Electron acceleration by tightly focused radially polarized few-cycle laser pulses

Within the framework of plane-wave angular spectrum analysis of the electromagnetic field structure, a solution valid for tightly focused radially polarized few-cycle laser pulses propagating in vacuum is presented. The resulting field distribution is significantly different from that based on the paraxial approximation for pulses with either small or large beam diameters. We compare the electron accelerations obtained with the two solutions and find that the energy gain obtained with our new solution is usually much larger than that with the paraxial approximation solution.

Accurate determination of the absolute phase and temporal-pulse phase of few-cycle laser pulses

A Fourier analysis method is used to accurately determine not only the absolute phase but also the tempuralpulse phase of an isolated few-cycle （chirped） laser pulse. This method is independent of the pulse shape and can fully characterize the light wave even though only a few samples per optical cycle are available. It pavas the way for investigating the absolute phase-dependent extreme nonlinear optics, and the evolutions of the absolute phase and the temporal-pulse phase of few-cycle laser pulses.

Intensity-dependent asymmetric photoionization in few-cycle laser pulses

The asymmetric photoionization of atoms irradiated by intense, few-cycle laser pulses is studied numerically. The results show that the pulse intensity affects the asymmetric photoionization in three aspects. First, at higher intensities, the asymmetry becomes distinctive for few-cycle pulses of longer durations. Second, as the laser intensity increases, the maximal asymmetry first decreases then increases after it has reached a minimal value. Last, the value of the carrier-envelope phase corresponding to the maximal asymmetry varies with the pulse intensity. This study reveals that the increasing of pulse intensity is helpful for observing the asymmetric photoionization.

Angle-Resolved Electron Spectra of F^- Ions by Few-Cycle Laser Pulses

The above-threshold detachment of F- ions induced by a linearly polarized few-cycle laser pulse is investigated theoretically using the strong-field approximation model without considering the rescattering mechanism. We first derive an analytical form of transition amplitude for describing the strong-field photodetachment of F- ions. The integration over time in transition amplitude can be performed using the numerical integration method or the saddle-point （SP） method of Shearer et al. [Phys. Rev. A 88 （2013） 033415]. The validity of the SP method is carefully examined by comparing the energy spectra and photoelectron angular distributions （PADs） with those obtained from the numerical integration method. By considering the volume effect of a focused laser beam, both the energy spectra and the low-energy PADs calculated by the numerical integration method agree very well with the experimental results.

High harmonic generation in crystal SiO_(2) by sub-10-fs laser pulses

The high harmonic generation(HHG)by few-cycle laser pulses is essential for research in strong-field solid-state physics.Through comparison of high harmonic spectra of solids generated by laser pulses with varying durations,we discovered that lasers with good dispersion compensation are capable of producing a broad spectrum of high harmonics.As the pulse duration is further compressed,several interference peaks appear in the broad spectrum.Moreover,we conducted simulations using the semiconductor Bloch equation,considering the effect of Berry curvature,to better understand this process.Our work provides a valuable approach for studying HHG by few-cycle laser pulses in solid materials,expanding the application of HHG in attosecond physics.

Broadband Terahertz Wave Generation from Monolayer Graphene Driven by Few-Cycle Laser Pulse

We theoretically investigate the characteristics of terahertz(THz) radiation from monolayer graphene exposed to normal incident few-cycle laser pulses, by numerically solving the extended semiconductor Bloch equations. Our simulations show that the THz spectra in low frequency regions are highly dependent on the carrier envelope phase(CEP) of driving laser pulses. Using an optimal CEP of few-cycle laser pulses, we can obtain broadband strong THz waves, due to the symmetry breaking of the laser-graphene system. Our results also show that the strength of the THz spectra depend on both the intensity and central wavelength of the laser pulses. The intensity dependence of the THz wave can be described by the excitation rate of graphene, while wavelength dependence can be traced back to the band velocity and the population of graphene. We find that a near single-cycle THz pulse can be obtained from graphene driven by a mid-infrared laser pulse.

Adaptive split-step Fourier method for simulating ultrashort laser pulse propagation in photonic crystal fibres

In this paper, the generalized nonlinear Schrodinger equation （GNLSE） is solved by an adaptive split-step Fourier method （ASSFM）. It is found that ASSFM must be used to solve GNLSE to ensure precision when the soliton selffrequency shift is remarkable and the photonic crystal fibre （PCF） parameters vary with the frequency considerably. The precision of numerical simulation by using ASSFM is higher than that by using split-step Fourier method in the process of laser pulse propagation in PCFs due to the fact that the variation of fibre parameters with the peak frequency in the pulse spectrum can be taken into account fully.

Coulomb expansion of deuterated methane clusters irradiated by an ultrashort intense laser pulse

The simulations of three-dimensional particle dynamics show that when irradiated by an ultrashort intense laser pulse, the deuterated methane cluster expands and the majority of deuterons overrun the more slowly expanding carbon ions, resulting in the creation of two separated subelusters. The enhanced deuteron kinetic energy and a narrow peak around the energy maximum in the deuteron energy distribution make a considerable contribution to the efficiency of nuclear fusion compared with the ease of homonuelear deuterium clusters. With the intense laser irradiation, the nuclear fusion yield increases with the increase of the cluster size, so that deuterated heteronuelear clusters with larger sizes are required to achieve a greater neutron yield.

Control of photoassociation reaction F＋H →HF with ultrashort laser pulse

The laser-induced vibrational state-selectivity of product HF in photoassociation reaction H＋F→HF is theoret- ically investigated by using the time-dependent quantum wave packet method. The population transfer process from the continuum state down to the bound vibrational states can be controlled by the driving laser. The effects of laser pulse parameters and the initial momentum of the two collision atoms on the vibrational population of the product HF are discussed in detail. Photodissociation accompanied with the photoassociation process is also described.

Plasma Generation in Air by Intense Laser Pulses with Various Pulse Durations

We have studied the plasma generation through collecting the charged particles produced in laser-induced break-down in atmospheric air.This breakdovn is produced by ultrashort laser pulses with various durations ranging from 200fs to 2ps at a fixed pulse energy of 8mJ.We found that the plasma yield increases first with the increment of pulse duration and then reaches a plateau at a duration longer than 500fs.The generated plasma temperature is estimated to be higher than 5x 10^(5)K.

A Novel Nanotube-Based Fiber Laser for Ultrashort Pulse Generation and Fast Measurements

We propose a nanotube-based erbium-doped fiber laser that can deliver conventional soliton (CS) and stretched pulse (SP) based on D-shaped fiber saturable absorber (DF-SA) where evanescent-field interaction works. The novel Nanotube-based Fiber Laser can generate SP or CS by tuning pump power and polarization controller (PC) properly. The net cavity dispersion of laser is slightly negative. In our experiment, by optimizing the PC in the cavity, CS and SP can be obtained at the central wavelengths of 1530.6 nm and 1530.3 nm due to on carbon nanotubes and the spectral filtering effect induced by nonlinear polarization rotation. Although the acquired CS and SP nearly have the same central wavelengths, they show distinct optical spectra, 3-dB bandwidths. The proposed fiber laser with switchable CS and SP is attractive for ultrashort pulse generation and fast measurements in practical applications.

Stimulated Emission of Gamma Photon from Ultrashort Pulse Intense Laser—Solid—Target Interaction

The efficient production of energetic γ photons is a significant physical process in the relativistic ultrashortpulse laser-plasma inducing photonuclear action. Based on the interaction of laser-solid-target, an analytical theory onstimulated γ photon emission from a hot electron firing the target-nucleus is developed by a relativistic full quantummethod. The emitting power or probability of γ photon in arbitrary space direction can be calculated for laser irradiatingsolid-target normally. It is valid only if the scatter-centre is immovable or its motion can be neglected compared withthat of the scattered electrons.

Backward Raman amplification in plasmas with chirped wideband pump and seed pulses

Chirped wideband pump and seed pulses are usually considered for backward Raman amplification（BRA） in plasmas to achieve an extremely high-power laser pulse. However, current theoretical models only contain either a chirped pump or a chirped seed. In this paper, modified three-wave coupling equations are proposed for the BRA in the plasmas with both chirped wideband pump and seed. The simulation results can more precisely describe the experiments, such as the Princeton University experiment. The optimized chirp and bandwidth are determined based on the simulation to enhance the output intensity and efficiency.

Few-cycle relativistic solitons in plasmas

A set of exact one-dlmensional solutions to coupled nonlinear equations describing the propagation of a relativistic ultrashort circularly polarized laser pulse in a cold collisionless and bounded plasma where electrons have an initial velocity in the laser propagating direction is presented. The solutions investigated here are in the form of quickly moving envelop solitons at a propagation velocity comparable to the light speed. The features of solitons in both underdense and overdense plasmas with electrons having different given initial velocities in the laser propagating direction are described. It is found that the amplitude of solitons is larger and soliton width shorter in plasmas where electrons have a larger initial velocity. In overdense plasmas, soliton duration is shorter, the amplitude higher than that in underdense plasmas where electrons have the same initial velocity.

Direct Kerr-lens mode-locked Tm:LuYO_(3) ceramic laser

A direct Kerr-lens mode-locked Tm:LuYO_(3)ceramic laser without the aid of any mode-locked starting element is reported for the first time. A pulse duration as short as 259 fs and a maximum average output power of 326 m W are obtained at a repetition rate of 97.1 MHz. The corresponding optical spectrum centered at 2053 nm exhibits a bandwidth of 19.8 nm,which indicates the presence of nearly Fourier transform-limited pulses. Such a Kerr-lens mode-locked Tm:LuYO_(3)ceramic laser is a promising ultrashort pulse source, with both the excellent laser characteristics of Tm:LuYO3and the high-power 790 nm laser diode pumping scheme.

Coherent population transfer with Coherent population transfer with chirped few-cycle laser pulses in an excited-doublet four-level system

The behavior of population transfcr in an excited-doublet four-level system driven by linear polarized few-cycle ultrashort laser pulses is investigated numerically. It is shown that almost complete population transfer can be achieved even when the adiabatic criterion is not fulfilled. Moreover, the robustness of this scheme in terms of the Rabi frequencies and chirp rates of the pulses is explored.

Carrier-envelope-phase effect in nonsequential double ionization of Ar atoms by few-cycle laser pulses

A classical ensemble method is used to investigate nonsequential double ionization（NSDI） of Ar atoms irradiated by linearly polarized few-cycle laser pulses. The correlated-electron momentum distribution（CMD） exhibits a strong dependence on the carrier-envelope phase（CEP）. When the pulse duration is four cycles, the CMD shows a cross-like structure, which is consistent with experimental results. The CEP dependence is more notable when the laser pulse duration is decreased to two cycles and a special L-shaped structure appears in CMD. Recollision time of returning electrons greatly depends on CEP, which plays a significant role in accounting for the appearance of this structure.

SESAM锁模全保偏皮秒脉冲光纤激光器输出特性

搭建了基于半导体可饱和吸收镜(SESAM)锁模的全保偏皮秒脉冲光纤激光器,对比分析了以多量子阱和体材料作为可饱和吸收层的SESAM对锁模激光器输出特性的影响。实验结果表明,多量子阱和体材料SESAM均可实现稳定的自启动锁模。随着量子阱周期数的增加,SESAM调制深度增大,激光器输出脉冲宽度变窄,具有更高的输出功率和更大的锁模区间。但量子阱周期数过高的SESAM具有较大非饱和损耗,使得相同泵浦功率下输出功率降低。在相同调制深度下,体材料SESAM的非饱和损耗偏大,降低了输出功率和光光转化效率,但对脉冲的窄化作用更显著。SESAM对输出脉冲的波长和光谱宽度无显著影响,主要受光纤布拉格光栅(FBG)控制。本文对SESAM的设计与选型具有一定指导意义。

光丝诱导大气等离子体化学反应生成的一氧化氮测量

大气等离子体会诱导化学反应,一氧化氮(NO)是大气化学反应的主要产物之一,对其大气浓度的准确测量有助于揭示其大气化学反应机理并优化大气等离子体应用。在静态密闭反应池中,利用脉冲宽度35 fs、工作波长800 nm的脉冲激光生成光丝等离子体并诱导大气化学反应,进而采用中红外激光吸收光谱技术,实时测量了NO浓度随空气气压、反应时间的变化。在不同气压下,NO浓度随反应时间的增加而增加直至保持稳定,但NO达到稳定浓度所需要的反应时间随空气气压增加而延长。受到三体复合反应的影响,NO的累积体积比浓度从低气压时的400×10^(-6)以上减小到常压时(一个大气压)的120×10^(-6)左右。

A proposed approach for detecting terahertz pulses by using double few-cycle laser pulses with opposite carrier envelope phases

Previous research shows that few-cycle laser（FCL） pulses with low energy and without a bias field can be used to coherently detect terahertz（THz） pulses. As we know, it is very difficult to stabilize the carrier envelope phase（CEP） of FCL pulses, i.e., there are some random fluctuations for the CEP. Here we theoretically investigate the influence of such instability on the accuracy of THz detection. Our results show that although there is an optimum CEP for THz detection, the fluctuations of the CEP will lead to terrible thorns on the detected THz waveform. In order to solve this problem, we propose an approach using two few-cycle laser pulses with opposite CEPs, i.e., their CEPs are differed by π.