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.     

Third-harmonic generation in relative-phase-controlled two-color laser field

We experimentally demonstrate third-harmonic generation (THG) by intense femtosecond laser pulse at a central wavelength of ??800?nm superposed by its second harmonic in air. The third-harmonic signal shows a periodic modulation with a period of ??0.67?fs when the delay between fundamental and second-harmonic wave is continuously changed. The periodic modulation of THG can be attributed to the interference of third-harmonic signals generated from a direct THG channel (3??=??+??+??) and a four-wave mixing (FWM) channel (3??=2??+2?????). With high pump intensity, the fitting of the measured TH spectrum as a function of delay implies that the pump pulse undergoes a strong pulse splitting and self-phase modulation at the focus.     

在双色场中使用相干叠加态来提高高次谐波的发射

本文提出了一种在双色场中使用相干叠加态来提高高次谐波发射效率的方法.我们首先通过在800 nm基本激光脉冲上添加一束控制激光脉冲在理论上得到双色合成激光场;其次,通过求解一维含时薛定谔方程,计算得到了体系处于不同初始态时的高次谐波谱,并结合时频分布图时其微观机理进行分析.计算结果表明,使用相干叠加态作为体系的初始态,通过调节两束激光的相对相位可以有效实现提高高次谐波的发射效率的目的.     

在双色场中使用相干叠加态来提高高次谐波的发射

本文提出了一种在双色场中使用相干叠加态来提高高次谐波发射效率的方法. 我们首先通过在800nm基本激光脉冲上添加一束控制激光脉冲在理论上得到双色合成激光场;其次,通过求解一维含时薛定谔方程,计算得到了体系处于不同初始态时的高次谐波谱,并结合时频分布图对其微观机理进行分析. 计算结果表明,使用相干叠加态作为体系的初始态,通过调节两束激光的相对相位可以有效实现提高高次谐波的发射效率的目的.     

Asymmetric high-energy ion emission from argon clusters in intense laser fields

Clusters of 2x10(3) to 4x10(4) Ar atoms are Coulomb exploded in intense (up to 8x10(15) W cm(-2)) laser fields. The dependence of multiply charged argon ion energies on the polarization state of light is probed. A directional asymmetry in the ion-explosion energies is observed for the highest charge states. The ion-energy distribution consists of a low-energy isotropic component, and a high-energy anisotropic one. The results are discussed in terms of an asymmetric Coulomb-explosion scenario.     

Attosecond pulse extreme-ultraviolet photoionization in a two-color laser field

Attosecond-pulse extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) photoionization in a two-color laser field is investigated. Attosecond pulse trains with different numbers of pulses are examined, and their strong dependence on photoelectronic spectra is found. Single-color driving-laser-field-assisted attosecond XUV photoionization cannot determine the number of attosecond pulses from the photoelectronic energy spectrum that are detected orthogonally to the beam direction and the electric field vector of the linearly polarized laser field. A two-color-field-assisted XUV photoionization scheme is proposed for directly determining the number of attosecond pulses from a spectrum detected orthogonally.     

Efficient high-order harmonic generation in a two-color laser field

We report efficient high-order harmonic generation achieved using a two-color laser field. By inserting a second-harmonic generation crystal in the path of a converging laser pulse, the overall efficiency for high-harmonic generation was enhanced by more than an order of magnitude. In addition, even-order harmonics were also generated. The 2(2n+1)th -order harmonics were very strong and, in particular, the 38th harmonic (21.6 nm), obtained with a single laser shot of 2 mJ, saturated the X-ray charge-coupled device (CCD) of an extreme-ultraviolet spectrometer even with an Al filter of 1.5 m thickness installed in front of the CCD. PACS 42.65.Ky; 32.80.-t; 42.65.Re     

THz emission from semiconductor surfaces

We provide a review of experimental and theoretical work on electromagnetic terahertz pulse emission from semiconductor surfaces excited by femtosecond laser radiation. The main terahertz emission mechanisms are analysed. The terahertz emission from InAs and Ge is explained by the photo-Dember effect and electric field induced optical rectification. Electronic band structure and carrier scattering mechanisms are investigated by means of terahertz emission and absorption spectroscopy in InAs, InSb and Ge. To cite this article: V.L. Malevich et al., C. R. Physique 9 (2008).     

Effect of gas species on THz generation from two-color lasers

The ionization current generated by two-color laser interaction with different gas atoms can produce strong terahertz(THz) emissions.The ionization potential of atoms determines the ionization rate.Thus,THz emission from different atoms varies.Particle-in-cell simulations are conducted to investigate the THz emission from He,Ne,Ar,and N.The THz emissions as a function of the laser field are different because the ionization rate and electron speed depend on the laser field and ionization potential.     

Approach to extreme ultraviolet supercontinuum in a two-color laser field

In recent years, it has been shown that an intense few-cycle driving pulse combined with a weak control pulse could efficiently extend the harmonic spectrum in the generation of high-order harmonics (HHG). In this paper, we adjust the intensities of the driving and control pulse to generate broader extreme ultraviolet (XUV) supercontinuum. We find that in some special situation when the intensity of the control pulse equals to that of the driving pulse, a clean supercontinuum as long as 80 eV can be realized and a 53-as pulse can be straightforwardly obtained.     

Excitation-wavelength-dependent THz wave modulation via external bias electric field

A theoretical model was proposed to describe the effects of external bias electric field on terahertz(THz) generated in air plasma. The model predicted that for a plasma in a bias electric field, the amplification effect of the THz wave intensity increases with the increase of the excitation laser wavelength. We experimentally observed the relationship between the THz enhancement effect and the electric field strength at different wavelengths. Experimental results showed a good agreement with the model predictions. These results enhance our understanding of the physical mechanism by which femtosecond lasers excite air to generate THz and extend the practical applications of THz generation and modulation.     

Generation of an extreme ultraviolet supercontinuum in a two-color laser field

We theoretically investigate the high-order harmonic generation in a helium atom with a two-color optical field synthesized by an intense 6 fs pulse at 800 nm and a relatively weak 21.3 fs pulse at 400 nm. When the frequency-doubled pulse is properly time shifted with respect to the fundamental pulse, an ultrabroad extreme ultraviolet supercontinuum spectrum with a 148 eV spectral width can be generated which directly creates an isolated 65 as pulse even without phase compensation. We explain this extraordinary phenomenon by analyzing maximum electron kinetic energies at different return times.     

正交偏振双色激光场作用下生成的孤立阿秒脉冲

我们理论研究了正交偏振双色激光场作用下的高次谐波发射和孤立阿秒脉冲的产生.当y方向加一束中红外激光脉冲(12.5 fs/2000 nm),x方向加一束强度较弱的激光脉冲(12 fs/800 nm)时,我们得到从250 eV到350 eV的超连续谐波平台,在平台范围内叠加50 eV的谐波,可以得到一个脉宽约为97as的孤立阿秒脉冲. 通过时频分析,我们解释了高次谐波发射的物理机制.     

双色激光场中高次谐波转化效率的提高

采用渐近边界条件和辛算法数值求解双色激光场与模型P?schl-Teller势相互作用的含时Schr?dinger方程，计算了电离概率、平均位移、高次谐波以及跃迁概率；数值结果显示添加6倍频光的双色激光场能使高次谐波转化效率明显提高.分析了双色激光场极大地提高高次谐波转化效率的机理，并且通过对产生特定级次谐波的跃迁概率的计算，给出高次谐波转化效率提高的具体数值. 关键词： 渐近边界条件 辛算法 双色激光场 高次谐波     

双色激光场中极端远紫外超连续谱相干辐射产生

通过脉宽为周期量级的超快强场激光脉冲与惰性气体原子的极端非线性相互作用,能够产生单个的阿秒量级的极端远紫外光脉冲。然而,现有的周期量级的激光脉冲的最短脉宽仍在两个光周期左右,尚不足以支持产生脉宽短于100as的单个极端远紫外脉冲。文章作者首次提出通过在一个周期量级(如6fs)激光脉冲上再叠加一个强度较弱但相对位相精确控制的二倍频激光,能够直接实现单个的65as光脉冲。如进一步经过位相补偿,将有望产生一个脉宽仅为23as的单脉冲,从而将阿秒光脉冲的时间宽度推进到短于一个原子时间单位。     

Controlling continuum wavepacket interference by two-color laser field in over-the-barrier ionization regime

Continuum wavepacket interference is investigated by numerically solving the time-dependent Schröodinger equation for the interaction of hydrogen atoms with laser fields. The obtained wavepacket evolution indicates that, in the over-the-barrier ionization regime (10¹⁶ W/cm²), the continuum–continuum (CC) interference of ionizing electrons becomes the main process in highorder harmonics generation (HHG), compared with continuum-bound (CB) transition, as reported by Kohler et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 105(20), 203902 (2010)].We propose a two-color laser field scheme for controlling the quantum trajectories of ionizing electrons and for extending the CC harmonic energy. As a result, a high energy platform occurs in the HHG spectrum, which entirely originates from the CC harmonics, with a cutoff adjustable by the relative phase of the two-color fields. This provides further understanding of the dynamic feature of atoms and molecules in super intense laser fields and provides an opportunity to image the atomic or molecular potential.     

Conical forward THz emission from femtosecond-laser-beam filamentation in air

We attribute a strong forward directed THz emission from femtosecond laser filaments in air to a transition-Cherenkov emission from the plasma space charge moving behind the ionization front at light velocity. Distant targets can be easily irradiated by this new source of THz radiation.     

Directional emission of multiply charged ions during dissociative ionization in asymmetric two-color laser fields

Intense, asymmetric 1ω+2ω laser fields are used to affect the directional ejection of multiply charged ion fragments from a variety of molecules, including N2, O2, CO, HBr, and CO2. By tuning the relative phase, ?, between the two fields, we observe large forward-backward dissociation asymmetries. The largest asymmetries are obtained at the same values of ? for all species, suggesting a common dynamical mechanism. Following an independent phase calibration, the sign of the asymmetry appears to be opposite that expected from the standard enhanced ionization model.