Second-harmonic generation in atomic vapor with picosecond laser pulses

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Journal of the Optical Society of America, Part B: Optical Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAB.14.002530· OSTI ID:632541

Kim, D; Mullin, C S; Shen, Y R ^[1]

---

1. Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California, and Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720-7300 (United States)

Picosecond laser pulses were used to study the highly forbidden resonant second-harmonic generation (SHG) in potassium vapor. The input intensity dependence, vapor density dependence, buffer-gas pressure dependence, and spatial profile of the SHG were measured. A pump{endash}probe experiment was conducted to probe the time dependence of the SHG signal. The experimental results can be understood from an ionization-initiated dc-field-induced SHG model. A theory of a dc-field-induced SHG model is developed that takes into account the time development of the dc electric field in detail. This temporal buildup of the dc field along with transient coherent excitation between two-photon-allowed transitions can explain the experimental results quantitatively, including the previous vapor SHG results with nanosecond laser pulses. {copyright} 1997 Optical Society of America

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 632541
• Journal Information: Journal of the Optical Society of America, Part B: Optical Physics, Journal Name: Journal of the Optical Society of America, Part B: Optical Physics Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 14; ISSN JOBPDE; ISSN 0740-3224
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
ATOMS
EXCITATION
HARMONIC GENERATION
LASERS
OPTICAL PUMPING
POTASSIUM
PULSES
VAPORS