Optical high harmonic generation in C60

High harmonic generation (HHG) requires a strong laser field, but in C60 a relatively weak laser field is sufficient. Numerical results presented here show that, while its low order harmonics result from the laser field, its high order ones are mainly from the multiple excitations. Since high order harmonics directly correlate with electronic transitions, the HHG spectrum accurately measures transition energies. Therefore, C60 is not only a promising material for HHG, but may also present an opportunity to develop HHG into an electronic structure probing tool.     

Enhanced third harmonic generation in periodic structures

We consider third harmonic generation in a periodic layered medium with alternate nonlinear media. We show enhanced third harmonic generation when the fundamental frequency matches one of the mode frequencies of the distributed feedback structure. The observed feature is explained in terms of large local field enhancement for the fundamental wave.     

Enhanced harmonic generation from expanding clusters

We report controlled enhancement of optical third harmonic generation (THG) from hydrodynamically expanding clusters of approximately 6x10(5) noble-gas atoms several hundred femtoseconds following ionization and heating by ultrashort pump pulses. This resonant enhancement is more pronounced for orthogonal than for parallel pump-probe polarizations, a consequence of faster cluster expansion along the pump polarization. Simulations show that the nonlinear susceptibility chi(3) of the individual clusters and the coherence length of the clustered plasma medium are optimized nearly simultaneously as the clusters expand, and both contribute to the observed THG enhancement. This dual enhancement mechanism may be scalable to relativistic probe intensity and to generation of high-order harmonics in the soft-x-ray regime.     

Phase-matched third harmonic generation in a plasma

Relativistic third-harmonic generation in a plasma is investigated. The growth of a third-harmonic wave is limited by the difference between the phase velocity of the pump and driven waves. This phase velocity mismatch results in a third-harmonic amplitude saturation and oscillation. In order to overcome this saturation, a phase-matching scheme based on a resonant density modulation is described. The limitations of this scheme are analyzed     

High harmonic generation in a laser plasma

The results of investigation of high harmonics of radiation of a Ti:sapphire laser propagating through a laser plasma generated on the surface of different targets are presented. For most of the targets, the intensity distribution of the high harmonics generated is found to form a plateaulike pattern similar to that observed in the case of gas jets. The generation of high harmonics (up to the 65th harmonic, λ = 12.24 nm) is caused by the interaction of femtosecond laser radiation with ions. The conversion efficiency in the plateau region varies from 10^?7 to 8 × 10^?5 depending on the target. The main restriction on the conversion efficiency and the peak intensity of the harmonics generated is caused by the self-defocusing of the femtosecond radiation due to free charge carriers formed as a result of tunnel ionization.     

High-order harmonic generation from plasma mirrors

We discuss the two mechanisms involved in high-order harmonic generation from plasma mirrors, and show that they can be clearly identified experimentally. The very different phase properties of the corresponding harmonics lead to light beams with different divergences. This can be exploited to select a particular type of harmonic by spatial filtering in the far-field.     

Enhanced second harmonic generation in a two-dimensional optical micro-cavity

We introduce a two-dimensional Bose–Einstein condensation model consisting of massive photon and photon-pair.Based on the new nonlinear model, the traditional process of second harmonics generation is reinvestigated. In order to describe the process, a new quantum phase, the harmonic phase, is introduced. The order parameter of the new physical phase is also given in this paper.     

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.     

Enhanced high gain harmonic generation scheme with negative dispersion

The enhanced high gain harmonic generation (EHGHG) scheme has been proposed and shown to be able to significantly enhance the performance of HGHG FEL. In this paper we investigate the EHGHG scheme with negative dispersion. The bunching factor at the entrance of the radiator is analyzed, which indicates that the scheme with negative dispersion can further weaken the negative effect of the dispersive strength on the energy spread correction factor. The numerical results from GENESIS (3D-code) are presented, and are in good agreement with our analysis. Then we comparatively study the effects of the initial beam energy spread and the relative phase shift on the radiation power. The results show that the EHGHG scheme with negative dispersion has a larger tolerance on the initial beam energy spread and a nearly equal wide good region of the relative phase shift compared with the case of positive dispersion.     

局域表面等离激元诱导的三次谐波增强效应

本文研究了二维金三角形纳米颗粒阵列的三次谐波非线性光学效应. 金三 角纳米颗粒阵列是基于微球刻印技术制成. 采用反射式光学系统, 观察到该纳米结构在光谱分辨的飞秒激光照射下产生明显的三次谐波. 研究表明, 当激光抽运频率接近金纳米颗粒的局域表面等离激元共振位置时, 三次谐波信号得到增强; 三次谐波辐射方向满足动量匹配条件. 关键词： 微球刻印 三次谐波产生 表面等离激元     

High-order harmonic generation in laser plasma: Recent achievements

Recent studies of high-order harmonic generation of laser radiation in laser-produced plasma show new attractive developments in this field. Those include generation of extended harmonics in plasma plumes, new approaches in application of two-color pump, generation of extremely broadened harmonics, further developments in harmonic generation in clusters (fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, in-situ produced nanoparticles), destructive interference of harmonics from different emitters, resonance-induced enhancement of harmonics, applications of high pulse repetition rate lasers for the enhancement of average power of generating harmonics, observation of quantum path signatures, etc. We review some of these recent developments.     

Enhanced high harmonic generation from an optically prepared excited medium

We investigate high harmonics generated from rubidium atoms irradiated simultaneously by an intense 3.5 microm fundamental field and a weak cw diode laser. When 5p, 5d, and 4d excited states are populated through cascade excitation or deexcitation, orders-of-magnitude increases in harmonic yield as compared with the ground state are observed. It appears that, quite unexpectedly, the population accumulated in the 4d state alone is responsible for the observed enhancement.     

Second harmonic generation in plasma in the presence of SBS

The mechanism of second harmonic generation in the presence of intense-radiation SBS in plasma is considered under the condition that the incident beam has no time for filamentation. The mechanism is based on the formation of low-frequency plasma-density perturbations that are optimal for this effect in the field of scattered waves. The theoretical calculations are compared with the experimental data.     

High-order harmonic generation from boron plasma in the extreme-ultraviolet range

We demonstrate the generation of up to the 63rd harmonic (lambda = 12.6 nm) of a Ti:sapphire laser pulse (150 fs, 10 mJ), using a prepulse- (210-ps,24-mJ) produced boron plasma as the nonlinear medium. The influence of various parameters on the harmonic conversion efficiency was analyzed. The steep decrease in intensity for low-order harmonics (up to 19th order) was followed by a plateau. Typical conversion efficiencies were evaluated to be 10(-4) (for a 3rd harmonic) to 10(-7) (within the plateau region). Harmonic generation appeared to be efficient for the plasma that comprised neutral atoms and singly ionized boron.     

Second harmonic generation of a self-focused Hermite-Gaussian laser in plasma

Second harmonic generation (SHG) using intense Hermite-Gaussian laser beam (HGLB) propagating through the plasma for mode-indices m = 0 and m = 1 is reported in the present work. Ponderomotive force induced density perturbation beats with the oscillatory velocity of electrons at incident laser frequency, generate the second harmonic nonlinear current that give rise to SHG. Using paraxial approximations, we have derived the coupled equations for the beam width parameter of HGLB and second harmonic's normalized amplitude. Resonance condition is obtained by considering wiggler magnetic field which providing an extra momentum to the second harmonic photon and this result a significant increase in the amplitude of SHG. Our analysis shows the prominent rise in normalized amplitude of second harmonic on increasing the value of the intensity of fundamental laser pulse, normalized wiggler magnetic field and normalized density of plasma. It is notified that the gain of SHG is more prominent for m = 1. Dependency of laser and plasma parameters on SHG is also reported in the current work.     

相对论激光在Maxwell分布等离子体中产生的高次谐波

研究了强激光与具有初始速度分布的等离子体作用产生的高次谐波。结果表明,对于Maxwell速度分布的等离子体,由于电子初始时刻的无规则热运动,在一定程度上抹平了辐射功率在谐波谱上的分布,使得高次谐波的辐射增强,低次谐波的辐射有所减弱,有利于高次谐波的产生。     

等离子体光栅靶的表面粗糙度对高次谐波产生的影响

极紫外光和软X射线由于其波长和脉冲持续时间极短,可用于超快物理过程和物质微观结构的探测.最近几年,研究人员发现激光和等离子体相互作用可以产生持续时间极短(阿秒)且相干性较好的高次谐波辐射,其波长可接近甚至达到水窗波段.然而,实验研究指出,理论上应出现的一些谐波在实验中并没有出现.本文针对超短超强激光与非理想条件下的等离子体光栅靶相互作用产生高次谐波的物理过程进行了理论分析和粒子模拟.研究结果表明,等离子体光栅的周期性结构对于高次谐波的频谱和辐射角分布存在显著调制效果.光栅靶表面粗糙度直接影响光栅的光学调制效果,改变高次谐波的频谱分布和辐射角分布.理想光栅条件下,满足光栅匹配条件的特定阶数谐波明显获得增强,且辐射张角集中在平行靶面的方向.靶表面粗糙度的出现,导致光栅匹配条件失效,高次谐波能量向各阶分散且辐射张角逐渐偏离靶表面方向.研究结果较好地解释了实验中观测到的谐波频谱分布,为进一步的研究提供了一定参考.     

Bright multi-keV harmonic generation from relativistically oscillating plasma surfaces

The first evidence of x-ray harmonic radiation extending to 3.3 A, 3.8 keV (order n>3200) from petawatt class laser-solid interactions is presented, exhibiting relativistic limit efficiency scaling (eta approximately n{-2.5}-n{-3}) at multi-keV energies. This scaling holds up to a maximum order, n{RO} approximately 8{1/2}gamma;{3}, where gamma is the relativistic Lorentz factor, above which the first evidence of an intensity dependent efficiency rollover is observed. The coherent nature of the generated harmonics is demonstrated by the highly directional beamed emission, which for photon energy hnu>1 keV is found to be into a cone angle approximately 4 degrees , significantly less than that of the incident laser cone (20 degrees ).     

Influence of surface waves on plasma high-order harmonic generation

The influence of surface plasma waves on high-order harmonic generation from the interaction of intense lasers with overdense plasma is analyzed. It is shown that the surface waves lead to the emission of harmonics away from the optical axis, whereas the high-order on-axis harmonics are lowered in intensity. Our simulation results indicate that surface plasma wave generation plays a crucial role in surface high-order harmonic generation experiments. Furthermore, a novel surface plasma wave generation process different from the well-known two-surface wave decay is observed in the highly relativistic regime.