Ionization effects on field-free molecular alignment observed with high-order harmonic generation

In this paper, high-order harmonic generation (HHG) is demonstrated to provide a sensitive way for studying the dynamic process in the field-free molecular alignment. The dependence of the harmonic yield and the degree of alignment on the intensity of aligning pulse is observed in impulsively aligned CO₂ molecules. A good agreement is found between the experimental and calculated results. At low pump intensities, the harmonic yield increases monotonously until the ionization induced refractive index gradient and neutral molecule depletion are significant. The results show that the optimum intensity is around 8.95 × 10¹³ W/cm²; this value is related to the molecular ionization potential.     

Optimal control of nonadiabatic alignment of rotationally cold N2 molecules with the feedback of degree of alignment

Nonadiabatic alignment of rotationally cold N2 molecules is optimally controlled by shaping femtosecond pump pulses with the feedback of degree of alignment evaluated by an ion imaging technique. The alignment is optimized by doubly peaked pulses with approximately equal intensities. A doubly peaked pulse with an appropriate interval can be regarded as a single pulse with a center trough based on the considerations from both time and frequency domains, suggesting that the effective duration of a doubly peaked pulse rather than its structure is crucial to nonadiabatic molecular alignment.     

Dynamics of molecular alignment steered by a few-cycle terahertz laser pulse

The field-free alignment of molecule ClCN is investigated by using a terahertz few-cycle pulse (THz FCP) based on the time-dependent density matrix theory. It is shown that a high degree of molecular alignment can be obtained by changing the matching number of the THz FCPs in the adiabatic regime and the non-adiabatic regime. The matching number can affect both the maximum value of the alignment and the time at which it is achieved. It is also found that a higher degree of alignment can be achieved by using the THz FCP at lower intensity and there exists an optimal threshold of molecular alignment with the increase of the field amplitude. Also found is the frequency sensitive region in which the degree of maximum alignment can be enhanced greatly by modulating the center frequencies of different THz FCPs. The investigation demonstrates that comparing with a THz single-cycle pulse, a better result of the field-free alignment can be created by a THz FCP at a constant rotational temperature of molecule.     

Selective excitation of the molecular rotational wave packet by two time-delayed laser pulses

In this paper, we investigate the control of the molecular wave packet of a linear molecule by two femtosecond laser pulses. It is shown that the odd and the even rotational wave packets created by a single laser pulse can be selectively excited by accurately controlling the time delay of another laser pulse. By inserting the peak of the second laser pulse at the position of maximum or minimum value around quarter or three quarter rotational period of the slope curve with odd (or even) rotational wave packet contribution that is created by the first laser pulse, the odd rotational wave packet can be enhanced (or suppressed) while the even rotational wave packet is suppressed (or enhanced). As a result, the molecular alignments around quarter and three quarter rotational periods can be obtained. Moreover, it is also shown that by inserting the second laser pulse around the quarter or three quarter rotational periods, the changes in the maximum degree of the molecular alignment for the odd and the even rotational wave packet contributions are consistent with their corresponding slope curves at these positions.     

Active manipulation of the selective alignment by two laser pulses

This paper solves numerically the full time-dependent Schrdinger equation based on the rigid rotor model, and proposes a novel strategy to determine the optimal time delay of the two laser pulses to manipulate the molecular selective alignment. The results illustrate that the molecular alignment generated by the first pulse can be suppressed or enhanced selectively, the relative populations of even and odd rotational states in the final rotational wave packet can be manipulated selectively by precisely inserting the peak of the second laser pulse at the time when the slope for the alignment parameter by the first laser locates a local maximum for the even rotational states and a local minimum for the odds, and vice versa. The selective alignment can be further optimised by selecting the intensity ratio of the two laser pulses on the condition that the total laser intensity and pulse duration are kept constant.     

Characterization of the Brillouin-loss spectrum of single-mode fibers by use of very short (<10-ns) pulses

The characterization of the Brillouin-loss spectrum of single-mode fibers with very short (<10-ns) pulses has been studied. It was found that the Brillouin-loss signal intensity is linearly related to the duration of the pump pulse used to obtain the spectrum. In contrast with the uniform trend of the signal, three distinct behaviors were observed in the spectral linewidth. At long pulse durations the linewidth was constant at approximately 40 MHz. Pulse durations of the order of the phonon lifetime resulted in a broader spectrum, reaching a maximum width of ~100 MHz at 5 ns. Reducing the pulse duration further resulted in a sudden narrowing of the Brillouin line.     

Angular distributions of CH3I fragment ions under the irradiation of single pulse and trains of ultrashort laser pulses

The angular distribution of CH₃I is investigated experimentally using a single Fourier transform-limited laser pulse and a pulse train, where a 90-fs 800-nm linearly polarized laser field with a moderate intensity of 2.8×10¹³ W/cm² is used. The dynamic alignment is demonstrated in a single pulse experiment. Moreover, a pulse train is used to optimize the molecular alignment, and the alignment degree is almost identical to that with the single pulse. The results are analysed by using chirped femtosecond laser pulses, and it demonstrates that the structure of pulse train rather than its effective duration is crucial to the molecular alignment.     

控制双激光脉冲的宽度提高N2分子的取向

提出了通过控制双激光脉冲宽度的方法来提高N₂分子取向程度. 利用数值方法求解了N₂分子刚性转子模型在双激光脉冲作用下的薛定谔方程,计算了双原子分子N₂在总强度固定的两束激光脉冲作用下,不同脉冲宽度对于N₂分子取向的影响. 研究结果表明,通过调整两束激光脉冲的宽度,选择合适的延迟时间能够有效提高N₂分子的取向程度. 关键词： 双激光脉冲 分子取向 脉冲宽度     

Measurement of laser-induced alignment of molecules by cross defocusing

The field-free alignment of CO2 produced in response to the excitation of a molecule by a high-intensity femtosecond pump pulse is measured with a simple coronography-like technique. The technique is based on the defocusing of a time-delayed probe pulse produced by the spatial distribution of aligned molecules. In the intensity regime explored here, the technique is shown to give valuable information about dynamic alignment. With the help of simulations, the degree of alignment is extracted from the data.     

Control of femtosecond filamentation by field-free revivals of molecular alignment

We show that the filamentation dynamics of a femtosecond laser probe pulse can be readily controlled by properly matching it to the quantum revivals of pre-aligned molecules prepared through impulsive rotational Raman excitation with an advancing ultrashort pump pulse. Several features of the filamentation process including supercontinuum generation, the length of the plasma channel generated in the wake of the filament, the associated secondary radiations and the multiple filamentation pattern are all easily modified by tuning the cross phase modulation induced by the field-free revivals of molecular alignment, through the delay between the pump and the probe pulses. We show that molecular alignment can also be used to generate conical waves with extremely short intensity spike called shocked X-waves and to further tune the frequency of a few-cycle laser pulse in the wake of a self-guided intense filament.     

Generation of single dispersion precompensated 1-fs pulses by shaped-pulse optimized high-order stimulated Raman scattering

We propose and theoretically analyze a new approach for generating and shaping 1-fs pulses. It combines the ideas of strong-field molecular optics and optimal control to manipulate light generation in a pump-probe Raman regime. Flexible phase control over the generated spectrum of about 3 eV width is achieved by controlling the input pulses and maximizing the coherence of medium excitation by adiabatically aligning molecules in the medium with a specially shaped pump pulse. The generated pulse is optimized for an output window, precompensating for its dispersion to all orders.     

An Actively Mode-Locked Ho:YAG Solid-Laser Pumped by a Tm-Doped Fiber Laser

An actively mode-locked Ho:YAG laser pumped by a diode-pumped Tm-doped fiber laser is reported.For the cw operation,we obtain the maximum output power of 3.43 W with a central wavelength 2022.2 nm at the maximum incident pump power of 11.4 W,corresponding to a slope efficiency of 34.5%.The beam quality factor M2 is 1.16,and the output beam is close to fundamental TEM_(00) In the case of the CWML operation,a stable pulse train is generated with an average output power up to 3.41 W with a slope efficiency of 34.3%at the incident pump power of 11.4 W and a pulse duration of 294 ps at a repetition rate of 81.92 MHz.In addition,the maximum single pulse energy is 41.6 n J.     

Low temperature enhancement of alignment-induced spectral broadening of femtosecond laser pulses

The propagation of femtosecond laser pulses in N2-filled hollow fibers is studied both theoretically and experimentally. The laser pulse aligns the N2 molecules and changes the refractive index, which meanwhile modulates the spectrum of the pulse in turn. The dependence of the spectral modulation on the gas temperature is investigated. We find that both spectral broadening and frequency red-shift are enhanced at low temperature. The degree of enhancement is found to be dependent on the pulse duration. Based on our findings, we propose a method for femtosecond pulse spectral broadening and few-cycle pulse generation via the molecular alignment.     

掺镱光纤激光器自脉冲与自脉冲内的自锁模研究

采用单端连续抽运方式, 对自由运转的双包层掺镱光纤激光器的输出特性进行了详细的实验研究. 实验中不但观察到了自脉冲, 而且首次在自由运转的光纤激光器中观察到自锁模现象, 对它们产生的物理机理进行了相应的理论分析. 分析表明: 增益光纤的弱(未) 抽运部分对信号光的吸收导致光纤激光器内自脉冲的出现, 轴向模之间的拍频和自相位调制导致自锁模现象的出现, 而受激拉曼散射、 受激布里渊散射等非线性效应使它们进一步增强. 当抽运光功率略高于阈值时, 自脉冲宽度比较宽, 随抽运光功率增加自脉冲的脉宽变窄; 自脉冲包络面内的自锁模脉冲的宽度随抽运光功率增加也变窄, 进一步增加抽运光功率, 自脉冲和自脉冲包络面内的自锁模现象消失. 实验测得自锁模脉冲的间隔为224 ns, 最大(小) 自锁模脉冲的半高全宽约为35.0 ns (6.3 ns); 测得信号光的中心波长为1090 nm, 谱线半高全宽的最大(小) 值约为7.05 nm (2.01 nm).     

The analysis of excite and probe measurements of relaxation times with fluctuating pulse duration

The effect of fluctuations in the pulse duration of synchronously pumped modelocked pulse trains on excite and probe measurements is discussed. Relaxation times comparable with the pulse durations can be measured even when large pulse-to-pulse fluctuations in duration exist. The pump and probe pulse durations are assumed to be correlated. When the probe pulses are the second harmonic of the pump, or vice versa, the third harmonic must also be generated to permit deconvolution of experimental excite and probe data. When the pump and probe pulses have the same time dependence, the excite and probe curves consist of the desired response function convolved with the time-averaged second harmonic autocorrelation function which is easily measured. Deconvolution yields the relaxation time but fluctuations in pulse duration increase the root-mean-square voltage fluctuation at the output of the detector system and limit the accuracy with which the relaxation time can be calculated.     

医用高功率CTH:YAG脉冲激光器的研究

为了提高Cr,Tm,Ho∶YAG激光器的输出功率对CTH∶YAG准三能级能量转移特性进行了分析,优化了谐振腔的腔长及腔镜的曲率半径,采用了高漫反射陶瓷聚光腔.结果表明,有效抽运光谱带的反射率高达95％,在冷却水温为19 ℃,抽运能量为159 J时,获得最大单脉冲输出能量5.11 J,斜率效率5.6%.     

Generation of high power laser at 1314 nm from a diode-side-pumped Nd:YLF module

We demonstrate a high power continuous-wave （CW） and acoustic-optically （AO） Q-switched 1314-nm laser with a diode-side-pumped Nd：YLF module. A maximum CW output power of 21.6 W is obtained with a diode pump power of 180 W, corresponding to an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 12.0% and a slope efficiency of 16.1%. In the Q-switching operation, a highest pulse energy of 3.8 mJ is obtained at a pulse repetition rate of 1 kHz. The shortest pulse width and maximum single peak power are 101.9 ns and 37.3 kW, respectively.     

Continuous-Wave and Actively Q-Switched Diode-Pumped Er:LuAG Ring Laser at 1650 nm

We demonstrate a cw and actively Q-switched Er.LuAG laser resonantly dual-end-pumped by 1532 nm fibrecoupled laser diodes.A maximum cw output power of 1.9W at 1650.3nm is obtained at a pump power of 25.5 W,corresponding to a slope efficiency of 43.3%.In the Q-switched regime,the maximum pulse energy of3.51 mJ is reached at a pulse repetition rate of 100 Hz,a pulse duration of 90.5 ns and a pump power of 25.5 W.At the repetition rate of 400 Hz,the output energy is 2.12 mJ,corresponding to a pulse duration of 125.4 ns.     

Passively Q-Switched Nd:YVO_4 Laser Using a Gold Nanotriangle Saturable Absorber

A passively Q-switched Nd:YVO_4 laser at 1064 nm is demonstrated based on a gold nanotriangle saturable absorber(GNT SA).Under a pump power of 3.82 W,the maximum average output power of 218mW is achieved,corresponding to a slope efficiency of 12.9%.The minimum pulse width is 165ns and the maximum pulse repetition rate is 300kHz at the pump power of 3.48 W.Our results prove that the GNT SA is a promising saturable absorber for near-infrared lasers.     

Laser performance of monolithic Cr,Nd:YAG self-Q-switched laser

The self-Q-switched laser performance of monolithic Cr⁴⁺,Nd³⁺:YAG concave-planar resonator with 5-mm length was studied experimentally and theoretically. The slope efficiency is as high as 24% and pump threshold is as low as 64 mW. The pulse width, the single pulse energy and the pulse repetition rate of monolithic Cr,Nd:YAG self-Q-switched laser were measured as a function of absorbed pump power. With the increase of pump power, the pulse width decreases and the pulse energy and the pulse repetition rate increase. The average output power of 91 mW with pulse width of 7 ns at repletion rate of 35.5 kHz was obtained at the maximum absorbed pump power of 440 mW, the peak power is as high as 370 W. The theoretical prediction of pulse energy, pulse width and pulse repetition rate as a function of absorbed pump power based on rate equations is in a good agreement with our experimental data. This can lead to develop the diode laser-pumped monolithic self-Q-switched solid-state microchip lasers.