External electric field control of THz pulse generation in ambient air
Optics Express, Vol. 16, Issue 21, pp. 16573-16580 (2008)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.16.016573
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Abstract
A theoretical model has been proposed to describe the dependence of the THz wave generated in a laser-induced air plasma on the external electric field. Using this model we predict the following, (i) previously observed results show that the THz pulse enhances linearly with the increase of the external field; (ii) the THz pulse varies as a cosine function with the angle between the direction of the external electric field and the polarization of the incident exciting beam; (iii) and the amplitude is proportional to the square of the intensity of the incident pulse in a low energy region. These predictions are validated by our experiment.
© 2008 Optical Society of America
1. Introduction
H. Hamster, A. Sullivan, S. Gordon, W. White, and R. W. Falcone, “Subpicosecond, Electrmagnetic Pulses From Intense Laser-Plasma Interaction,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 2725 (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
H. Hamster, A. Sullivan, S. Gordon, W. White, and R. W. Falcone, “Short-pulse terahertz radiation from high-intersity-laser-produced plasmas,” Phys. Rev. E. 49, 671 (1994). [CrossRef]
D. J. Cook and M. Hochstrasser, “Intense terahertz pulses by four-wave rectification in air,” Opt. Lett. 25, 1210 (2000). [CrossRef]
M. Kress, T. Loffer, 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, 1120 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
T. Bartel, P. Reimann, M. Woerner, and T. Elsaesser, “Generation of single-cycle THz transients with high electric-field amplitudes,” Opt. Lett. 30, 2805 (2005). [PubMed]
X. Xie, J. Dai, and X. C. Zhang, “Coherent Control of THz Wave Generation in Ambient Air,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 075005 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
D. J. Cook and M. Hochstrasser, “Intense terahertz pulses by four-wave rectification in air,” Opt. Lett. 25, 1210 (2000). [CrossRef]
T. Loffler, F. Jacob, and H. G. Roskos, “Generation of terahertz pulses by photoionization of electrically biased air,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 453 (2000). [CrossRef]
A. Houard, Y. Liu, B. Prade, V. T. Tikhonchuk, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Strong enhancement of terahertz radiation from laser filaments in air by a static electric field,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 255006 (2008). [PubMed]
C. D. Amico, A. Houard, S. Akturk, Y. Liu, J. Le Bloas, M Franco, B Prade, A Couairon, V. T. Tikhonchuk, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Forward THz radiation emission by femtosecond filamentation in gases: theory and experiment,” N. J. Phys. 10, 013015 (2008). [CrossRef]
2. Theoretical model and predictions
D. J. Cook and M. Hochstrasser, “Intense terahertz pulses by four-wave rectification in air,” Opt. Lett. 25, 1210 (2000). [CrossRef]
M. Kress, T. Loffer, 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, 1120 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
X. Xie, J. Dai, and X. C. Zhang, “Coherent Control of THz Wave Generation in Ambient Air,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 075005 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
T. Loffler, F. Jacob, and H. G. Roskos, “Generation of terahertz pulses by photoionization of electrically biased air,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 453 (2000). [CrossRef]
D. J. Cook and M. Hochstrasser, “Intense terahertz pulses by four-wave rectification in air,” Opt. Lett. 25, 1210 (2000). [CrossRef]
M. Kress, T. Loffer, 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, 1120 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
T. Bartel, P. Reimann, M. Woerner, and T. Elsaesser, “Generation of single-cycle THz transients with high electric-field amplitudes,” Opt. Lett. 30, 2805 (2005). [PubMed]
3. Experimental results and discussion
A. Houard, Y. Liu, B. Prade, V. T. Tikhonchuk, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Strong enhancement of terahertz radiation from laser filaments in air by a static electric field,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 255006 (2008). [PubMed]
M. Kress, T. Loffer, 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, 1120 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
M. Melijiek, E. M. Wright, and J. V. Moloney, “Femtosecond pulse propagation in argon: A pressure dependence study,” Phys. Rev. E 58, 4903 (1998). [CrossRef]
4. Conclusion
Acknowledgments
References and links
H. Hamster, R. W. Falcone, and C. B. Harris et al (Springer, New York, 1990). | |
H. Hamster, A. Sullivan, S. Gordon, W. White, and R. W. Falcone, “Subpicosecond, Electrmagnetic Pulses From Intense Laser-Plasma Interaction,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 2725 (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed] | |
H. Hamster, A. Sullivan, S. Gordon, W. White, and R. W. Falcone, “Short-pulse terahertz radiation from high-intersity-laser-produced plasmas,” Phys. Rev. E. 49, 671 (1994). [CrossRef] | |
D. J. Cook and M. Hochstrasser, “Intense terahertz pulses by four-wave rectification in air,” Opt. Lett. 25, 1210 (2000). [CrossRef] | |
M. Kress, T. Loffer, 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, 1120 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed] | |
T. Bartel, P. Reimann, M. Woerner, and T. Elsaesser, “Generation of single-cycle THz transients with high electric-field amplitudes,” Opt. Lett. 30, 2805 (2005). [PubMed] | |
X. Xie, J. Dai, and X. C. Zhang, “Coherent Control of THz Wave Generation in Ambient Air,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 075005 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed] | |
T. Loffler, F. Jacob, and H. G. Roskos, “Generation of terahertz pulses by photoionization of electrically biased air,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 453 (2000). [CrossRef] | |
A. Houard, Y. Liu, B. Prade, V. T. Tikhonchuk, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Strong enhancement of terahertz radiation from laser filaments in air by a static electric field,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 255006 (2008). [PubMed] | |
C. D. Amico, A. Houard, S. Akturk, Y. Liu, J. Le Bloas, M Franco, B Prade, A Couairon, V. T. Tikhonchuk, and A. Mysyrowicz, “Forward THz radiation emission by femtosecond filamentation in gases: theory and experiment,” N. J. Phys. 10, 013015 (2008). [CrossRef] | |
Y. R. Shen, The Principles of Nonlinear Optics (University of Cnlifirnia, Berkeley A Wiley-Interscience Publication, 1984). | |
M. Melijiek, E. M. Wright, and J. V. Moloney, “Femtosecond pulse propagation in argon: A pressure dependence study,” Phys. Rev. E 58, 4903 (1998). [CrossRef] |
OCIS Codes
(320.7110) Ultrafast optics : Ultrafast nonlinear optics
(350.5400) Other areas of optics : Plasmas
ToC Category:
Ultrafast Optics
History
Original Manuscript: July 22, 2008
Revised Manuscript: August 24, 2008
Manuscript Accepted: August 29, 2008
Published: October 2, 2008
Citation
Wen-Feng Sun, Yun-Song Zhou, Xin-Ke Wang, and Yan Zhang, "External electric field control of THz pulse generation in ambient air," Opt. Express 16, 16573-16580 (2008)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-16-21-16573
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References
- H. Hamster and R. W. Falcone, Ultrafast Phenomena VII, edited by C. B. Harris et al (Springer, New York, 1990).
- H. Hamster, A. Sullivan, S. Gordon, W. White, and R. W. Falcone, "Subpicosecond, Electrmagnetic Pulses from Intense Laser-Plasma Interaction," Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 2725 (1993). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- H. Hamster, A. Sullivan, S. Gordon, W. White, and R. W. Falcone, "Short-pulse terahertz radiation from highintersity-laser-produced plasmas," Phys. Rev. E. 49, 671 (1994). [CrossRef]
- D. J. Cook and M. Hochstrasser, "Intense terahertz pulses by four-wave rectification in air," Opt. Lett. 25, 1210 (2000). [CrossRef]
- M. Kress, T. Loffer, 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, 1120 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- T. Bartel, P. Reimann, M. Woerner, and T. Elsaesser, "Generation of single-cycle THz transients with high electric-field amplitudes," Opt. Lett. 30, 2805 (2005). [PubMed]
- X. Xie, J. Dai, and X. C. Zhang, "Coherent Control of THz Wave Generation in Ambient Air," Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 075005 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- T. Loffler, F. Jacob, and H. G. Roskos, "Generation of terahertz pulses by photoionization of electrically biased air," Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 453 (2000). [CrossRef]
- A. Houard, Y. Liu, B. Prade, V. T. Tikhonchuk, and A. Mysyrowicz, "Strong enhancement of terahertz radiation from laser filaments in air by a static electric field," Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 255006 (2008). [PubMed]
- C. D. Amico, A. Houard, S. Akturk, Y. Liu, J. Le Bloas,MFranco, B Prade, A Couairon, V. T. Tikhonchuk, and A. Mysyrowicz, "Forward THz radiation emission by femtosecond filamentation in gases: theory and experiment," N. J. Phys. 10, 013015 (2008). [CrossRef]
- Y. R. Shen, The Principles of Nonlinear Optics (University of Cnlifirnia, Berkeley A Wiley-Interscience Publication, 1984).
- M. Melijiek, E. M. Wright, and J. V. Moloney, "Femtosecond pulse propagation in argon: A pressure dependence study," Phys. Rev. E 58, 4903 (1998). [CrossRef]
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