High stability breakdown of noble gases with femtosecond laser pulses

In the past, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) signals have been reported to have a stability independent of the pulse length in solids. In this Letter, we perform the first stability study of femtosecond LIBS in gases (to our best knowledge) and show a significant improvement in signal stability over those achieved with longer pulses. Our study shows that ultrashort-pulse LIBS has an intrinsically higher stability in gas compared to nanosecond-pulse LIBS because of a deterministic ionization process at work in the femtosecond pulse. Relative standard deviations below 1% are demonstrated and are likely only limited by our laser output fluctuations. This enhanced emission stability may open up possibilities for a range of applications, from monitoring rapid gas dynamics to high-quality broadband light sources.     

A self-driven laser oscillator for directly producing bandwidth-limited pulses of about 1 nsec

We report a self-driven Nd:YAG oscillator system that directly produces bandwidth-limited output pulses with durations from < 0.5 to #62; 2.5 nsec. We obtain the pulses by independently adjusting the temporal content of an initially gated noise pulse, the frequency dependent feedback properties of the optical cavity, and the system gain.     

Ionization of a multilevel atom by ultrashort laser pulses

Specific features of ionization of single atoms by laser fields of a near-atomic strength are investigated. Calculations are performed for silver atoms interacting with femtosecond laser pulses with wavelengths λ = 800 nm (Ti:Sapphire) and λ = 1.064 μm (Nd:YAG). The dependences of the probability of ionization and of the form of the photoelectron energy spectra on the field of laser pulses for various values of their duration are considered. It is shown that the behavior of the probability of ionization in the range of subatomic laser pulse fields is in good agreement with the Keldysh formula. However, when the field strength attains values close to the atomic field strength, the discrepancies in these dependences manifested in a decrease in the ionization rate (ionization stabilization effect) or in its increase (accelerated ionization) are observed. These discrepancies are associated with the dependence of the population dynamics of excited discrete energy levels of the atom on the laser pulse field amplitude.     

光纤激光器直接输出的高功率贝塞尔超短脉冲

构建了一种能够直接输出高功率贝塞尔超短脉冲的光纤激光放大器. 该方案基于在光纤端面特殊设计和制备的微型负轴锥镜, 针对常规超短脉冲光纤激光放大系统所设计, 不需要引入其他分立整形器件, 避免了目前基于轴锥透镜产生贝塞尔光束的通用方法所带来的额外烦琐准直工作, 极大简化了产生贝塞尔光束的方法. 其中的微型负轴锥镜由聚焦粒子束刻蚀法在一段掺镱大模场光子晶体光纤的端面制备, 它和光纤激光系统中的固有准直透镜构成了集成化的光束整形器件. 基于数值模拟结果成功搭建的系统与理论设计一致, 直接输出了在米量级具有高度准直无衍射特性的啁啾皮秒贝塞尔超短脉冲波包, 平均功率高达10.1 W, 对应脉冲能量178 nJ, 经过光栅对压缩后脉冲宽度可达140 fs. 关键词： 衍射 超短脉冲产生 光纤器件 光纤激光器     

Ionization of clusters in strong x-ray laser pulses

The effect of intense x-ray laser interaction on argon clusters is studied theoretically with a mixed quantum/classical approach. In comparison to a single atom we find that ionization of the cluster is suppressed, which is in striking contrast to the observed behavior of rare-gas clusters in intense optical laser pulses. We have identified two effects responsible for this phenomenon: A high space charge of the cluster in combination with a small quiver amplitude and delocalization of electrons in the cluster. We elucidate their impact for different field strengths and cluster sizes.     

Generation of 47-fs pulses directly from an erbium-doped fiber laser

We show both numerically and experimentally that through appropriately selecting the output coupling position and strength in a mode-locked fiber laser, one can effectively manage the nonlinearity of the cavity. By implementing the technique together with cavity dispersion management in an erbium-doped fiber laser, we have achieved stable mode-locked pulses with a single-pulse energy of 2.08 nJ and pulse width of 46.2 fs directly from the laser.     

Parametric oscillator directly pumped by a 1.55-mum erbium-fiber laser

We report what is believed to be the first demonstration of an optical parametric oscillator directly pumped by the 1.55-mum output of an erbium-doped fiber laser. The oscillator, based on periodically poled lithium niobate, produced 8-muJ idler output near 3.8 mum at a 500-Hz repetition rate when it was pumped with 100-muJ 60-ns pulses at 1.55 mum . Temperature tuning of the 50-mm-long PPLN crystal gave signal and idler ranges of 2.55 to 2.7 mum and 3.65 to 3.96 mum , respectively, limited by mirror reflectivity. A signal-tuning range of 40 nm was observed for 13.5 nm of pump tuning with a fixed grating period and temperature. The optical parameter oscillator could be operated at low temperature with no sign of photorefractive damage.     

A stability criterion for mode-locked pulses in a laser oscillator

A stability criterion for the self-pulsing laser oscillator is derived from the numerical analysis of a mathematical model previously described. A numerical solution for the pulse shape is also presented.     

少周期激光脉冲与气体作用产生的离化电流和THz波辐射

本文通过理论和数值模拟,研究少周期激光脉冲电离气体原子产生的离化电流 以及相应的THz波辐射.研究表明,少周期激光脉冲离化气体后能产生较大的离化电流, 因而可以产生较强的THz辐射.不同的少周期激光脉冲相位导致电离出的 电子初始速度和电离起始时刻不同,从而产生的离化电流有所不同, 辐射的THz波随激光脉冲的相位成周期性变化.该理论得到一维PIC数值模拟的验证. 对于给定的激光脉冲相位,离化电流和THz辐射振幅并没有随入射激光振幅的增加而单调增加, 而是存在一些极值点.与均匀分布气体相比,当气体分布具有一定梯度时, 辐射表现相似的规律,但频谱会发生一定的变化.     

Generation of 5-fs pulses and octave-spanning spectra directly from a Ti:sapphire laser

Spectra extending from 600 to 1200 nm have been generated from a Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser producing 5-fs pulses. Specially designed double-chirped mirror pairs provide broadband controlled dispersion, and a second intracavity focus in a glass plate provides additional spectral broadening. These spectra are to our knowledge the broadest ever generated directly from a laser oscillator.     

Nonlinear energy absorption of femtosecond laser pulses in noble metals

We use calorimetry to determine the energy absorption of femtosecond (fs) laser pulses as a function of incident fluence for Ag, Ag alloys (Ag–Cu and Ag–Pt), and Pt. At low fluences, the measured absorption agrees well with reflectivity data derived from ellipsometry measurements. For Ag and Ag–Cu, the absorbed energy increases nonlinearly with the incident fluence for fluences larger than approximately half of the melting threshold. Near this threshold, the absorption increases by a factor of 3–4. Similar nonlinear absorption is not observed in Pt or Ag–Pt. We propose that the nonlinear absorption is caused by the excitation of d-band electrons below the Fermi surface. For pulse widths longer than 850 fs, the observed nonlinear absorption in Ag diminishes, indicating that diffusive transport and not ballistic transport is the major mechanism of cooling at this excitation level.     

X-ray transitions from antiprotonic noble gases

The onset of antiprotonic X-ray transitions at high principal quantum numbers and the occurrence of electronic X-rays in antiprotonic argon, krypton, and xenon has been analyzed with the help of Multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock calculations. The shell-by-shell ionisation by Auger electron emission, characterised by appearance and disappearance of X-ray lines, is followed through the antiprotonic cascade by considering transition and binding energies of both the antiproton and the remaining electrons. Electronic lines could be attributed partly to specific states of the antiprotonic atom de-excitation.     

惰性气体原子和离子在强激光场中的隧道电离

在隧道电离区域利用ADK模型并考虑了激光的体积效应,对惰性气体原子及各价离子在强激光场中的电离产额进行了计算,并与BSI模型及实验结果进行了比较,结果发现ADK模型的结果会随着原子序数的增加而变好,尤其对Xe离子,不需要进行强度转换就能给出很好的结果．由此可以得出结论：对于重原子（或离子）,用ADK模型得到的离子产额与实验结果符合得更好．最后通过分析ADK模型的适用范围,给出了和计算结果相一致的结论．     

A new laser concept for isotopically selective analysis of noble gases

A new laser approach for the isotopically selective analysis of noble gases is presented. This approach uses noble gas atoms prepared in the 1s ⁵ metastable state. Hyperfine levels in the 1s ⁵ and 2p ⁹ states form two-level systems in Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe which can be excited by a commercially available single-frequency laser system. Absorption of photons from such a laser, and the resulting momentum transfer, can be used to selectively deflect the desired isotope from a supersonic atomic beam into a detection area. Light from the same laser can then be used to selectively count atoms of the desired isotope using the photon-burst technique. Thus, enrichment and selective detection are accomplished with a single laser in a single pass through the apparatus.The problem of analyzing for⁸⁵Kr in a sample of noble gases extracted from the air is examined in detail. This is a stringent test of the selectivity of this approach because⁸⁵Kr has the same nuclear spin, and thus similar hyperfine splittings, as naturally occurring⁸³Kr. Calculations indicate that isotopic selectivity of the new approach is easily adequate to resolve⁸⁵Kr in a 10¹⁰ excess of⁸³Kr.     

Tunable ultrashort laser pulses generated through filamentation in gases

Tunable and stable ultrashort laser pulses in the visible spectrum are generated with high efficiency by four-wave mixing process during the filamentation of near-infrared and infrared laser pulses in gases. It is shown that these tunable ultrashort pulses have a very low energy fluctuation and an excellent mode quality due to the processes of intensity clamping and self-filtering in the filament.     

Ionization and population transfer in lithium Rydberg states with ultrashort chirped laser pulses

We present a theoretical study of dynamics of Rydberg states of lithium using ultra short chirped laser pulse having a Gaussian envelope. The population transfer probabilities are calculated of different Rydberg states on chirped laser factors. The calculations are performed by direct numerical integration of Schr?dinger equation using fourth order Runge-Kutta method. The behavior of dynamics of Rydberg states for these factors is of great significance. These results are of potential interest in coherent quantum control, quantum computation and in many physical and chemical processes.     

Iodine laser oscillator in gain switch mode for ns pulses

An iodine laser oscillator is described, which delivers several mJ in ns-pulses. The oscillator is mode-locked by means of an acoustooptical modulator, the pulse duration varies with the iodine pressure. Apparent self-modelocking is due to saturation effects.     

Terahertz emission in tenuous gases irradiated by ultrashort laser pulses

Mechanism of terahertz (THz) pulse generation in gases irradiated by ultrashort laser pulses is investigated theoretically. Quasi-static transverse currents produced by laser field ionization of gases and the longitudinal modulation in formed plasmas are responsible for the THz emission at the electron plasma frequency, as demonstrated by particle-in-cell simulations including field ionization. The THz field amplitude scaling with the laser amplitude within a large range is also discussed.