energetic inter- and intra-band harmonics are generated with alternating phase during each half-cycle of the driving pulse. The corresponding inter- and intra-band currents are in definite phase relation with the laser pulse, reflecting the build-up of coherent superposition of population between valence and conduction bands, and the accelerated motion of charge carriers in their respective bands.     

Quantum path control in the presence of a half-cycle pulse to generate isolated attosecond pulse

Quantum path control on the harmonic emission from hydrogen molecular ion is investigated via combining an intense few-cycle laser and a half-cycle pulse (HCP). The results show that the quantum paths of returning electrons can be effectively modified due to the introduction of the HCP which extremely dominates the acceleration process of ionized electron. With the favorable conditions, the long quantum path is completely eliminated and an isolated 61 as pulse can be obtained by superposing proper harmonics. Moreover, the electron wave packet distributions and the double-well model are presented to explore the underlying physical mechanism.     

Ionization phase-match gating for wavelength-tunable isolated attosecond pulse generation

High-order harmonic emission can be confined to the leading edge of an 800 nm driver laser pulse under moderately intense focusing conditions (7×10¹⁴ W/cm²) (Pfeifer et al. in Opt. Express 15:17120, 2007). Here, the experimentally observed curtailment of harmonic production on the leading edge of the driver pulse is shown to be controlled by an ionization-induced phase-matching condition. The transient plasma density inherent to the process of high-harmonic generation terminates the harmonic emission by an ultrafast loss of phase matching on the leading edge of the laser pulse. The analysis is supported by a reconstruction of the in situ intensity envelope of the driver pulse with attosecond temporal resolution, performed by measurements of the carrier-envelope phase dependence of individual half-cycle harmonic cutoffs. The method opens the way to wavelength-tunable isolated attosecond pulse generation.     

沿面放电中的辉光和赝辉光放电

利用沿面放电发生器装置，在流动氩气中实现了大气压辉光放电。放电电流波形表现为外加电压每半周期只有一个电流脉冲。驱动电压频率是60kHz时，放电电流脉冲持续时间大于1微秒。氩气中的辉光放电，功率消耗随着外加电压增加或者是气压减小而增大，这种关系可以用汤生击穿理论定性解释。与此对比，大气压空气中的放电电流波形为外加电压每半周期放电为许多脉冲，每个电流脉冲为高频阻尼振荡，这就是赝辉光放电。大气压空气中的赝辉光放电可能是由于气体的流光击穿造成的。     

Single attosecond pulse generation in the multicycle-driver regime by adding a weak second-harmonic field

We present a method of producing single attosecond pulses by high-harmonic generation with multicycle driver laser pulses. This can be achieved by tailoring the driving pulse so that attosecond pulses are produced only every full cycle of the oscillating laser field rather than every half-cycle. It is shown by classical and quantum-mechanical model calculations that even a minor addition (1%) of phase-locked second-harmonic light to the 800 nm fundamental driver pulse for high-harmonic generation leads to a major (15%) difference in the maximum kinetic energies of the recombining electrons in adjacent half-cycles.     

Isotopenmeßgeräte der DDR für die Betriebsmeßtechnik II

A pseudo-random pulser is presented suitable for applications in many fields of radiometric precision spectrometry. It is based on a maximum-length feedback shift register generator. The rules for structure and phase distance of the sequences to be connected for the output pulse initiation are following from the concept of the m · n-feedback shift register generator. By this means optimum statistical properties are guaranteed. They are illustrated by comparison of some measured parameters with those expected by reason of theoretical investigations or derived from a measured natural detector signal, respectively.     

Envelope Area and Electric Pulse Area Interference in Excitation of Quantum Systems by Few-Cycle Attosecond Light Pulses

JETP Letters - In this letter, excitation of discrete levels in a quantum system is considered, when the duration of the driving pulse is changed from multicycle to ultrashort half-cycle regime. It...     

Deexcitation of one-dimensional Rydberg atoms with a chirped train of half-cycle pulses

A protocol for deexcitation of one-dimensional high Rydberg states with the use of a chirped train of half-cycle pulses is given. It is found that the parameters of the efficiently deexciting train are directly related to the phenomenon of the dynamical stabilization of the initial state. Finally, numerical calculations are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the protocol. The protocol allows to deexcite Rydberg atoms to states lying just above the ground one.     

Theoretical Study of High-Order Harmonic Generation From a Coherent Superposition State in a Chirp-Free Pulse Combined with a Chirped Control Pulse

In this paper, we theoretically investigate high-order harmonic generation (HHG) from a helium atom prepared in a coherent superposition state in a two-color laser field. Numerical results show that the emission efficiency of the harmonic spectrum in a coherent superposition state is enhanced by approximately eight orders of magnitude compared with the case of the ground state. In addition, the effect of the initial population of the excited state on the HHG is presented to reveal the physical origin of the enhancement of HHG. By adjusting the laser parameters of the driving pulse, such as the chirping parameter, the relative phase, and the intensity of the driving pulse, an ultrabroad continuum with a width of 275 eV can be observed. Finally, an isolated 12-as pulse is generated after phase compensation.     

400-Hz pulsed single-longitudinal-mode Nd:YAG laser with more than 100-mJ pulse energy and good beam quality

An all solid state master-oscillator-power-amplifier laser system was experimentally investigated using a pulsed-diode-pumped single-longitudinal-mode Nd:YAG laser as a master oscillator. The system was operated with 400 Hz pulse repetition rate. The amplifiers contain a pre-amplifier and a power amplifier. A specially designed large aperture tapered fiber as a solid state phase conjugation mirror was used in the power amplifier to improve the beam quality. The maximum pulse energy of 101 mJ is obtained after double-pass amplification. The pulse duration is less than 6 ns. The corresponding peak power reached 16.8 MW for each single pulse.     

Lasetron: a proposed source of powerful nuclear-time-scale electromagnetic bursts

Electromagnetic bursts of substantial energy on a nuclear time scale of 10(-21)-10(-22) s [zeptosecond (zs) to sub-zs] can theoretically be generated by a perawatt or multiterawatt laser beam focused on a subwavelength-size solid particle or thin wire. Terawatt laser in a similar setup could be instrumental in reaching the subattosecond domain. The system may also generate a half-cycle pulse magnetic field on astrophysical scale up to approximately 10(6) T.     

激光光场的大行程相位锁定及控制系统

提出了一种实现大行程飞秒激光脉冲对相位控制的方法。其设计思想是:在迈克耳孙干涉仪中,利用改变激光偏振态的方法改变输出两光束的光程差因子。在对He-Ne激光输出的两束光实现相位锁定的基础上,进而提出了一种可对于超短激光双脉冲相对相位差实现超大行程控制的方法。对He-Ne激光的动态相位锁定、以及飞秒激光脉冲对的相对相位差控制分别作了实验验证。对He-Ne激光的静态相位锁定结果表明干涉仪两臂光程差可以控制在纳米精度;而飞秒激光脉冲测量自相关曲线与理论拟合结果非常接近,经傅里叶变换可得到较好的单峰谱图。该系统能够在实验范围中几乎无行程限制地实现飞秒激光脉冲对的相对相位动态稳定控制。