Observation of extremely efficient terahertz generation from mid-infrared two-color laser filaments
| Autor: | Claudia Gollner, Valentina Shumakova, Audrius Pugžlys, Anastasios D. Koulouklidis, Stelios Tzortzakis, Vladimir Yu. Fedorov, Andrius Baltuška |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Electromagnetic field
Terahertz radiation Science General Physics and Astronomy Physics::Optics 7. Clean energy 01 natural sciences General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology Article law.invention 010309 optics Optics Filamentation law 0103 physical sciences Physics::Atomic Physics 010306 general physics lcsh:Science Terahertz optics Ultrafast lasers Physics Multidisciplinary business.industry Energy conversion efficiency Nonlinear optics General Chemistry Laser Modulation Femtosecond lcsh:Q business |
| Zdroj: | Nature Communications, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-8 (2020) Nature Communications |
| ISSN: | 2041-1723 |
| Popis: | Extreme nonlinear interactions of THz electromagnetic fields with matter are the next frontier in nonlinear optics. However, reaching this frontier in free space is limited by the existing lack of appropriate powerful THz sources. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that two-color filamentation of femtosecond mid-infrared laser pulses at 3.9 μm allows one to generate ultrashort sub-cycle THz pulses with sub-milijoule energy and THz conversion efficiency of 2.36%, resulting in THz field amplitudes above 100 MV cm−1. Our numerical simulations predict that the observed THz yield can be significantly upscaled by further optimizing the experimental setup. Finally, in order to demonstrate the strength of our THz source, we show that the generated THz pulses are powerful enough to induce nonlinear cross-phase modulation in electro-optic crystals. Our work paves the way toward free space extreme nonlinear THz optics using affordable table-top laser systems. Powerful terahertz pulses are generated during the nonlinear propagation of ultrashort laser pulses in gases. Here, the authors demonstrate efficient sub-cycle THz pulse generation by using two-color midinfrared femtosecond laser filaments in ambient air. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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