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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Terahertz shaping technology based on coherent beam combining

The generation of terahertz(THz) waves by focusing a femtosecond pulsed laser beam at a distance is able to overcome the strong absorption properties of air and has rapidly attracted the attention of industry. However, the poor directionality of the THz wave radiation generated by this method is not conducive to THz wave applications. By controlling the morphology of the ultrafast laser-excited plasma filament and its electron density distribution through coherent beam combining technology, we achieve direct THz beam shaping and are able to obtain THz wave radiation of Gaussian or arbitrary transverse distribution. The novel experimental approach proposed in this paper opens up the research field of direct THz wave shaping using plasma. Moreover, it innovates multi-parameter convergence algorithms and, by doing so, has the potential to find beam patterns with higher energy conversion efficiency and break the energy limit of THz waves emitted by lasers at high power.

太赫兹波段介质电磁参数测量与提取对比研究

本文完善了基于太赫兹时域光谱系统和基于矢量网络分析系统材料参数测量的一般理论,在2类系统的交叉频段,建立了相同准光学参数的测量条件,对比分析了2类系统信号参数测量和理论提取的过程。实验验证了在光子学和电子学的重叠区域,不同测量系统在相同测量条件下,能够获取趋于一致的测量结果,证实了结果的准确性只取决于物理模型、理论方法和测量条件是否匹配。提炼出采用单次时域法同时适用于时域系统和频域系统参数测量和提取的适配条件,并形成匹配条件经验理论公式,用于判断材料太赫兹参数测量结果的可靠性。

激光脉冲啁啾影响双色激光场诱导气体产生太赫兹辐射特性的理论研究

随着太赫兹波研究的深入,研究者们对可调控太赫兹源的需求不断增加.如何获取可调控的太赫兹波一直是太赫兹科学领域的研究热点和关键问题之一.本文通过建立双色激光诱导气体电离光丝产生太赫兹波及其后续传播过程的三维理论模型,详细研究了双色泵浦激光的啁啾参数对飞秒激光场辐射产生太赫兹波的影响.研究结果表明,在激光脉宽为飞秒量级时,以40 fs的情况为例,当啁啾参数在与激光脉宽处于相同的飞秒量级尺度上时,其对太赫兹波的振幅与频谱都产生显著影响.在双色飞秒激光场中,基频波和倍频波的啁啾各自起到不同的作用:基频波的啁啾主要影响太赫兹波的时域波形,而倍频波的啁啾则决定了太赫兹辐射的振幅大小、中心频率与频谱宽度.研究表明,激光啁啾作为一种可控的参数,对所辐射的太赫兹波属性具有多重调制效果,且相关啁啾的作用规律随双色激光的初始相位也呈现规律性变化.这些结果为研究太赫兹辐射的产生与调控提供了新的思路与依据.

基于整形飞秒激光脉冲泵浦光电导天线的宽带太赫兹辐射研究

飞秒激光脉冲泵浦光电导天线可以产生宽带太赫兹脉冲辐射。采用具有缓慢上升--快速下降整形脉冲包络的飞秒激光脉冲与光电导天线作用产生宽带太赫兹辐射,基于Drude-Lorentz模型计算了太赫兹辐射的规律,并讨论了激光脉冲脉宽和半导体载流子寿命对太赫兹辐射产生的影响。研究结果表明,尽管这种整形飞秒激光脉冲的能量有所损失,但是这种泵浦方式能够比普通飞秒激光脉冲泵浦光电导天线产生更宽的太赫兹辐射。该结果为实验上基于光电导天线产生宽带太赫兹脉冲辐射提供了新的思路。

Intense Cherenkov-type terahertz electromagnetic radiation from ultrafast laser-plasma interaction

A Cherenkowtype terahertz electromagnetic radiation is revealed, which results efficiently from the collective effects in the time-domain of ultrafast pulsed electron current produced by ultrafast intense laser plasma interaction. The emitted pulse waveform and spectrum, and the dependence of laser pulse parameters on the structure of the radiation field are investigated numerically. The condition of THz radiation generation in this regime and Cherenkov geometry of the radiation field are studied analytically.

Terahertz generation from laser-induced plasma

Interest of the research in terahertz(THz)wave has been strongly motivated by its wide applications in the fields of physics,chemistry,biology,and engineering.Developing efficient and reliable THz source is of uttermost priority in these researches.Numerous attempts have been made in fulfilling the THz generation.Greatly benefited from the progress of the ultrafast pulses,the laser-induced-plasma is one of the auspicious tools to provide desirable THz waves,owing to its superiorities in high power threshold,intense THz signal,and ultrawide THz spectrum.This paper reviews the physics and progress of the THz generation from the laser-induced plasmas,which are produced by gas,liquid,and solid.The characteristics of the emitted THz waves are also included.There are many complicated physical processes involved in the interactions of laser-plasma,making various laser-plasma scenarios in the THz generations.In view of this,we will only focus on the THz generation classified by physical mechanisms.Finally,we discuss a perspective on the future of THz generation from the laser-induced plasma,as well as its involved challenges.

飞秒三色谐波脉冲增强空气等离子体中太赫兹波的产生

本文基于瞬态光电流模型和多色谐波脉冲叠加形成的类锯齿形电场,研究了频率比为1:2:m(m为正整数)的飞秒三色谐波脉冲诱导空气等离子体产生太赫兹波的情况。结果表明,在空气被饱和电离且电子密度达到相同最大值的情况下,对于相同数量的谐波脉冲,当合成脉冲包络中的电场形状更接近锯齿形且更不对称时,太赫兹波的转换效率并不总是更高。此外,研究了采用频率比为1:2:3和1:2:4的飞秒三色谐波脉冲的特定波长组合方案增强太赫兹波的产生。对于这些特定的波长组合方案,可以在常用频率比为1:2的双色光脉冲方案基础上仅添加一组光参量放大器就能实现。我们的研究将有助于获得强太赫兹波源,并为实验操作提供指导。