Plasma characterization using terahertz-wave-enhanced fluorescence

Journal Article · Mon Jan 25 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3291676· OSTI ID:21347251

Jingle, Liu; Zhang, X -C ^[1]

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1. Center for Terahertz Research, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180 (United States)

We demonstrate that the terahertz-wave-enhanced fluorescence emission from excited atoms or molecules can be employed in the characterization of laser-induced gas plasmas. The electron relaxation time and plasma density were deduced through applying the electron impact excitation/ionization and electron-ion recombination processes to the measured time-dependent enhanced fluorescence. The electron collision dynamics of nitrogen plasma excited at different gas pressures and laser pulse energies have been systematically investigated. This plasma characterization method provides picosecond temporal resolution and enables omnidirectional optical signal collection.

• OSTI ID: 21347251
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 96; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COLLISIONS
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
ELECTRON-ION COLLISIONS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
FERMIONS
FLUORESCENCE
ION COLLISIONS
IONIZATION
LASERS
LEPTONS
LUMINESCENCE
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
PHOTON EMISSION
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA PRODUCTION
PULSES
RELAXATION TIME
SIGNALS
TIME DEPENDENCE