美国核武器实验室太赫兹技术与应用研究

Investigation of Terahertz technologies and their applications in U.S. nuclear weapon labs

超快激光技术、半导体技术以及电子技术的迅速发展为太赫兹波的产生提供了稳定、可靠的激发光源和探测器,从而使太赫兹科学技术的研究和应用得到了蓬勃发展,目前已成为国际上的研究热点。本文介绍了美国3大核武器实验室和美国重要国家实验室在太赫兹科学技术以及应用研究中开展的工作,并对其太赫兹技术的发展态势进行了分析。简单分析了太赫兹技术对武器物理研究的促进作用及其研究方向,例如:极端条件下材料的太赫兹表征与调控研究、含能材料化学反应动力学研究、冲击波与爆轰物理瞬态诊断研究等。

Due to the rapid development of ultrafast laser technology, semiconductor technology and electronics, stable and reliable THz sources and detectors become available, which leads to flourish for Terahertz science and technology. This article describes the work carried out by major U.S. nuclear weapons laboratories and other national laboratories. The development trends of terahertz science and technology are analyzed as well. The possible applications of THz technologies are discussed in the research of weapon physics, including the characterization and the tuning of materials under extreme conditions, energetic materials chemical kinetics, and ultrafast diagnosis of shock wave and detonation physics.