Resonant third harmonic generation in a laser produced thin foil plasma

Journal Article · Wed Oct 15 04:00:00 EDT 2008 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2998827· OSTI ID:21254548

Kaur, Sukhdeep; Sharma, A K ^[1]

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1. Center for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi-110016 (India)

An analytical model is developed for third harmonic generation (THG) efficiency from a high-density inhomogeneous plasma produced by laser irradiation of a thin metallic film. The laser suffers strong reflection from the critical layer. The superposition of forward and backward waves creates a quasistatic density ripple of wave number 2k and a second harmonic density ripple at 2{omega}, 4k, where {omega} and k are the frequency and wave number of the laser. The density ripple couples with the oscillatory electron velocity at {omega}, k to produce a nonlinear current at 3{omega}, 5k driving a resonant third harmonic radiation in the region where 5k=k{sub 3} and k{sub 3} is the wave number at 3{omega} frequency. As the density scale length of the plasma is increased, the efficiency of THG increases. The same behavior is reproduced in two particle in cell simulation by launching a laser in a rippled density underdense plasma of phase-matched density and a ripple period of half-laser wavelength.

• OSTI ID: 21254548
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 15; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
HARMONIC GENERATION
INHOMOGENEOUS PLASMA
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA SIMULATION
THIN FILMS