Terahertz(THz) radiation, spanning the frequency range 100 GHz to 10 THz, offers diverse applications in spectroscopy, materials characterization, medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. Despite its potentia...Terahertz(THz) radiation, spanning the frequency range 100 GHz to 10 THz, offers diverse applications in spectroscopy, materials characterization, medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. Despite its potential, the generation of high-intensity, tunable THz radiation remains a significant challenge. In this work, we explore a novel approach to the efficient generation of THz radiation based on laser–plasma interactions, utilizing the principles of photon deceleration.When a relativistic CO_(2) laser passes through a pre-ionized plasma, the laser induces a nonlinear wakefield, creating a strong refractive index gradient. This gradient, combined with the lower-density region of the wakefield, slows down the laser, facilitating the accumulation of THz radiation. The resulting THz pulse exhibits extreme collimation, high energy efficiency and tunability. Our work shows that this method can achieve up to 10% conversion efficiency with optimal plasma density near the critical density. This technique presents a promising solution for overcoming current limitations in THz source development and offers potential for diverse applications.展开更多
Relativistic few-cycle mid-infrared(mid-IR)pulses are unique tools for strong-field physics and ultrafast science,but are difficult to generate with traditional nonlinear optical methods.Here,we propose a scheme to ge...Relativistic few-cycle mid-infrared(mid-IR)pulses are unique tools for strong-field physics and ultrafast science,but are difficult to generate with traditional nonlinear optical methods.Here,we propose a scheme to generate such pulses with high efficiency via plasma-based frequency modulation with a negatively chirped laser pulse(NCLP).The NCLP is rapidly compressed longitudinally due to dispersion and plasma etching,and its central frequency is downshifted via photon deceleration due to the enhanced laser intensity and plasma density modulations.Simulation results show that few-cycle mid-IR pulses with the maximum center wavelength of 7.9µm and pulse intensity of a_(MIR)=2.9 can be generated under a proper chirp parameter.Further,the maximum energy conversion efficiency can approach 5.0%.Such a relativistic mid-IR source is promising for a wide range of applications.展开更多
基金Project supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2024T170021)the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park (Grant No. Z231100006023003)+2 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 12175058, 12205007, and 11921006)the National Science Fund of Hunan Province for Distinguished Young Scholars (Grant No. 2024JJ2009)The computing was supported by the High-performance Computing Platform of Peking University。
文摘Terahertz(THz) radiation, spanning the frequency range 100 GHz to 10 THz, offers diverse applications in spectroscopy, materials characterization, medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. Despite its potential, the generation of high-intensity, tunable THz radiation remains a significant challenge. In this work, we explore a novel approach to the efficient generation of THz radiation based on laser–plasma interactions, utilizing the principles of photon deceleration.When a relativistic CO_(2) laser passes through a pre-ionized plasma, the laser induces a nonlinear wakefield, creating a strong refractive index gradient. This gradient, combined with the lower-density region of the wakefield, slows down the laser, facilitating the accumulation of THz radiation. The resulting THz pulse exhibits extreme collimation, high energy efficiency and tunability. Our work shows that this method can achieve up to 10% conversion efficiency with optimal plasma density near the critical density. This technique presents a promising solution for overcoming current limitations in THz source development and offers potential for diverse applications.
基金This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2018YFA0404802)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12005297,11875319,12135009,and 12275356)+2 种基金the Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province(No.2020RC4020)the Research Project of NUDT(No.ZK21-12)the Hunan Provincial Research and Innovation Foundation for Graduate Students(Nos.CX20200002,CX20200038,and CX20210062)。
文摘Relativistic few-cycle mid-infrared(mid-IR)pulses are unique tools for strong-field physics and ultrafast science,but are difficult to generate with traditional nonlinear optical methods.Here,we propose a scheme to generate such pulses with high efficiency via plasma-based frequency modulation with a negatively chirped laser pulse(NCLP).The NCLP is rapidly compressed longitudinally due to dispersion and plasma etching,and its central frequency is downshifted via photon deceleration due to the enhanced laser intensity and plasma density modulations.Simulation results show that few-cycle mid-IR pulses with the maximum center wavelength of 7.9µm and pulse intensity of a_(MIR)=2.9 can be generated under a proper chirp parameter.Further,the maximum energy conversion efficiency can approach 5.0%.Such a relativistic mid-IR source is promising for a wide range of applications.
