Electron-yield enhancement in a laser-wakefield accelerator driven by asymmetric laser pulses

The effect of asymmetric laser pulses on electron yield from a laser wakefield accelerator has been experimentally studied using >10(19) cm(-3) plasmas and a 10 TW, >45 fs, Ti:Al2O3 laser. The laser pulse shape was controlled through nonlinear chirp with a grating pair compressor. Pulses (76 fs FWHM) with a steep rise and positive chirp were found to significantly enhance the electron yield compared to pulses with a gentle rise and negative chirp. Theory and simulation show that fast rising pulses can generate larger amplitude wakes that seed the growth of the self-modulation instability, and that frequency chirp is of minimal importance for the experimental parameters.     

Limitations and guidelines for measuring the spectral width of ultrashort light pulses with a scanning Fabry–Pérot interferometer

The measurement of the spectral width of ultrashort light pulses using a Fabry–Pérot interferometer (FPI) is investigated. It is shown, numerically and experimentally, that the measured width critically depends on the pulse properties (such as pulse shape, pulse duration, frequency chirp and wavelength) and on the properties of the FPI (such as the mirror spacing and the mirror reflectivities). The obtained results are of particular importance if the spatial length of the short light pulses is comparable or even shorter than the distance between the FPI mirrors. The derived guideline indicate that the actual spectral width of the ultrashort light pulses is measured with good accuracy only if the finesse F≥40 and the round trip time of the light pulses inside the Fabry–Pérot interferometer is approximately one to three times the pulse duration. Received: 17 December 1999 / Revised version: 14 April 2000 / Published online: 5 July 2000     

Towards using molecular ions as qubits: Femtosecond control of molecular fragmentation with multiple knobs

Non-resonant molecular fragmentation of n-propyl benzene with femtosecond laser pulses is dependent on the phase and polarization characteristics of the laser. We find that the effect of the chirp and polarization of the femtosecond pulse when applied simultaneously is mutually independent of each other, which makes chirp and polarization as useful ‘logic’ implementing knobs.     

Numerical analysis of pulse generation in synchronously mode-locked cw dye lasers

We present theoretical results on the characteristics of pulses generated by a synchronously pumped dye laser. Our analysis indicates the important influence of spontaneous emission on shape and frequency chirp of the pulse. Dye-laser operation is possible within a wide range of cavity mismatch. A large mismatch of the lengths of the dye and the pump-laser cavity results in the generation of noise bursts caused by the influence of spontaneous emission. At small cavity mismatch pulse profile and frequency chirp of the pulse are directly generated in the steady-state regime by algebraic equations. Our formulas indicate that the sign of the pulse chirp depends only on the sign of the shift between laser frequency and centre frequency of the amplifying transition.     

Propagation dynamics of nonlinear chirped optical laser pulses in a two-level medium

We investigate the propagation dynamics of nonlinear chirped optical laser pulses in a two-level medium. For certain chirp strength and chirp width, an incident 2π nonlinear chirped pulse will split into optical precursors and a stable self-induced transparency soliton. This is caused by the particular Fourier spectrum that includes not only central resonant frequency components but also high-frequency and low-frequency sidebands. Moreover, the effects of chirp parameters on the evolution of nonlinear chirped pulses are also discussed.     

Influence of spectral-dynamic effects in a laser and light guide on the dynamics of recirculation in a closed contour

The influence of stimulated emission delay, dynamic shift in generation frequency, residual charge effect, timing jitter of the radiation and excitation regime of an injection laser, as well as of dispersion in a fiber light guide on the data-internal storage time in an electrooptical contour is investigated. It is found that the storage duration of an interval depends strongly on the lifetime of nonequilibrium charge carriers, the simultaneous effect of a residual charge and jitter in an injection laser, as well as on the dc bias current of the laser. Belarusian State University, 4. F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220050, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 65, No. 1, pp. 56–61, January–February, 1998.     

A high-energy, chirped laser system for optical Stark deceleration

We describe a high-energy, frequency chirped laser system designed for optical Stark deceleration of cold molecules. This system produces two, pulse amplified beams of up to 700 mJ with flat-top temporal profiles, whose frequency and intensity can be well controlled for durations from 20 ns–10 μs. The two beams are created by amplifying a single, rapidly tunable Nd:YVO₄ microchip type laser at 1064 nm, which can be frequency chirped by up to 1 GHz over the duration of the pulse. Intensity modulation induced by relaxation oscillations in the microchip laser during the frequency chirp are virtually eliminated by injection locking a free running semiconductor diode laser before pulsed amplification.     

Simultaneous visual detection of pulse chirp and temporal asymmetry in ultrashort laser pulses using analysis of unbalanced interferometric correlation envelope (ICE) functions

A simple method that uses envelope functions of unbalanced interferometric (auto/cross) correlation signals has been presented for simultaneous visual detection of pulse chirp and asymmetry, without direction-of-time ambiguity in ultrashort laser pulses. The ambiguity issues of unbalanced interferometric correlation envelope (ICE) difference signals have been studied. It is found that unbalanced ICE difference signals are visually different corresponding to practically indistinguishable unbalanced interferometric autocorrelation (IAC) signals for a distinct symmetric–asymmetric pulse pair with identical intensity autocorrelation and power spectra. The theoretical analysis of ICE signals is supported by experimental unbalanced IAC signals obtained using 200 fs laser pulses from a cw mode-locked Nd:phosphate laser oscillator. PACS 42.65.Re; 42.50.Hz; 07.60.Ly     

Influence of Polarization and Pulse Shape of Femtosecond Initial Laser Pulses on Spectral Broadening in Microstructure Fibers

We theoretically studied the influence of initial parameters of laser pulses, such as polarization, pulse shape and frequency chirp, on the broadening of spectrum during pulse propagation through microstructure fibers (MSFs). We utilized two coupled-mode equations based on the nonlinear Schrödinger equation using an intermediate-broadening model for a Raman response function, and the dispersion coefficients from 2nd to 7th orders for the slow and fast axes, respectively, of highly birefringent MSFs.     

The von Neumann representation as a joint time–frequency parameterization for polarization-shaped femtosecond laser pulses

We generalize the joint time–frequency von Neumann representation of femtosecond laser pulses for usage with time-dependent polarization states. The electric field is expanded in terms of Gaussian-shaped transform-limited subpulses located on a discrete time–frequency lattice, each with a specific polarization state. This formalism provides an intuitive picture for the time- and frequency-dependent polarization state. It can also serve as a basis for polarization pulse shaping. As an illustration, we define pulses for which polarization parameters (ellipticity and orientation) are given directly in time–frequency phase space. This approach has applications in quantum control and other areas for which time- and frequency-dependent light polarization is relevant.     

Time-resolved two-color interferometric photoemission of image-potential states on Cu(100)

We describe an interferometric time-resolved photoemission technique that makes it possible to simultaneously observe the decay of optical induced polarizations and populations at surfaces in a two-color excitation scheme. In this scheme initially unoccupied electronic surface states are coherently excited by the interaction of laser pulses with frequency ω_a and the two-photon polarization which is induced by laser pulses with frequency ω_a/2. Interference is observed by changing the delay between both laser pulses using an actively stabilized two-color Mach–Zehnder interferometer. We demonstrate this technique for excitation of the n=1 image-potential state on a Cu(100) surface. PACS 78.47.+p; 79.60.Bm; 73.20.-r; 82.53.Kp; 42.50.Md     

Modeling magnetization oscillations in ferromagnetic cobalt disks exposed to picosecond laser pulses

Magnetic reversal of a ferromagnetic single-domain nanoparticle in the form of a disk contained in a multilayer nanostructure irradiated by linearly and circularly polarized picosecond laser pulses is modeled. It is shown that heating of the disk by the laser light causes a change in its direction of magnetization. This is accompanied by oscillations in the magnetization that decay over 1–16 ns. The frequencies of these oscillations lie in the range of 0.5–26 GHz. The main reason for the magnetic reversal of the disk is a change in the magnetic anisotropy energy during heating. The laser pulses also create a spin-polarized current and an inverse Faraday magneto-optical field in the structure, which influence the duration, amplitude, and frequency of the magnetization oscillations.     

Widely-wavelength-tunable few-cycle optical pulse generation from an all-fiber erbium-doped laser system

A scheme for the construction of fiber laser systems for the generation of tunable ultrashort optical pulses is proposed. The scheme is based on the self-Raman shift of the soliton frequency in dispersion-decreasing fibers with the subsequent spectral broadening owing to the supercontinuum generation in a short highly nonlinear fiber and the compression in the corresponding fiber compressor. An all-fiber laser system for the generation of ultrashort laser pulses in the wavelength range 1.6–2.0 μm is experimentally demonstrated. In particular, the shortest pulses with a duration of 24 fs are generated at wavelengths of 1.8–1.9 μm, which corresponds to less than four optical cycles.     

Comparison of supercontinuum generation based on high-energy nanosecond pulses via single-mode and photonic-crystal fibers

We have experimentally investigated the supercontinuum (SC) generation based on high-energy Gaussian-spectrum pulses emitted from an erbium-doped fiber laser with large-anomalous dispersion. The pulses exhibit rectangular shape in temporal domain with the pulse duration of about 16 ns. When the amplified pulses propagate through 10-km single-mode fiber, the SC ranged from 1530 to 1750 nm arises from the stimulated-Raman-scattering effect and the pulses break up due to the modulation instability. Comparatively, when the amplified pulses propagate through a segment of highly-nonlinear zero-dispersion-flattened photonic crystal fiber, super-broad SC beyond the range of 1300–1750 nm is generated due to strong four-wave mixing effect, whereas the pulses almost maintain their shapes.     

Coherent enhancement of broadband frequency up-conversion in BBO crystal by shaping femtosecond laser pulses

An optimal feedback control of broadband frequency up-conversion in BBO crystal is experimentally demonstrated by shaping femtosecond laser pulses based on genetic algorithm, and the frequency up-conversion efficiency can be enhanced by ∼16%. SPIDER results show that the optimal laser pulses have shorter pulse-width with the little negative chirp than the original pulse with the little positive chirp. By modulating the fundamental spectral phase with periodic square distribution on SLM-256, the frequency up-conversion can be effectively controlled by the factor of about 17%. The experimental results indicate that the broadband frequency up-conversion efficiency is related to both of second harmonic generation (SHG) and sum frequency generation (SFG), where the former depends on the fundamental pulse intensity, and the latter depends on not only the fundamental pulse intensity but also the fundamental pulse spectral phase.     

光脉冲在标准单模光纤中演化形成孤子的实验研究

利用二次谐波频率分辨光学门脉冲分析仪从实验上分析研究了具有啁啾的10 GHz光脉冲在不同输入功率下演化形成孤子的规律和特点。实验发现:输入脉冲在光纤中传输3.5个色散长度时,其时间宽度、频率啁啾和时间带宽积都随着输入功率的增加而减小。当输入功率大于一阶孤子功率的理论值时,光脉冲能够演化形成孤子;脉冲在随后传输过程中其宽度基本保持不变,波形、频率啁啾和时间带宽积仍随着传输距离的变化而变化;输入功率越高,形成的一阶孤子脉冲的宽度越窄。当输入功率小于一阶孤子功率的理论值时,输出脉冲的时间宽度随着传输距离的增加而增加,频率啁啾随着传输距离的增加而减小,光脉冲不能演化形成孤子。     

Shaping of few-cycle laser pulses via a subwavelength structure

We theoretically investigate the propagation of few-cycle laser pulses in resonant two-level dense media with a sub- wavelength structure, which is described by the full Maxwell-Bloch equations without the frame of slowly varying envelope and rotating wave approximations. The input pulses can be shaped into shorter ones with a single or less than one optical cycle. The effect of the parameters of the subwavelength structure and laser pulses is studied. Our study shows that the media with a subwavelength structure can significantly shape the few-cycle pulses into a subcycle pulse, even for the case of chirp pulses as input fields. This suggests that such subwavelength structures have potential application in the shaping of few-cycle laser pulses.     

Experimental implementation of ultrashort laser pulses in the von Neumann picture

The characterization and interpretation of ultrashort laser pulses is most intuitive in the joint time–frequency domain, where structures like multiple pulses become immediately apparent. For practical reasons, ultrafast femtosecond laser pulse shaping, however, is commonly carried out in the frequency domain. Here we implement pulse shaping of optical fields defined in the von Neumann representation, which is a joint time–frequency distribution with complex-valued Gaussian basis functions. We discuss the feasibility as well as the principal limitations of this technique, show illustrative examples, and propose possible applications in coherent control.     

Pulse properties of a synchronously mode-locked,cavity dumped,picosecond dye laser system

A synchronously mode-locked, cavity-dumped picosecond dye laser is described. The structure and intensity of the picosecond pulses measured under different conditions are reported. It was found that the structure of the pulses from the synchronously pumped dye laser depends critically on the length of the Ar⁺ laser pulses. At the shortest Ar⁺ laser pulses of about 70 ps the dye pulses are as short as 1.1 ps. With Ar⁺ laser pulses of 200 ps the dye laser pulses contains a broad satellite pulse which contains a large fraction of the total intensity. When a cavity dumper is added to the system one gets dye laser pulses 15–20 ps long with a substructure, which indicates incomplete mode-locking. Well mode-locked 1.5–2.0 ps pulses were obtained in the red part of the dye laser action spectrum, i.e. 620–650 nm for R6G, 595–608 nm for R 110 and 657–662 nm for RB, respectively. Addition of mode-locking dyes also improved the pulse quality at some wavelengths.     

Generation of chirp-free picosecond pulses

The frequency spectrum of moderately chirped laser pulses depends upon the portion of the beam which is accepted by the spectrometer. Observation of the development of the chirp in a mode-locked pulse train allows to determine the small incipient chirp of early pulses. A product, bandwidth times pulse duration, of 0.47 ± 0.03 is consistently observed for single pulses switched from a passively mode-locked Nd-glass system.