Determination of the temporal profile of a terahertz pulse by applying the nonlinear-optical cross-correlation method

The nonlinear-optical cross-correlation method is proposed to determine the temporal profile of the electric field of a pulse terahertz radiation modulating the phase of the basic femtosecond laser pulse in an electrooptical crystal. In this method the measurement of the temporal profile of the electric field of the terahertz radiation pulse is realized in one laser pulse.     

Particle simulation on electron acceleration process by the laser ponderomotive force in inhomogeneous underdense plasma layers

The mechanism of electron ponderomotive acceleration due to increasing group velocity of laser pulse in inhomogeneous underdense plasma layers is studied by two-dimensional relativistic parallel particle-in-cell code. The electrons within the laser pulse move with it and can be strongly accelerated ponderomotively when the duration of laser pulse is much shorter than the duration of optimum condition for acceleration in the wake. The extra energy gain can be attributed to the change of laser group velocity. More high energy electrons are generated in the plasma layer with descending density profile than that with ascending density profile. The process and character of electron acceleration in three kinds of underdense plasma layers are presented and compared.     

激光脉冲在气体中产生的离化波前的演化及其对光脉冲传播的影响

利用带离化子程序的一维粒子模拟程序，对光脉冲与离化波前的相互作用进行了模拟研究，讨论了在原子多度电离的情况下光脉冲与离化波前的相互作用关系.研究表明，由于原子各级离化势的不连续性使得离化波前在空间上出现平台区；离化过程导致激光频率发生蓝移，这个蓝移又对脉冲形状产生调制，使脉冲前沿呈阶跃型增长；阶跃型的光脉冲包络使离化波前的平台区变短，直至整个离化波前分为几个不同梯度的区域.还讨论了不同元素和不同密度的气体中产生的离化波前的特点.同时分析了光脉冲频率随传播距离的关系，指出由于光脉冲宽度的增加，将导致出射的光 关键词： 激光等离子体 光电离 离化波前 激光频率上转换     

Short-channel drain current model for asymmetric heavily / lightly doped DG MOSFETs

Performance characteristics of an excimer laser (XeCl) with single-stage magnetic pulse compression suitable for material processing applications are presented here. The laser incorporates in-built compact gas circulation and gas cooling to ensure fresh gas mixture between the electrodes for repetitive operation. A magnetically coupled tangential blower is used for gas circulation inside the laser chamber for repetitive operation. The exciter consists of C–C energy transfer circuit and thyratron is used as a high-voltage main switch with single-stage magnetic pulse compression (MPC) between thyratron and the laser electrodes. Low inductance of the laser head and uniform and intense pre-ionization are the main features of the electric circuit used in the laser. A 250 ns rise time voltage pulse was compressed to 100 ns duration with a single-stage magnetic pulse compressor using Ni–Zn ferrite cores. The laser can generate about 150 mJ at ～100 Hz rep-rate reliably from a discharge volume of 100 cm ³. 2D spatial laser beam profile generated is presented here. The profile shows that the laser beam is completely filled with flat-top which is suitable for material processing applications. The SEM image of the microhole generated on copper target is presented here.     

Time varyingM 2 inQ-switched lasers

Numerical simulations of the pulse build up in aQ-switched laser reveal a considerable change in the beam spatial profile during the pulse evolution, on a nanosecond time scale. Such changes were measured experimentally, and the measured temporal evolution of the beam profile is shown to be in good agreement with the theoretical results. The time evolution of the spatial profile translates into an evolution of the beam quality parameterM ²; for typical experimental conditions, in a Nd:YAG laser utilizing a variable-reflectivity mirror resonator,M ² is very close to a value of 1 at the beginning of the pulse, and increases smoothly throughout the pulse to reach a value of approximately 2 at the pulse trailing edge.     

High-energy, spatially flat-top green pump laser by beam homogenization for petawatt scale Ti:sapphire laser systems

We have demonstrated that we can homogenize the spatial profile of a high-energy green laser pulse used for pumping a petawatt scale Ti:sapphire amplifier. The second harmonic of a high-energy, large aperture Nd:glass laser system generates laser emission at a green wavelength with 75 J single pulse energy. Using a diffractive optical element for beam homogenization, we have obtained a highly spatially uniform flat-top second harmonic profile.     

Nonlinear interaction of ultraintense laser pulse with relativistic thin plasma foil in the radiation pressure-dominant regime

We present a study of the effect of laser pulse temporal profile on the energy /momentum acquired by the ions as a result of the ultraintense laser pulse focussed on a thin plasma layer in the radiation pressure-dominant (RPD) regime. In the RPD regime, the plasma foil is pushed by ultraintense laser pulse when the radiation cannot propagate through the foil, while the electron and ion layers move together. The nonlinear character of laser–matter interaction is exhibited in the relativistic frequency shift, and also change in the wave amplitude as the EM wave gets reflected by the relativistically moving thin dense plasma layer. Relativistic effects in a high-energy plasma provide matching conditions that make it possible to exchange very effectively ordered kinetic energy and momentum between the EM fields and the plasma. When matter moves at relativistic velocities, the efficiency of the energy transfer from the radiation to thin plasma foil is more than 30% and in ultrarelativistic case it approaches one. The momentum /energy transfer to the ions is found to depend on the temporal profile of the laser pulse. Our numerical results show that for the same laser and plasma parameters, a Lorentzian pulse can accelerate ions upto 0.2 GeV within 10 fs which is 1.5 times larger than that a Gaussian pulse can.     

XeCl准分子激光能量提取研究

在高功率准分子激光系统建设中,希望能获得较短的脉冲宽度和尽量多的激光能量。实验研究了不同注入水平下,脉冲时间间隔对脉冲链放大波形和放大器提取效率的影响;基于四能级速率方程和准分子反应动力学建立了准分子激光放大模型,计算了多种注入方式下种子光的放大过程,对关键参数给出了量化描述,得到与实验相符的计算结果。研究结果显示:脉冲序列间隔为9.3ns时,可获得约95%的连续注入情形下放大能量;对该准分子激光系统来讲,9.3ns是比较合适的脉冲间隔。     

Generation of electromagnetic waves in the terahertz frequency range by optical rectification of a Gaussian laser pulse in a plasma in presence of an externally applied static electric field

We propose a theoretical model for the generation of electromagnetic waves in the terahertz (THz) frequency range by the optical rectification of a Gaussian laser pulse in a plasma with an applied static electric field transverse to the direction of propagation. A Gaussian laser pulse can exert a transverse component of the quasi‐static ponderomotive force on the electrons at a frequency in the THz range by a suitable choice of the laser pulse width. This nonlinear force is responsible for the density oscillation. The coupling of this oscillation with the drift velocity acquired by electrons due to the applied static electric field leads to the generation of a nonlinear current density. A spatial Gaussian intensity profile of the laser beam enhances the generated THz yield by many folds as compared to a uniform spatial intensity profile.     

Long-cavity passively mode-locked fiber ring laser with high-energy rectangular-shape pulses in anomalous dispersion regime

We report on a long-cavity passively mode-locked fiber laser in the anomalous dispersion regime. The nonlinear polarization rotation technique is employed to achieve mode locking. The output pulse from the fiber laser has a rectangular shape and a corresponding gaussian-shape spectral profile. Stable mode-locked pulses at a repetition rate of 278 kHz with single pulse energy as high as 715 nJ are obtained under equal bidirectional pumping power of 500 mW in cavity. The experimental results demonstrate that the passively mode-locked fiber laser operating in the anomalous regime can also realize a high-energy pulse, which is different from the conventional low-energy soliton pulse.     

Nonlinear propagation of an intense Laguerre–Gaussian laser pulse in a plasma channel

The nonlinear propagation of an intense Laguerre–Gaussian(LG) laser pulse in a parabolic preformed plasma channel is analyzed by means of the variational method. The evolution equation of the spot size is derived including the effects of relativistic self-focusing, preformed channel focusing, and ponderomotive self-channeling. The parametric conditions of the LG laser pulse and plasma channel for propagating with constant spot size, periodically focusing and defocusing oscillation,catastrophic focusing, and solitary waves are obtained. Compared with the laser pulse with fundamental Gaussian(FG)mode, it is found that the effect of vacuum diffraction is reduced by half and the effects of relativistic and wakefield focusing are decreased by a quarter due to the hollow transverse intensity profile of the LG laser pulse, while the effect of channel focusing is the same order of magnitude with that of the FG laser pulse. Thus, the matched condition for the intense LG laser pulse with constant spot size is released obviously, while the parameters of the laser and plasma for the existence of solitary waves nearly coincide with those of the FG laser pulse.     

高能电子与超强激光束作用产生的阿秒脉冲列

利用非线性汤姆孙散射的理论，从理论和数值模拟上研究了单电子在横向穿越高斯激光束束 腰时所辐射的x射线阿秒脉冲列的性质. 主要分析了电子以初始能量γ₀=1M eV—100M eV横向穿越激光振幅参数为a₀=1—10的高斯光束束腰获得的阿秒辐射脉冲的 时间 和空间性质. 计算表明，辐射呈现脉冲列的形式. 脉冲列的包络宽度取决于激光强度、束腰 的宽度以及入射电子能量. 电子的初始能量比激光强度对电子辐射脉冲的影响更大. 辐射脉 宽、脉冲间隔和脉冲包络宽度都正比于1/γ²₀，辐射功率正比于 γ⁶₀，辐射能 量正比于γ⁴₀. 当改变激光振幅a₀时，辐射功率正比 于a²₀、辐射包络中单 个脉冲脉宽正比于1/a₀、脉冲之间的间隔正比于a₀. 当保持激光强 度不变，而改变光束 束腰半径w₀时，辐射的脉冲数量、包络和辐射能量正比于w₀. 当 激光功率保 持不变时而改变激光强度和束腰半径时，脉冲包络宽度和最大辐射能量都基本不变. 当激光 振幅参数a₀=1，电子初始能量为10MeV时，激光束腰为两个激光波长时，电子 辐 射脉冲包络宽度只有14×10^-3τ₀（τ₀为入 射激光周期），达到几个阿秒的量级. 关键词： 阿秒脉冲 非线性汤姆孙散射 高斯激光光束     

Effect of time profile of laser pulse on the excitation of sound signals in a liquid with a series of laser pulses

We have studied the sound generation with high repetition rate pulsed laser. We have solved the inhomogeneous wave equation for acoustic pressure in a liquid generated by a laser, using Green’s function formalism and convolution technique. To obtain the maximum pressure of the sound waves, we found the conditions on repetition rate and on period of laser pulse of various shapes. Our analysis shows that the sound generated in a liquid with a series of laser pulses is highly affected by the time profile of the pulses besides other parameters, namely laser beam diameter, laser beam optical wavelength, repetition rate and period of laser pulse. This effect is pronounced particularly in frequency domain. We found that the noise of higher harmonics in the generated sound can be greatly removed with the proper choice of the time profile of the laser pulses. It is found that the pressure is generated around the fundamental frequency for the half-sine and rectangular pulses, with the proper choice of repetition rate and period of pulse. The application of the present analysis for underwater communication is pointed out.     

Nonlinear pulse propagation and phase velocity of laser-driven plasma waves

Laser evolution and plasma wave excitation by a relativistically intense short-pulse laser in underdense plasma are investigated in the broad pulse limit, including the effects of pulse steepening, frequency redshifting, and energy depletion. The nonlinear plasma wave phase velocity is shown to be significantly lower than the laser group velocity and further decreases as the pulse propagates owing to laser evolution. This lowers the thresholds for trapping and wave breaking and reduces the energy gain and efficiency of laser-plasma accelerators that use a uniform plasma profile.     

Laser pulse optimization for practical laser drilling

Laser drilling is a common commercially developed technique for material processing. From the application viewpoint, it is the end product for a laser system, for instance a drilled hole, that matters. Laser pulse profile is the most important parameter controlling the laser hole drilling process. An efficient and practical method is therefore needed to develop a relationship between the pulse parameters and the depth of hole produced in a known material. In the present study, dimensionless groups are developed to optimize laser pulse parameters to give information on workpiece materials. Consequently, an optimal laser pulse for drilling an aluminum workpiece is predicted.     

The effect of plasma channel on the self-distortion of laser pulse propagating through the collisional plasma channel

In the present paper, laser pulse distortion/breakup and the effect of the plasma channel on the laser propagation through the collisional plasma have been studied by using moment theory approach. Second order nonlinear differential equations of the beam width parameter have been derived for the propagation of the laser through uniform homogenous plasma and preformed plasma channel having parabolic density profile. Differential equations of beam width parameter have been solved numerically using Runge Kutta method. It has been observed from analysis that when the laser pulse propagates through the homogenous plasma, the low intensity front and rear parts of the laser get defocused/diffracted and the high intensity central/main portion of the laser pulse gets self-guided. As a result of this, the laser pulse gets distorted. This distortion of the laser has not been observed when the laser pulse is propagated through the plasma channel having density minimum at the axis and maximum at the edges. The laser pulse is guided as a whole, even the low intensity front and rear parts of the laser are also guided. Therefore, the plasma channel is useful to prevent the distortion/breakup of the laser.     

High-power third-harmonic flat pulse laser generation

The generation of a high-power laser pulse at 266 nm that is longitudinally shaped according to a prefixed intensity profile is reported. The main features of the pulse shape modifications due to second- and third-harmonic conversions are measured, and the results are in good agreement with the theory. The UV temporal shape depends on the chirp of the fundamental pulse and on the crystal phase-matching angle. Exploiting the large stretching imposed on the third-harmonic signal, we show that the pulse intensity profile can be obtained by spectral single-shot measurements.     

Nuclear Excitation by X-Ray Emission of Femtosecond Laser Plasma

The proposed model of laser plasma emission spectrum formation enables us to determine the absolute value of the laser pulse to plasma emitted radiation conversion factor, profile of the emission spectrum, and frequency distribution of the intensity and energy in the emitted spectra. This is of interest for laser plasma diagnostics and provides a means for direct calculation of the number of excited nuclei in dependent on the parameters of laser pulse. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ionization focusing of a short intense laser pulse and generation of wake plasma waves

The propagation of a short intense laser pulse is studied in a gas taking into account the ionization of gas atoms by the high-frequency electromagnetic field of the pulse. The conditions are found under which the ionization structures produced by the laser pulse cause the pulse focusing accompanied by a substantial increase in its intensity. It is shown that the leading edge of the pulse is subjected to ionization refraction at the ionization front, the temporal profile of the pulse becoming steeper. This results in the efficient generation of a wake wave at the ionization front, which is amplified during the development of self-modulation instability. The amplitude of the wake plasma wave achieves a substantial value already at small paths of the pulse in matter (smaller than the diffraction length of the pulse).     

Valley density profile for highly efficient x-ray lasers with good beam quality

A plasma with a valley density profile at the required electron density for high-gain operation of an x-ray laser could be obtained using a normally incident 300 ps laser pulse followed by a grazing-incident 300 ps laser pulse. Sudden heating of the valley plasma region by another grazing-incident 300 fs laser pulse would then yield a highly efficient x-ray laser beam with a deflecting angle of 2 mrad and a divergence angle of 4 mrad. Saturation operation of the x-ray laser beam at 32.6 nm could be achieved with a total pump energy of less than 100 mJ.