High-power terahertz pulse sensor with overmoded structure

Based on the hot electron effect in a semiconductor, an overmoded resistive sensor for 0.3-0.4 THz band is investi-gated. The distribution of electromagnetic field components, voltage standing wave ratio （VSWR）, and the average electric field in the silicon block are obtained by using the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain （FDTD） method. By adjusting several factors （such as the length, width, height and specific resistance of the silicon block） a novel sensor with optimal structural parameters that can be used as a power measurement device for high power terahertz pulse directly is proposed. The results show that the sensor has a relative sensitivity of about 0.24 kW 1, with a fluctuation of relative sensitivity of no more than ±22%, and the maximum of VSWR is 2.74 for 0.3-0.4 THz band.

Effect of the high-power electromagnetic pulses on the reactivity of the coal-water slurry in hot environment

An effect of the high-power electromagnetic pulses onto the droplet of coal-water slurry inside the furnace was investigated.In contrary to the previously investigated laser-induced fuel atomization that occurs at the room temperature,the pre-heated(to 400 K)slurry becomes dry enough to prevent the explosion-like steam formation.Thus,fuel does not atomize and the ignition does not accelerate.Furthermore,the absorption of several laser pulses leads to evident sintering of irradiated surface with following increase of the ignition delay time for up to 24%.Variation of the pulse energy in range 48-118 mJ(corresponding intensity up to 2.4 J·cm^-2)leads to certain variation of the increase of ignition delay.The strong pulsed overheating of the coal water slurry which does not initiate the fine atomization of the fuel generally makes its ignition longer.

Inverter power supply system for high-power twin-wire pulsed GMAW

A type of novel inverter power supply system for high-power twin-wire pulsed gas metal arc welding （GMAW） is presented mainly for dealing with the disadvantages of the conventional power supply for twin-wire pulsed GMA W of which the output power is generally difficult to increase due to limitations of the power of semiconductors and the power density of magnetic devices. In the power supplies for the master and slave arcs, the digital signal processor （DSP） TMS320F28335 is used to form the DSP- based synergic control system for parallel high-power pulsed GMA W, which achieves high-power output of two parallel inverters controlled by a single DSP ; master-slave communication is achieved by using e controller area network （eCAN）module of DSP, thas realizing anti-phase pulse output of high-power twin-wire pulsed GMA W and reducing the interference between twin arcs. The experiment results demonstrate that the designed inverter power supply system for high-power twin-wire pulsed GMAW can bring about high-power efficiency of welding, stable welding process and proper formation of welds.

Scattering and propagation of terahertz pulses in random soot aggregate systems

Scattering and propagation of terahertz pulses in random soot aggregate systems are studied by using the generalized multi-particle Mie-solution （GMM） and the pulse propagation theory. Soot aggregates are obtained by the diffusion-limited aggregation （DLA） model. For a soot aggregate in soot aggregate systems, scattering characteristics are analyzed by using the GMM. Scattering intensities versus scattering angles are given. The effects of different positions of the aggregate on the scattering intensities, scattering cross sections, extinction cross sections, and absorption cross sections are computed and compared. Based on pulse propagation in random media, the transmission of terahertz pulses in random soot aggregate systems is determined by the two-frequency mutual coherence function. Numerical simulations and analysis are given for terahertz pulses （0.7956 THz）.

High power terahertz pulses generated in intense laser-plasma interactions

Terahertz （THz） radiation has attracted much attention due to its wide potential applications. Though radiation can be generated with various ways, it is still a big challenge to obtain strong tabletop sources. Plasma, with the advantage of no damage limit, is a promising medium to generate strong THz radiation. This review reports recent advances on strong THz radiation generation from low-density gases and high-density solid targets at different laser intensities.

Detection of the spatiotemporal field of a single-shot terahertz pulse based on spectral holography

According to electro-optical sampling theory, we propose a new method to detect the spatiotemporal field of a single- shot terahertz pulse by spectral holography for the first time. The single-shot terahertz pulse is coupled into a broadened chirped femtosecond pulse according to electro-optical sampling theory in the detecting system. Then the reference wave and the signal wave are split by Dammann grating and spread into the interference band-pass filter. The filtered sub-waves are at different central-frequencies because of the different incident angles. These sub-waves at different central-frequencies interfere to form sub-holograms, which are recorded in a single frame of a charge coupled device （CCD）. The sub-holograms are numerically processed, and the spatiotemporal field distribution of the original terahertz pulse is reconstructed. The computer simulations verify the feasibility of the proposed method.

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.

Modeling of terahertz pulse generation from LT-GaAs ultrafast photoconductive switches

The technique of terahertz pulses generated from the photoconductive switches has been applied in the ultrafast electrical pulse metrology recently.A lumped-element theoretical model is established to describe the performance of the LT-GaAs ultrafast photoconductive switch used in the ultrafast pulse standard.The carrier transport processes of the photoexcited semiconductor,the attenuation and dispersion during terahertz pulse propagating are considered in the theoretical model.According to the experimental parameters,the waveforms of the generated terahertz pulses are calculated under optical excitations with different wavelengths of 840 nm and 450 nm,respectively.And comparisons between the theoretical results and the experimental results are carried out.

Heating of Nanosized Liquid Water in High-Intensity Terahertz Pulses

Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of liquid water in picosecond high-power terahertz pulses are performed by using a non-polarizable potential model. Numerical results show that the energy absorption of water molecules exhibits a pronounced resonance with THz pulses in the frequency range of 14-17 THz. With the THz pulse at resonant frequencies, the maximum temperature is about 562 K by heating the water at room temperature. Further investigation indicates that the results are independent of the size of the nanoscale water box. The efficiency of energy transfer by resonant absorption is more than seven times of microwave heating. These studies show promising applications of ultrashort THz pulses.

Dynamics of molecular alignment steered by a few-cycle terahertz laser pulse

The field-free alignment of molecule Cl CN is investigated by using a terahertz few-cycle pulse(THz FCP)based on the time-dependent density matrix theory.It is shown that a high degree of molecular alignment can be obtained by changing the matching number of the THz FCPs in the adiabatic regime and the non-adiabatic regime.The matching number can affect both the maximum value of the alignment and the time at which it is achieved.It is also found that a higher degree of alignment can be achieved by using the THz FCP at lower intensity and there exists an optimal threshold of molecular alignment with the increase of the field amplitude.Also found is the frequency sensitive region in which the degree of maximum alignment can be enhanced greatly by modulating the center frequencies of different THz FCPs.The investigation demonstrates that comparing with a THz single-cycle pulse,a better result of the field-free alignment can be created by a THz FCP at a constant rotational temperature of molecule.

Energy Scaling of Terahertz Pulses Produced through Difference Frequency Generation

We study the energy scaling of terahertz (THz) emission through difference frequency generation of near-infrared pulses, and demonstrate that Gigawatt few-cycle THz transients at the central frequency of 30 THz are produced from GaSe crystal pumped by two pulses at 1.65 and 1.95 micrometers, with the high quantum yield of 28%. Our analysis indicates that the high yield of DFG originates from the largely reduced group velocity mismatch as the long-wavelength pumping pulses are employed.

High-Power and High-Efficiency Operation of Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers at 3.3 THz

A high-power and high-effciency GaAs/A1GaAs-based terahertz （THz） quantum cascade laser structure emitting at 3.3 THz is presented. The structure is based on a hybrid bound-to-continuum transition and resonant-phonon extraction active region combined with a semi-insulating surface-plasmon waveguide. By optimizing material structure and device processing, the peak optical output power of 758mW with a threshold current density of 120 A/cm2 and a wall-plug effciency of 0.92% at 10K and 404mW at 77K are obtained in pulsed operation. The maximum operating temperature is as high as llS K. In the cw mode, a record optical output power of 160roW with a threshold current density of 178A/cm2 and a wall-plug efficiency of 1.32% is achieved at 1OK.

The dependence on optical energy of terahertz emission from air plasma induced by two-color femtosecond laser-pulses

The generation of terahertz （THz） emission from air plasma induced by two-color femtosecond laser pulses is studied on the basis of a transient photocurrent model. While the gas is ionized by the two-color femtosecond laser-pulses com- posed of the fundamental and its second harmonic, a non-vanishing directional photoelectron current emerges, radiating a THz electromagnetic pulse. The gas ionization processes at three different laser-pulse energies are simulated, and the corresponding THz waveforms and spectra are plotted. The results demonstrate that, by keeping the laser-pulse width and the relative phase between two pulses invariant when the laser energy is at a moderate value, the emitted THz fields are significantly enhanced with a near-linear dependence on the optical energy.

Frequency response range of terahertz pulse coherent detection based on THz-induced time-resolved luminescence quenching

It has been proposed previously that the coherent detection of a terahertz（THz） pulse can be achieved based on the time-resolved luminescence quenching. In this paper, we investigate the frequency response range of this novel detection technology by simulating the motion of carriers in gallium arsenide（GaAs） by the ensemble Monte Carlo method. At room temperature, for a direct-current（DC） voltage of 20 kV/cm applied to the semiconductor（GaAs） and sampling time o140 fs, the luminescence quenching phenomena induced by terahertz pulses with different center frequencies are studied The results show that the quenching efficiency is independent of the THz frequency when the frequency is in a range o0.1 THz–4 THz. However, when the frequency exceeds 4 THz, the efficiency decreases with the increase of frequency Therefore, the frequency response range is 0.1 THz–4 THz. Moreover, when the sampling time is changed to 100 fs the frequency response range is extended to be approximately 0.1 THz–5.6 THz. This study of the frequency-dependen characteristics of the luminescence response to the THz pulse can provide a theoretical basis for the exploration of THz detection technology.

Compact intense electron-beam accelerators based on high energy density liquid pulse forming lines

This paper provides a review of the compact intense electron-beam accelerators (IEBAs) based on liquid pulse forming lines (PFLs) that havebeen developed at the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) in China. The history and roadmap of the compact IEBAs used todrive high-power microwave (HPM) devices at NUDT are reviewed. The properties of both de-ionized water and glycerin as energy storagemedia are presented. Research into the breakdown properties of liquid dielectrics and the desire to maximize energy storage have resulted in theinvention of several coaxial PFLs with different electromagnetic structures, which are detailed in this paper. These high energy density liquidPFLs have been used to increase the performance of IEBA subsystems, based on which the SPARK (Single Pulse Accelerator with spark gaps)and HEART (High Energy-density Accelerator with Repetitive Transformer) series of IEBAs were constructed. This paper also discusses howthese compact IEBAs have been used to drive typical HPM devices and concludes by summarizing the associated achievements and theconclusions that can be drawn from the results.

Investigation on latch-up susceptibility induced by high-power microwave in complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor inverter

The latch-up effect induced by high-power microwave（HPM） in complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor（CMOS） inverter is investigated in simulation and theory in this paper. The physical mechanisms of excess carrier injection and HPM-induced latch-up are proposed. Analysis on upset characteristic under pulsed wave reveals increasing susceptibility under shorter-width pulsed wave which satisfies experimental data, and the dependence of upset threshold on pulse repetitive frequency（PRF） is believed to be due to the accumulation of excess carriers. Moreover, the trend that HPMinduced latch-up is more likely to happen in shallow-well device is proposed.Finally, the process of self-recovery which is ever-reported in experiment with its correlation with supply voltage and power level is elaborated, and the conclusions are consistent with reported experimental results.

High-power femtosecond laser generation from an all-fiber linearly polarized chirped pulse amplifier

An all-fiber high-power linearly polarized chirped pulse amplification(CPA)system is experimentally demonstrated.Through stretching the pulse duration to a full width of approximately 2 ns with two cascaded chirped fiber Bragg gratings(CFBGs),a maximum average output power of 612 W is achieved from a high-gain Yb-doped fiber that has a core diameter of 20μm with a slope efficiency of approximately 68%at the repetition rate of 80 MHz.At the maximum output power,the polarization degree is 92.5%and the M^(2)factor of the output beam quality is approximately 1.29;the slight performance degradations are attributed to the thermal effects in the main amplifier.By optimizing the B-integral of the amplifier and finely adjusting the higher-order dispersion of one of the CFBGs,the pulse width is compressed to 863 fs at the highest power with a compression efficiency of 72%,corresponding to a maximum compressed average power of 440.6 W,single pulse energy of 5.5μJ and peak power of about 4.67 MW.To the best of our knowledge,this is the highest average power of a femtosecond laser directly generated from an all-fiber linearly polarized CPA system.

Field-free molecular orientation steered by combination of super-Gaussian and THz half-cycle laser pulses

The molecular orientation created by laser fields is important for steering chemical reactions. In this paper, we propose a theoretical scheme to manipulate field-free molecular orientation by using an intense super-Gaussian laser pulse and a time-delayed terahertz half-cycle pulse(THz HCP). It is shown that the degree of field-free orientation can be doubled by the combined pulse with respect to the super-Gaussian pulse or THz HCP alone. Moreover, different laser intensities, carrier envelop phases, shape parameters, and time delays have great influence on the positive and negative orientations, with other conditions unchanged. Furthermore, it is indicated that the maximum degree and direction of molecular orientation can be precisely controlled by half of the duration of the super-Gaussian pulse. Finally, by adjusting the laser parameters of the super-Gaussian laser pulse and THz HCP, the optimal results of negative orientation and corresponding rotational populations are obtained at different temperatures of the molecular system.

Control of electron localization in the dissociation of H_(2)^(+)and its isotopes with a THz pulse

The molecular dissociation with a two-laser-pulse scheme is theoretically investigated for the hydrogen molecular ion（H2^＋） and its isotopes（HD^＋and HT^＋）. The terahertz pulse is used to steer the electron motion after it has been excited by an ultrashort ultraviolet laser pulse and an unprecedented electron localization ratio can be achieved. With the coupled equations, the mass effect of the nuclei on the effective time of the electron localization control is discussed.

Trends in ultrashort and ultrahigh power laser pulses based on optical parametric chirped pulse amplification

Since the proof-of-principle demonstration of optical parametric amplification to efficiently amplify chirped laser pulses in 1992, optical parametric chirped pulse amplification（OPCPA） became the most promising method for the amplification of broadband optical pulses. In the meantime, we are witnessing an exciting progress in the development of powerful and ultrashort pulse laser systems that employ chirped pulse parametric amplifiers. The output power and pulse duration of these systems have ranged from a few gigawatts to hundreds of terawatts with a potential of tens of petawatts power level. Meanwhile, the output pulse duration based on optical parametric amplification has entered the range of fewoptical-cycle field. In this paper, we overview the basic principles, trends in development, and current state of the ultrashort and laser systems based on OPCPA, respectively.