Optical-to-THz Wave Conversion via Excitation of Plasma Oscillations in the Tunneling-Ionization Process

Journal Article · Fri Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2007 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.98.245002· OSTI ID:20953291

Gildenburg, V B; Vvedenskii, N V ^[1]

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1. Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod 603950 (Russian Federation)

A new ('linear-parametric') mechanism of a direct conversion of an ultrashort laser pulse into terahertz radiation is suggested. The conversion is due to the ionization-induced excitation and the subsequent electromagnetic emission of the superluminous polarization wave created by the axicon-focused laser pulse. For a few-cycle pulse with an optimum carrier-envelope phase, the considered mechanism is found to be much more effective than the alternative one based on the excitation of plasma oscillations in the laser wakefield by the ponderomotive force and able to provide THz radiation of the gigawatt power level with the use of moderate optical intensity ({approx}10{sup 14}-10{sup 15} W/cm{sup 2})

• OSTI ID: 20953291
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 98, Issue 24; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.245002; (c) 2007 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
EXCITATION
IONIZATION
LASERS
PLASMA WAVES
POLARIZATION
PONDEROMOTIVE FORCE
PULSES
TUNNEL EFFECT