Simulation of THz emission from laser interaction with plasmas

One-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) program is used to simulate the generation of high power terahertz (THz) emission from the interaction of an ultrashort intense laser pulse with underdense plasma. The spectra of THz radiation are discussed under different laser intensity, pulse width, incident angle and density scale length. High-amplitude electron plasma wave driven by a laser wakefield can produce powerful THz emission through linear mode conversion under certain conditions. With incident laser intensity of 10¹⁸ W/cm², the generated emission is computed to be of the order of several MV/cm field and tens of MW level power. The corresponding energy conversion efficiency is several ten thousandths, which is higher then the efficiency of other THz source and suitable for the studies of THz nonlinear physics.     

Growth of thin Fe(0 0 1) films for terahertz emission experiments

The electrical and magnetic properties of thin iron (Fe) films have sparked significant scientific interest. Our interest, however, is in the fundamental interactions between light and matter. We have discovered a novel application for thin Fe films. These films are sources of terahertz (THz) radiation when stimulated by an incident laser pulse. After intense femtosecond pulse excitation by a Ti:sapphire laser, these films emit picosecond, broadband THz frequencies. The terahertz emission provides a direct measure of the induced ultrafast change in magnetization within the Fe film. The THz generation experiments and the growth of appropriate thin Fe films for these experiments are discussed. Several criteria are used to select the substrate and film growth conditions, including that the substrate must permit the epitaxial growth of a continuous, monocrystalline or single crystal film, yet must also be transparent to the emitted THz radiation. An Fe(0 0 1) film grown on the (0 0 1) surface of a magnesium oxide (MgO) substrate makes an ideal sample. The Fe films are grown by physical vapor deposition (PVD) in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) system. Low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) are used to characterize the Fe(0 0 1) films. Two substrate surface preparation methods are investigated. Fe(0 0 1) films grown on MgO(0 0 1) substrates that are used as-received and films grown on MgO(0 0 1) substrates that have been UV/ozone-cleaned ex vacuo and annealed in vacuo produce the same results in the THz generation experiments. Either substrate preparation method permits the growth of samples suitable for the THz emission experiments.     

Design of terahertz wave polarizing beam splitter

In this paper, we design a THz wave polarizer based on a periodic symmetrical thin film structure, which operates over a broadband THz frequency region (1.0–2.0 THz) and over an effective wide range of incident THz wave (72–84°). The spectral performance of this structure is characterized by transfer matrix method calculations. Results of simulations show that the polarizer is highly transmittance for TE polarized THz wave as well as highly reflecting for TM polarized THz wave.     

THz surface plasmon jump between two metal edges

We excite surface plasmon in the THz frequency range at a metal surface using a diffraction grating coupler. Then the excited surface plasmon propagates along the flat metal surface, scatters into free space at the sample edge and then couples onto the flat surface of a second device similar to the emitting one. Using THz time-domain spectroscopy, we study plasmon propagation and its coupling processes in time and frequency domains. We measure a surface plasmon propagation length, at a flat air-aluminum interface, smaller than expected. We report for the first time a high coupling efficiency of the THz surface plasmon field between the two grating devices separated by a several centimeters-thick air gap.     

Frequency-filtered parametric fluorescence interacting with an atomic ensemble

The frequency spectrum of the fluorescence must be reduced when studying interactions between atoms and parametric fluorescence using the photon counting method since photon counting does not distinguish the light frequency. An interference filter and etalons successfully reduced the frequency spectrum of the parametric fluorescence from 6.6 THz to 1.7 GHz. The parametric fluorescence after frequency filtering showed the non-classical feature violating a Cauchy-Schwartz inequality for the intensity correlation function. We used slow light propagation with Rb gas to demonstrate that the obtained light source interacts with the atoms.     

Component analysis to isomer mixture with THz-TDS

A method for quantitative analysis of isomer mixture, with THz time domain spectroscopy, was proposed and verified experimentally. Analytic precision of better than 6% could be achieved by taking into account the transmission coefficient at the sample surface, which paved the way for practical application of this method. Reliability of this method is further confirmed by traditional high performance liquid chromatography. Furthermore, spatial distribution images for the mixture components could also be obtained conveniently with this technique.     

Advanced analysis concepts for terahertz time domain imaging

Imaging based on ultrashort terahertz (THz) pulses (100-3000 μm) is investigated. The measured pulses are analyzed and the resulting amplitude and time delay information are compared. An algorithm for discrimination of multiple pulses is presented, which can distinguish several layers inside an object. A new measurement concept is presented, which accelerates the measurement of samples with small optical path differences about two orders of magnitudes. Exemplarily different applications from the field of quality management are shown.     

Quarter-wavelength multilayer interference filter for terahertz waves

This work presents a multilayer interference filter, suitable for operation with terahertz waves (T-rays). An analysis of the effect of the number of layers on the spectral response is given, with full measurement data including time-resolved signals, transmittances, and phase spectra. The silicon-air structure with a submillimeter thickness shows a stop-band between 0.2 and 0.5 THz, and the attenuation inside the stop-band increases in proportion to the number of layers in the structure. The measurement of the fabricated structure is in agreement with a characteristic matrix analysis.     

Low loss, low dispersion and highly birefringent terahertz porous fibers

We demonstrate that porous fibers in addition to low loss and high confinement, have near zero dispersion for 0.5-1 THz resulting in reduced terahertz signal degradation compared to microwires. We also show for the first time that these new fibers can be designed, introducing asymmetrical sub-wavelength airholes within the core, to achieve high birefringence ≈0.026. This opens up the potential for realization of novel polarization preserving fibers in the terahertz regime.     

Nanofocusing of terahertz wave on conical metal wire waveguides

The nanofocusing of the terahertz (THz) radiation energy is studied. By using a conical metal nanowire waveguide, we focus the energy of the terahertz surface plasmon polaritons (THz SPPs) to several nanometers’ scale. Another interesting property of the THz SPPs propagation on the waveguide is that the peak electric field at the waveguide tip enhances many times. What is more, both the phase velocity and the attenuation coefficient versus the wire radius are obtained. The terahertz energy nanofocusing opens the way to observe terahertz propagating and imaging on the nanoscale.     

The dynamics of a THz Rydberg wavepacket

An optically excited Rydberg wavepacket can be generated by exciting the electron from a low-lying state to a coherent superposition of high-lying states with a short broadband optical pulse. A special kind of Rydberg wavepacket is generated in the case of a interaction of a weak THz half cycle pulse with a stationary Rydberg state, called the THz wavepacket. This THz wavepacket is a coherent superposition of the initial Rydberg state and its neighbouring states. We have investigated the time evolution of THz wavepackets by measuring the impact of two in time delayed half cycle pulses ( ≈ 200 V cm^-1) on the population of a stationary (n = 40) Rydberg state in rubidium. The first half cycle pulse creates the THz wavepacket and the second half cycle pulse probes the dynamics of the THz wavepacket. We support our experimental data by numerically solving the Schr?dinger equation and with a semi-classical picture. Whereas an optically excited wavepacket is initially localized, a THz wavepacket is initially delocalized and becomes localized after half a revival time. Received 23 August 2000 and Received in final form 27 March 2001     

Sharp interface immersed-boundary/level-set method for wave–body interactions

A sharp interface Cartesian grid method for the large-eddy simulation of two-phase turbulent flows interacting with moving bodies is presented. The overall approach uses a sharp interface immersed boundary formulation and a level-set/ghost–fluid method for solid–fluid and fluid–fluid interface treatments, respectively. A four-step fractional-step method is used for velocity–pressure coupling, and a Lagrangian dynamic Smagorinsky subgrid-scale model is adopted for large-eddy simulations. A simple contact angle boundary condition treatment that conforms to the immersed boundary formulation is developed. A variety of test cases of different scales ranging from bubble dynamics, water entry and exit, landslide-generated waves, to ship hydrodynamics are performed for validation. Extensions for high Reynolds number ship flows using wall-layer models are also considered.     

Causality detection based on information-theoretic approaches in time series analysis

Synchronization, a basic nonlinear phenomenon, is widely observed in diverse complex systems studied in physical, biological and other natural sciences, as well as in social sciences, economy and finance. While studying such complex systems, it is important not only to detect synchronized states, but also to identify causal relationships (i.e. who drives whom) between concerned (sub) systems. The knowledge of information-theoretic measures (i.e. mutual information, conditional entropy) is essential for the analysis of information flow between two systems or between constituent subsystems of a complex system. However, the estimation of these measures from a set of finite samples is not trivial. The current extensive literatures on entropy and mutual information estimation provides a wide variety of approaches, from approximation-statistical, studying rate of convergence or consistency of an estimator for a general distribution, over learning algorithms operating on partitioned data space to heuristical approaches. The aim of this paper is to provide a detailed overview of information theoretic approaches for measuring causal influence in multivariate time series and to focus on diverse approaches to the entropy and mutual information estimation.     

An approximate block Newton method for coupled iterations of nonlinear solvers: Theory and conjugate heat transfer applications

A new, approximate block Newton (ABN) method is derived and tested for the coupled solution of nonlinear models, each of which is treated as a modular, black box. Such an approach is motivated by a desire to maintain software flexibility without sacrificing solution efficiency or robustness. Though block Newton methods of similar type have been proposed and studied, we present a unique derivation and use it to sort out some of the more confusing points in the literature. In particular, we show that our ABN method behaves like a Newton iteration preconditioned by an inexact Newton solver derived from subproblem Jacobians. The method is demonstrated on several conjugate heat transfer problems modeled after melt crystal growth processes. These problems are represented by partitioned spatial regions, each modeled by independent heat transfer codes and linked by temperature and flux matching conditions at the boundaries common to the partitions. Whereas a typical block Gauss–Seidel iteration fails about half the time for the model problem, quadratic convergence is achieved by the ABN method under all conditions studied here. Additional performance advantages over existing methods are demonstrated and discussed.     

Ferromagnet/superconducting YBa2Cu3O7−δ bilayer devices

A magnetic fringe-field effect has been investigated for a simple bilayer device structure consisting of a Co_0.9Fe_0.1 film and an epitaxial YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ (YBCO) film patterned as a microbridge. The resistance of the bridge is measured with a four-probe technique and is found to depend on the orientation of a magnetic field, which is externally applied in the device plane. A maximum (minimum) of the resistance occurs when the magnetic field is applied in parallel (perpendicular) to the bridge axis. The difference between the maximum and the minimum is very large for a small range of temperature below the critical temperature of the YBCO film. The observed features in the resistance are qualitatively explained by vortex motion in the YBCO bridge under the influence of the magnetic fringe-field of the Co_0.9Fe_0.1 film.     

The electronic structure and the ferromagnetic properties of the organic radical 4-methacryloyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxyl (MOTMP)

The ab initio method of the full potential linearized augmented-plane-wave has been used to study the electronic band structure and the ferromagnetic (FM) properties of the organic radical MOTMP. The total and the partial density of states and the atomic spin magnetic moments are calculated. The calculation revealed that MOTMP has a stable ferromagnetic ground state and the spin magnetic moment is 1.0 μ_B per molecule, which is in good agreement with the experimental value. It is found that the unpaired electrons in this compound are localized in a molecular orbital constituted primarily of π*(NO) orbital and the main contribution of the spin magnetic moment comes from the NO free radical. It is also found that there exists ferromagnetic intermolecular interaction in the compound.     

Abnormal properties of spontaneous emission in a Kerr nonlinear blackbody

We reexamine the atomic spontaneous decay in a Kerr nonlinear blackbody by contrast with our previous paper [M. Yin, Z. Cheng, Phys. Rev. A 78 (2008) 063829]. In the process of deriving the atomic decay rate, we use the temperature-dependent velocity of photons to take the full nonlinearity of a KNB into account. It is found that below a transition temperature T_c, the atomic spontaneous emission in a KNB might be enhanced or inhibited compared with that in a normal blackbody whose interior is filled with a nonabsorbing linear medium. The physical origin of the enhancement and inhibition of spontaneous emission is also discussed.     

THz wave polarization-controlled spectroscopic imaging for anisotropic materials

We present a polarization-controlled terahertz (THz) wave spectroscopic imaging modality to investigate the anisotropy of the detected materials. The polarization of the emitted THz wave is controlled by changing the relative phase between the fundamental and second-harmonic waves in the two-color laser-induced air plasma THz generation configuration. The THz wave polarization direction is extracted by measuring the two electric field amplitudes when the polarization of the incident wave is controlled to be horizontal and vertical. The anisotropy of the industrial Sprayed-On-Foam-Insulation (SOFI) is characterized by measuring its azimuthal angle dependent THz polarization response. This work demonstrates that THz wave polarization-controlled imaging technique can be used for highly sensitive industrial nondestructive inspection and biological related characterization.     

The electronic structure and the ferromagnetic intermolecular interactions in the crystal of TEMPO radicals

Based on the generalized gradient approximation, full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) calculations have been performed to study the electronic band structure and the intermolecular ferromagnetic (FM) interactions for the two TEMPO radicals 4-Benzylideneamino-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl (1) and 4-(2-naphtylmethyleneamino)-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl (2). The total and the partial density of states and the atomic spin magnetic moments are calculated and discussed. The calculation revealed that the two TEMPO radicals have the intermolecular FM interactions, and the spontaneous magnetic moment is 1.0 μ_B per molecule of each crystal, which is in good agreement with the experimental value. It is found that the unpaired electrons in these compounds are localized in a molecular orbital constituted primarily of π* (NO) orbital, and the main contribution of the spin magnetic moment comes from the NO-free radical. The origin of FM is also studied in detail.     

The network of scientific collaborations within the European framework programme

We use the emergent field of complex networks to analyze the network of scientific collaborations between entities (universities, research organizations, industry related companies,…) which collaborate in the context of the so-called framework programme. We demonstrate here that it is a scale-free network with an accelerated growth, which implies that the creation of new collaborations is encouraged. Moreover, these collaborations possess hierarchical modularity. Likewise, we find that the information flow depends on the size of the participants but not on geographical constraints.