Experimental observation of revival structures in picosecond laser-induced alignment of I2

We report the experimental observation of revival structures in the alignment of a ground-state rotational wave packet following nonresonant excitation of I2 molecules by an intense picosecond laser pulse. The revivals appear at characteristic time delays following the excitation by the pump laser pulse, and show a significant narrowing of the angular distribution during a few picoseconds. The interaction with the pump laser also leads to a steady-state alignment of the molecule, due to rotational pumping.     

Self-stabilization of third-harmonic pulse during two-color filamentation in gases

Self-stabilization of the laser pulse parameters is demonstrated during the two-color filamentation of ultrashort and intense laser pulses in gases. Experimental data and results of numerical simulations show, in good qualitative agreement, that the root-mean-square values of the intensity fluctuations decrease below the initial value for the near-infrared pump pulse and the perturbative limit for the third-harmonic pulse in the filament. It is found that the stabilization of the third-harmonic intensity and energy are due to intensity clamping of the pump pulse and a constant ‘volume’ of the laser pulse during the nonlinear propagation inside the filament. PACS 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Jx; 52.35.Mw     

Filament-induced birefringence in Argon

We demonstrate that a driving ultrashort laser pulse undergoing filamentation can induce a remarkably large birefringence in Argon, resulting in an ultrafast “half-wave plate” for a copropagating non-filamenting probe beam. Such femtosecond birefringence, which originates from the difference between the nonlinear refractive indices induced by the filament on the axes parallel and orthogonal to its own polarization, opens the way to potential ultrafast Kerr-gates whose ultimate time-duration is only restricted by the duration of the driving pulse. We also show that the induced birefringence is transversely inhomogeneous, resulting from to the intensity profile of the driving pulse.     

Continuum generation of the third-harmonic pulse generated by an intense femtosecond IR laser pulse in air

The continuum generation by intense femtosecond IR laser pulses focused in air including the effect of third-harmonic generation is investigated. We have used a theoretical model that includes the full spatio-temporal dynamics of both the fundamental and the third-harmonic pulses. Results of our numerical calculations show that a two-color filamentation effect occurs, in which the third-harmonic conversion efficiency remains almost constant over the whole filament length. It is found that this effect is rather independent of the wavelength of the input beam and the focal geometry. During the filamentation process the third-harmonic pulse itself generates a broad continuum, which can even overlap with the continuum of the fundamental pulse for the longer pump wavelengths. In consequence, the continuum generation generated by intense IR laser pulses is further extended into the UV. PACS 42.65.Jx; 42.65.Ky; 52.35.Mw     

Coherent control of rotational wave-packet dynamics via fractional revivals

We show (i) how the evolution of a wave packet created from an initial thermal ensemble can be controlled by manipulating interferences during the wave packet's fractional revivals and (ii) how the wave-packet evolution can be mapped onto the dynamics of a few-state system, where the number of states is determined by the amount of information one wants to track about the wave packet in the phase space. We illustrate our approach by (i) switching off and on field-free molecular axis alignment induced by a strong laser pulse and (ii) converting alignment into field-free orientation, starting with rotationally cold or hot systems.     

Intensity-independent molecular rotational decoherence lifetimes measured with mean wavelength shifts of femtosecond pulses

We report on an experimental investigation on the dynamic decoherence process of molecular rotational wavepackets during femtosecond laser filamentation based on time-dependent mean wavelength shifts of a weak probe pulse. Details of periodic revival structures of transient alignment can be readily obtained from the measured shifted spectra due to the periodic modulation of the molecular refractive index. Using the method, we measured decoherence lifetimes of molecular rotational wavepackets in N_2 and O_2 under different experimental conditions. Our results indicate that decoherence lifetimes of molecular rotational wavepackets are primarily determined by the relative population of rotational states in the wave packet and intermolecular collisions,rather than the focusing intensity.     

Self-transformation of a powerful femtosecond laser pulse into a white-light laser pulse in bulk optical media (or supercontinuum generation)

We present experimental and theoretical results on white-light generation in the filamentation of a high-power femtosecond laser pulse in water and atmospheric air. We have shown that the high spatio-temporal localization of the light field in the filament, which enables the supercontinuum generation, is sustained due to the dynamic transformation of the light field on the whole transverse scale of the beam, including its edges. We found that the sources of the supercontinuum blue wing are in the rings, surrounding the filament, as well as at the back of the pulse, where shock-wave formation enhanced by self-steepening takes place. We report on the first observation and demonstration of the interference of the supercontinuum spectral components arising in the course of multiple filamentation in a terawatt laser pulse. We demonstrate that the conversion efficiency of an initially narrow laser pulse spectrum into the supercontinuum depends on the length of the filament with high intensity gradients and can be increased by introducing an initial chirp. PACS 42.65.Jx; 42.65.Re; 42.25.Bs; 42.50.Hz     

Efficient generation of third harmonic radiation in air filaments: A revisit

In this paper we revisit the third harmonic generation from a femtosecond laser filament in air and its significant enhancement (~ 100 times) with a intercepting pump pulse, which has been reported very recently. The enhanced third harmonic is studied as a function of the pulse polarization, time delay between the pump and signal pulses, laser pulse energy, etc. We provide an explanation for the enhancement of third harmonic based on a quenching of interference effects present near filamentation threshold. Simulations based on a two-color propagation code reproduce well the experimental observations and confirm our interpretation.     

Spectral modulation of third-harmonic generation by molecular alignment and preformed plasma

We demonstrate spectral modulation of third-harmonic generation from molecular alignment effects. The third harmonic spectrum is broadened or narrowed under different influences of cross-phase modulations originating from various molecular alignment revivals. Furthermore, the spectrum and spatial distribution of the generated third harmonic pulse change dramatically in the presence of a preformed plasma. Under the influence of a preformed plasma, a narrower third harmonic spectrum is observed, and the conical third-harmonic pulse increases while the axial part decreases. The investigation provides an effective method to modulate the spectral characteristic and spatial distribution of third-harmonic generation from intense femtosecond filament.     

Generation of high harmonics and attosecond pulses with ultrashort laser pulse filaments and conical waves

Results illustrating the nonlinear dynamics of ultrashort laser pulse filamentation in gases are presented, with particular emphasis on the filament properties useful for developing attosecond light sources. Two aspects of ultrashort pulse filaments are specifically discussed: (i) numerical simulation results on pulse self-compression by filamentation in a gas cell filled with noble gas. Measurements of high harmonics generated by the pulse extracted from the filament allows for the detection of intensity spikes and subcycle pulses generated within the filament. (ii) Simulation results on the spontaneous formation of conical wavepackets during filamentation in gases, which in turn can be used as efficient driving pulses for the generation of high harmonics and isolated attosecond pulses.     

Alignment-dependent strong field ionization of molecules

We demonstrate a method to measure strong field laser ionization of aligned molecules. The method employs a macroscopic field-free dynamic alignment, which occurs during revivals of rotational wave packets produced by a femtosecond laser pulse. We investigate the dependence of strong field ionization of N2 on molecular orientation. We determine that N2 molecules are four times more likely to ionize when aligned parallel to the field than when aligned perpendicular to it.     

Filamentation control in the temperature gradient argon gas

A novel technique of controlling the evolution of the filamentation was experimentally demonstrated in an argon gas-filled tube. The entrance of the filament was heated by a furnace and the other end was cooled with air, which resulted in the temperature gradient distribution along the tube. The experimental results show that multiple filaments are merged into a single filament and then no filament by only increasing the temperature at the entrance of the filament. Also, the filament can appear and disappear after increasing the local temperature and input pulse energy in turn. This technique offers another degree of freedom to control the filamentation and opens a new way for multi-mJ level monocycle pulse generation through filamentation in the noble gas.     

Intensity modulation of filaments by shaped laser pulses in fused silica

We show the intensity control of filamentation in fused silica by temporally shaping the femtosecond laser pulse.The arbitrary control of filamentation intensity has been obtained by the feedback control based on the genetic algorithm, and the peak intensity of filament has changed from about 670 to around 2100(charge-coupled device counts). This modulation is in qualitative agreement with the simulation results. It is shown that the control of the intensity is realized by modulating the peak power of the shaped pulse.     

1kHz飞秒激光脉冲在空气中传输成丝的演化过程

利用高重复频率(１kHz)、低能量的飞秒激光脉冲研究激光脉冲在空气中传输成丝的演化过程.采用成像的方法观测飞秒激光脉冲在大气传输过程中光束截面上光强分布变化，以及大气等离子体通道对光强分布的反作用.实验结果表明，激光脉冲在传输过程中先形成双丝结构，再逐渐合并成单丝结构.实验结果与利用非线性薛定谔方程耦合多光子电离的数值模拟结果基本一致. 关键词： 飞秒激光脉冲 等离子体通道 成像     

利用空心光纤探测飞秒脉冲在氩气中成丝过程中的光谱演变

采用420μm纤芯直径、18cm长的空心光纤作为探测器，在强飞秒激光在氩气中成丝的条件下，研究了成丝不同部位的光谱变化.实验结果表明由于成丝范围内不同部位的脉冲宽度不一样，导致空心光纤位于成丝的不同位置时所获得的光谱展宽也不尽相同.在成丝长度范围内的特定位置可以将50fs入射脉冲最窄压缩至24.8fs.     

Experiment and simulations on the energy reservoir effect in femtosecond light filaments

We report the results of an experiment and numerical simulations that demonstrate the large spatial extent and the effect of the so-called energy reservoir during the filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses in air. By inserting pinholes of different sizes in the filament path we observe different stages of development ranging from the termination of the filament, through its partial survival, to undisturbed propagation. A background containing up to 50% of the pulse energy is found to be necessary to maintain the filament formation, including a first refocusing.     

Femtosecond filament induced birefringence in argon and in air: Ultrafast refractive index change

The birefringence of a linearly polarized femtosecond laser filament in gases has been previously established. In this work, we report the time-dependent refractive index measurements of the filament based upon the spectral modulation of a weak probe pulse in air and in argon gas at 1 atmospheric pressure. The polarization dependence of the refractive index modulation induced by the delayed molecular alignment and by the electronic Kerr effect is highlighted. A numerical simulation of the refractive indices, which takes into account the molecular alignment, the electronic Kerr non-linearity and the plasma, is in good agreement with the measurements.     

Rotational Raman effects in the wake of optical filamentation

The spatiotemporal effects generated in the wake of a laser filament propagating in nitrogen are investigated. At suitable time delays, a probe light pulse propagating along the wake experiences a strong spatial confinement and a noticeable spectral broadening at the same time. Numerical simulations, well reproducing the experimental findings, show the key role of the impulsive rotational Raman response in the observed phenomena.     

平顶飞秒激光经圆锥透镜在熔融石英中成丝及超连续辐射

实验研究了平顶飞秒激光经圆锥透镜后在熔融石英中的成丝及超连续辐射.与高斯飞秒激光的成丝对比发现,平顶飞秒激光可以获得在圆锥透镜焦深区域内强度分布更为均匀的等离子体细丝,这一特征更有利于飞秒激光在固体介质中进行微纳加工等领域的应用.并且,在不损伤熔融石英的条件下,平顶飞秒激光成丝可以获得更高能量、更高转换效率的超连续辐射,这是因为若产生光强相近的细丝,平顶飞秒激光所需的初始激光能量更高,此激光能量下产生的细丝长度更长、均匀性更好.