The terahertz radiation produced by a 2-color femtosecond laser scheme strongly saturates and develops an oscillatory behavior with increasing power of the driving femtosecond laser pulses. This is explained by the formation of a plasma channel due to filamentation. Due to dispersion inside the filament and the Gouy phase shift, the phase difference between the 800 nm and 400 nm pulses varies along this plasma emitter. As a result, the local THz radiations generated along the filament interfere destructively or constructively, which manifests itself in the form of Maker fringes.

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1. M. Kress, T. Löffler, S. Eden, M. Thomson, and H. G. Roskos, “Terahertz-pulse generation by photoionization of air with laser pulses composed of both fundamental and second-harmonic waves,” Opt. Lett. 29(10), 1120–1122 (2004). [CrossRef]
2. X. Xie, J. Dai, and X.-C. Zhang, “Coherent control of THz wave generation in ambient air,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 96(7), 075005 (2006). [CrossRef]
3. K. Y. Kim, J. H. Glownia, A. J. Taylor, and G. Rodriguez, “Terahertz emission from ultrafast ionizing air in symmetry-broken laser fields,” Opt. Express 8, 4577–4584 (2008).
4. A. Couairon and A. Mysyrowicz, “Femtosecond filamentation in transparent media,” Phys. Rep. 441(2-4), 47–189 (2007). [CrossRef]
5. S. Tzortzakis, G. Méchain, G.-B. Patalano, Y.-B. André, B. Prade, M. Franco, A. Mysyrowicz, J.-M. Munier, M. Gheudin, G. Beaudin, and P. Encrenaz, “Coherent subterahertz radiation from femtosecond infrared filaments in air,” Opt. Lett. 27(21), 1944–1946 (2002). [CrossRef]
6. We also performed an independent experiment with properly chosen experimental parameters and carefully aligned BBO crystal to test how the THz yield depends on the BBO-focus distance. In these measurements, a sin-like dependence was confirmed for 3 largely different BBO rotation angle.
7. H. Zhong, N. Karpowicz, and X.-C. Zhang, “Terahertz emission profile from laser-induced air plasma,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 88(26), 261103–261105 (2006). [CrossRef]
8. P. D. Maker, R. W. Terhune, M. Nisenoff, and C. M. Savage, “Effects of dispersion and focusing on the production of optical harmonic,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 8(1), 21–22 (1962). [CrossRef]
9. A. Proulx, A. Talebpour, S. Petit, and S. L. Chin, “Fast pulsed electrical field created from the self-generated filament of a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser pulse in air,” Opt. Commun. 174(1-4), 305–309 (2000). [CrossRef]
10. S. A. Hosseini, B. Ferland, and S. L. Chin, “Measurement of filament length generated by an intense femtosecond laser pulse using electromagnetic radiation detection,” Appl. Phys. B 76, 583–586 (2003).
11. F. Lindner, G. G. Paulus, H. Walther, A. Baltuska, E. Goulielmakis, M. Lezius, and F. Krausz, “Gouy phase shift for few-cycle laser pulses,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 92(11), 113001 (2004). [CrossRef]
12. H. R. Lange, A. Chiron, J. F. Ripoche, A. Mysyrowicz, P. Breger, and P. Agostini, “High-order harmonic generation and quasiphase matching in Xenon using self-guided femtosecond pulses,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 81(8), 1611–1613 (1998). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. B

• S. A. Hosseini, B. Ferland, and S. L. Chin, “Measurement of filament length generated by an intense femtosecond laser pulse using electromagnetic radiation detection,” Appl. Phys. B 76, 583–586 (2003).

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• H. Zhong, N. Karpowicz, and X.-C. Zhang, “Terahertz emission profile from laser-induced air plasma,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 88(26), 261103–261105 (2006). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• A. Proulx, A. Talebpour, S. Petit, and S. L. Chin, “Fast pulsed electrical field created from the self-generated filament of a femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser pulse in air,” Opt. Commun. 174(1-4), 305–309 (2000). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• K. Y. Kim, J. H. Glownia, A. J. Taylor, and G. Rodriguez, “Terahertz emission from ultrafast ionizing air in symmetry-broken laser fields,” Opt. Express 8, 4577–4584 (2008).

Opt. Lett.

• M. Kress, T. Löffler, S. Eden, M. Thomson, and H. G. Roskos, “Terahertz-pulse generation by photoionization of air with laser pulses composed of both fundamental and second-harmonic waves,” Opt. Lett. 29(10), 1120–1122 (2004). [CrossRef]
• S. Tzortzakis, G. Méchain, G.-B. Patalano, Y.-B. André, B. Prade, M. Franco, A. Mysyrowicz, J.-M. Munier, M. Gheudin, G. Beaudin, and P. Encrenaz, “Coherent subterahertz radiation from femtosecond infrared filaments in air,” Opt. Lett. 27(21), 1944–1946 (2002). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rep.

• A. Couairon and A. Mysyrowicz, “Femtosecond filamentation in transparent media,” Phys. Rep. 441(2-4), 47–189 (2007). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• X. Xie, J. Dai, and X.-C. Zhang, “Coherent control of THz wave generation in ambient air,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 96(7), 075005 (2006). [CrossRef]
• P. D. Maker, R. W. Terhune, M. Nisenoff, and C. M. Savage, “Effects of dispersion and focusing on the production of optical harmonic,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 8(1), 21–22 (1962). [CrossRef]
• F. Lindner, G. G. Paulus, H. Walther, A. Baltuska, E. Goulielmakis, M. Lezius, and F. Krausz, “Gouy phase shift for few-cycle laser pulses,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 92(11), 113001 (2004). [CrossRef]
• H. R. Lange, A. Chiron, J. F. Ripoche, A. Mysyrowicz, P. Breger, and P. Agostini, “High-order harmonic generation and quasiphase matching in Xenon using self-guided femtosecond pulses,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 81(8), 1611–1613 (1998). [CrossRef]

Other

• We also performed an independent experiment with properly chosen experimental parameters and carefully aligned BBO crystal to test how the THz yield depends on the BBO-focus distance. In these measurements, a sin-like dependence was confirmed for 3 largely different BBO rotation angle.

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