Resonant third harmonic generation of a short pulse laser in plasma by applying a wiggler magnetic field

We examine the effect of wiggler magnetic field on pulse slippage of short pulse laser-induced third harmonic generation in plasma. The process of third harmonic generation of an intense short pulse laser in plasma is resonantly enhanced by the application of a magnetic wiggler. The laser exerts a ponderomotive force at second harmonic driving density oscillations. The second harmonic oscillations coupled with electron velocity at the laser frequency, produces a non-linear current, driving the third harmonic. Third harmonic pulse generates in the fundamental pulse domain. However, the group velocity of the third harmonic wave is greater than the fundamental wave. Hence, the third harmonic pulse saturates strongly and moves forward from the fundamental pulse at shorter distance than the second harmonic pulse.     

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.     

Effect of pulse slippage on density transition-based resonant third-harmonic generation of short-pulse laser in plasma

The resonant third-harmonic generation of a self-focusing laser in plasma with a density transition was investigated. Because of self-focusing of the fundamental laser pulse, a transverse intensity gradient was created, which generated a plasma wave at the fundamental wave frequency. Phase matching was satisfied by using a Wiggler magnetic field, which provided additional angular momentum to the third-harmonic photon to make the process resonant. An enhancement was observed in the resonant third-harmonic generation of an intense short-pulse laser in plasma embedded with a magnetic Wiggler with a density transition. A plasma density ramp played an important role in the self-focusing, enhancing the third-harmonic generation in plasma. We also examined the effect of the Wiggler magnetic field on the pulse slippage of the third-harmonic pulse in plasma. The pulse slippage was due to the group-velocity mismatch between the fundamental and third-harmonic pulses.     

Non‐linear absorption of an intense laser pulse propagating in wiggler‐assisted underdense collisional plasma

In this article, the propagation of an intense laser pulse through underdense collisional plasma in the presence of planar magnetostatic wiggler is studied. It is shown that the electron density distribution, in the presence of planar wiggler with increasing of the normalized plasma length, increases initially and then reaches a peak for different values of wiggler amplitudes. In addition, it is found that the existence of wiggler field leads to an increase in the electron density distribution and subsequently enhancement of electric field. Moreover, it is observed that by increasing the wiggler field, as a result of the increase of the electron density distribution, the dielectric permittivity constant is reduced. It is seen that while wiggler magnetic field was applied appropriately, the total absorption coefficient in the underdense collisional isothermal magnetized plasma improves. In fact, increase of wiggler magnetic field causes the enhancement of the total absorption coefficient of plasma medium.     

Generation of a magnetic field in a weakly inhomogeneous plasma interacting with a short laser pulse

The generation of a quasistationary magnetic field in a plasma interacting with a weakly focused low-intensity short laser pulse has been studied. It has been shown that the magnetic field changes direction at times comparable with the free path time of effective electrons. Generation also occurs after the switching off of the short pulse and the maximum field is proportional to the duration of the pulse and is reached at times larger than the free path time of the suprathermal electrons.     

在不同激光脉宽下的高次谐波

用数值计算方法计算了不同强激光脉冲宽度下高次谐波的产生.我们发现对于激光场强度不高,不能有效电离初态的激光场,长脉冲宽度可以更有效产生高次谐波;而对于高场强的激光场,由于它能够在几个光学周期之内把原子的初态全部电离,所以短脉冲的激光场能够更有效产生高次谐波.     

Anomalous plasma diffusion transverse to high magnetic fields in InSb

Investigations on the ambipolar diffusion of an electron-hole plasma transverse to a magnetic field have been carried out in InSb. A plasma layer, produced at the surface of the sample by a short laser pulse, was moved through the sample in crossed electric and magnetic fields by the Lorentz force. From the broadening of the plasma layer we found at 80K an enhanced diffusion coefficient which decreased proportional to 1/B for magnetic fields higher than 1T, constrary to the expected classical 1/B ² dependence. Furthermore, the diffusion coefficient was strongly dependent on the electric field. The ambipolar drift velocity, measured simultaneously showed a classical behaviour. Together with the enhanced diffusion we observed instabilites in the electric potential. The instability threshold decreased towards the cathode.     

红外激光场中共振结构原子对极紫外光脉冲的压缩效应

通过数值求解一维原子的含时薛定谔方程, 研究了具有共振结构的原子在双色场(红外激光(IR)+极紫外光(XUV)) 驱动下发射高次谐波的特征. 研究结果表明, 具有共振结构的原子所发射的高次谐波与无共振结构原子(简称为一般原子)发射的高次谐波有明显不同, 共振结构的原子除了在某一能量附近(原子的共振能量+电离能)高次谐波的强度有很大提高外, 它还对XUV光的响应较一般原子表现得更为敏感, 即使XUV光的强度较弱, 也能够明显提高XUV光脉冲中心频率附近的谐波强度, 更重要的是通过调节双色场的时间延迟, 能使输入的XUV光的脉宽得到明显的压缩, 通过时间-频率分析给出了发生这种现象的原因. 由此提出了通过滤波-连续反馈的方式可使XUV光的脉冲从200 as压缩至120 as左右.     

BBO晶体中飞秒脉冲的二次和三次谐波振荡产生

同时考察了群速色散失配、最低阶群速色散和二阶群速色散。研究了在ＢＢＯ晶体中飞秒激光脉冲的谐产生，计算了ＢＢＯ晶体的作为波长函数的晶体的最低阶和二谐群速色散，借助求解改进的耦合波方程的数值计算，得到了飞秒脉冲的二次及三次谐波辐射，分析了最低工阶及二阶ＧＶＤ对于基波脉冲和谐波脉的影响，最后考虑了三次谐波产生中群速失配的补偿。     

Efficient collinear frequency tripling of femtosecond laser with compensation of group velocity delay

This paper demonstrates an approach that negative uniaxial crystal has a relative anomalous dispersion effect which can compensate group velocity delay, and applies this approach to nonlinear frequency conversion of an ultrafast laser field. High efficiency of the third harmonic generation is experimentally fulfilled by adopting a collinear configuration of doubing-compensation-tripling system. Through finely adjusting the incident angle and optical axis direction of the compensation plate, it obtains ultraviolet (UV) output energy of 0.32~mJ centered at 270~nm with spectral bandwidth of 2~nm when input beam at 800~nm was 70~fs pulse duration and 6~mJ pulse energy which was extracted from Ti:sapphire laser system by a diaphragm, corresponding to an 800-to-270~nm conversion efficiency of 5.3% and a factor-of-1.6 improvement in the third harmonic generation of UV band in comparison with a general conventional configuration. Furthermore, when the full energy of 18~mJ from a Ti:sapphire laser system was used and optimized, the UV emission could reach 0.83~mJ.     

Ba1-xB2-y-zO4SixAlyGaz晶体和频可调谐深紫外飞秒激光器

介绍了一种基于新型非线性晶体Ba_1-xB_2-y-zO₄Si_xAl_yGa_z 的可调谐深紫外飞秒激光光源. 从理论上分析了基频光和倍频光在通过非线性晶体时所造成的空间走离和群速度失配, 为了补偿空间走离以及波长调谐过程中晶体折射造成的光束偏离现象, 将两块相同的倍频晶体成镜像放置来产生二次谐波. 并调节延迟线的长度来补偿基频光和倍频光之间的群速度失配, 从而提高和频转换效率. 然后通过和频方式进行三倍频和四倍频来突破晶体相位匹配条件的限制, 产生了波长低于200 nm的深紫外飞秒激光. 利用钛宝石激光器提供基频光光源, 最终在250–300 nm, 192.5–210 nm 范围内获得了高重频、可调谐超短脉冲紫外和深紫外激光. 并在基频光波长为800 nm时, 得到的二倍频、三倍频和四倍频的功率分别为1.28 W, 194 mW和5.8 mW, 相对于前一级的转换效率依次为46.14%, 15.16%和3%. 采用互相关法测量得到266.7 nm紫外激光的脉冲宽度约为640.4 fs.     

Spectral and temporal analysis of ultrashort ultraviolet pulses generated by high-intensity laser radiation in the atmosphere

We report direct spectral and temporal characterization of ultrashort ultraviolet (UV) pulses resulting from third-harmonic generation by high-intensity Ti: sapphire laser radiation in the atmosphere. The experimental technique implemented in this work enables the measurement of the pulse width and the chirp of the UV field, as well as the electron density of the plasma produced by laser pulses. The bandwidth of the third harmonic generated in our experiments by laser pulses with an initial pulse width of 45 fs supports transform-limited UV pulses as short as 30 fs.     

Efficiency enhancement of a two-beam free-electron laser using a nonlinearly tapered wiggler

A nonlinear and non-averaged model of a two-beam free-electron laser (FEL) wiggler that is tapered nonlinearly in the absence of slippage is presented. The two beams are assumed to have different energies, and the fundamental resonance of the higher energy beam is at the third harmonic of the lower energy beam. By using Maxwell's equations and the full Lorentz force equation of motion for the electron beams, coupled differential equations are derived and solved numerically by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The amplitude of the wiggler field is assumed to decrease nonlinearly when the saturation of the third harmonic occurs. By simulation, the optimum starting point of the tapering and the slopes for reducing the wiggler amplitude are found. This technique can be applied to substantially improve the efficiency of the two-beam FEL in the XUV and X-ray regions. The effect of tapering on the dynamical stability of the fast electron beam is also studied.     

The Rippled-Field Magnetron (Cross-Field Free Electron Laser)

Millimeter-wave emission from the rippled-field magnetron (cross-field free electron laser (FEL)) is investigated experimentally and theoretically. In this device, electrons move in quasi-circular orbits under the combined action of a radial electric field, a uniform axial magnetic field, and a radial azimuthally periodic wiggler magnetic field. In excess of 300 kW of RF power is observed in two narrow spectral lines whose frequency can be tuned continuously from ~25 to ~50 GHz by variation of the axial magnetic field. The observations are interpreted as a FEL type of instability, associated with a resonance in the particle motion of a layer of electrons embedded in the dense spacecharge cloud. The resonance is shown to occur when 2kw?0 ? (?>0/?0) ?1 -(?p/?0)2, where kw is the wiggler wavenumber, ?0 is the azimuthal electron velocity, ?0 is the relativistic cyclotron frequency in the axial magnetic field, wp is the relativistic plasma frequency, and ?0 = [1 - (?0/c)2]-1/2 of the resonant electron layer.     

Nonlinear simulation of a high-power, collective free-electronlaser

Results obtained with the three-dimensional nonlinear analysis and simulation code, ARACHNE, and a recent 33.4-GHz, collective, free-electron laser (FEL) amplifier experiment are compared. The experiment has demonstrated power levels of 61 MW (≈27% efficiency) without recourse to tapered magnetic fields, using a 750-keV/300-A electron beam with a nominal axial energy spread of 1.5% propagating through a cylindrical drift tube in the presence of a helical wiggler and an axial guide magnetic field. Significant differences in the character of the emission were found, depending on the direction of the guide magnetic field. When the wiggler and guide fields were parallel, observed power levels reached approximately 4 MW for both the strong and weak guide field regimes, but vanished in the neighborhood of the magnetic resonance. However, the maximum power was observed in the reversed field case when the wiggler and guide fields were antiparallel. In this case, no resonant enhancement in the transverse velocity is expected to occur; however, a significant reduction in the output power occurred in the neighborhood of the antiresonance. The ARACHNE simulation is in substantial agreement with the experiment     

Soft-x-ray wavelength shift induced by ionization effects in a capillary

Coherent soft x rays are produced by high-harmonic generation in a capillary filled with Ar gas. We demonstrate that the tuning of the harmonic wavelengths with intensity and chirp arises from changes in the Ar ionization level. Control over the tuning can be achieved either by changing the average intensity of the laser pulse or by varying the quadratic spectral phase of the laser pulse. We observe an ionization-dependent blueshift of the fundamental wavelength that is directly imprinted on the harmonic wavelengths. The harmonic tuning is shown to depend on nonlinear spectral shifts of the fundamental laser pulse that are due to the plasma created by ionization, rather than directly on any chirp imposed on the fundamental wavelength.     

Second-harmonic generation of a Gaussian laser beam in a self created magnetized plasma channel

The second-harmonic generation of an intense self-guided right circularly polarized laser beam in a magnetized plasma is investigated. The laser imparts oscillatory velocity to electrons and exerts a radial ponderomotive force on them to create a depleted density channel. The critical power for self-focusing shows huge reduction as electron cyclotron frequency approaches the laser frequency (/spl omega//sub c/ /spl rarr/ /spl omega/). In the presence of the self-created radial density gradient, the laser drives a density perturbation at the fundamental frequency. The density perturbation beats with the oscillatory velocity to produce a second harmonic current density, driving second harmonic radiation copropagating with the laser. The second harmonic, however, is azimuthally asymmetric with /spl theta/-variation as exp(i/spl theta/). Its amplitude shows resonant enhancement as /spl omega//sub c/ /spl rarr/ /spl omega/.     

Efficiency enhancement of a two-beam free-electron laser using a nonlinearly tapered wiggler

A nonlinear and non-averaged model of a two-beam free-electron laser(FEL) wiggler that is tapered nonlinearly in the absence of slippage is presented.The two beams are assumed to have different energies,and the fundamental resonance of the higher energy beam is at the third harmonic of the lower energy beam.By using Maxwell’s equations and the full Lorentz force equation of motion for the electron beams,coupled differential equations are derived and solved numerically by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method.The amplitude of the wiggler field is assumed to decrease nonlinearly when the saturation of the third harmonic occurs.By simulation,the optimum starting point of the tapering and the slopes for reducing the wiggler amplitude are found.This technique can be applied to substantially improve the efficiency of the two-beam FEL in the XUV and X-ray regions.The effect of tapering on the dynamical stability of the fast electron beam is also studied.     

Single quantum path control by a fundamental chirped pulse combined with a subharmonic control pulse

In this paper, we study the issue of single quantum path control and its role in attosecond pulse generation. By carrying out the time-dependent Schrödinger equation analysis for the harmonic emission from a single He atom irradiated by the two-color laser field, consisting of a short 800 fundamental chirped pulse and a subharmonic 800–2400 nm control pulse, we find that the most favorable condition for attosecond generation is at the fundamental chirp parameter β = 4.55 together with the zero-phase 2000 nm control pulse, in which the single quantum path (short quantum path) is selected to contribute to the harmonic spectrum exhibiting an ultrabroad supercontinuum of a 337 eV bandwidth. Finally, an isolated attosecond pulse as short as 39 as is thus generated directly.     

60 fs长脉宽双色场作用下孤立阿秒脉冲的产生

通过数值求解一维含时Schrödinger方程,研究了具有较长脉宽双色激光脉冲与氢原子相互作用产生的高次谐波和阿秒(as)脉冲.这里的双色激光脉冲由一束基频钛宝石主脉冲与另一束红外附加脉冲构成.研究发现,当合成脉冲的脉宽选为12 fs时, 选取合适的附加脉冲波长,合成电场的振幅在始末端时间段能被大幅抑制, 仅中间部分的电场对谐波谱平台区和截止位置起主要贡献. 通过分析合成脉冲电场始末端时间段抑制的机理,进一步扩展了合成脉冲脉宽到60 as, 并得到160 as的孤立短脉冲.这是迄今为止在孤立阿秒脉冲产生研究中所采用的最长脉宽. 该方案中的合成脉冲等效于单一5 fs短脉冲的作用, 却克服了5 fs脉冲低输出能量导致的阿秒脉冲能量低的困难.