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Title: Ultrashort-pulse propagation through free-carrier plasmas

Abstract

The past decade has seen frequent use of a modified nonlinear Schroedinger equation to describe ultrashort pulse propagation in materials where free-carrier plasmas are present. The optical contribution from the resulting free-current densities in this equation is often described using a classical Drude model. However, the ultimate form of this contribution in the modified nonlinear Schroedinger equation is somewhat inconsistent in the literature. We clarify this ambiguity by deriving the modified nonlinear Schroedinger equation from the classical wave equation containing a free-current density contribution. The Drude model is then used to obtain an expression for the complex free-carrier current density envelope with temporal dispersion corrections for ultrashort laser pulses. These temporal dispersion corrections to the current-density term differ, to our knowledge, from all other models in the literature in that they depend more sensitively on the value of the Drude free-carrier collision time. These corrections reduce to the current models in the literature for limiting cases. Theoretical analysis and computer simulations show that these differences can significantly affect the dynamic interactions of plasma absorption and plasma defocusing for materials with free-carrier collision times on the order of one optical cycle (or less) of the applied field.

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21408500
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physical Review. A
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 81; Journal Issue: 3; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.81.033818; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; Journal ID: ISSN 1050-2947
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; ABSORPTION; CARRIERS; COLLISIONS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; CORRECTIONS; CURRENT DENSITY; DISPERSIONS; MATERIALS; NONLINEAR PROBLEMS; PLASMA; PULSES; SCHROEDINGER EQUATION; DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS; EQUATIONS; PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS; SIMULATION; SORPTION; WAVE EQUATIONS

Citation Formats

Gulley, Jeremy R, and Dennis, W M. Ultrashort-pulse propagation through free-carrier plasmas. United States: N. p., 2010. Web. doi:10.1103/PHYSREVA.81.033818.
Gulley, Jeremy R, & Dennis, W M. Ultrashort-pulse propagation through free-carrier plasmas. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.81.033818
Gulley, Jeremy R, and Dennis, W M. 2010. "Ultrashort-pulse propagation through free-carrier plasmas". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVA.81.033818.
@article{osti_21408500,
title = {Ultrashort-pulse propagation through free-carrier plasmas},
author = {Gulley, Jeremy R and Dennis, W M},
abstractNote = {The past decade has seen frequent use of a modified nonlinear Schroedinger equation to describe ultrashort pulse propagation in materials where free-carrier plasmas are present. The optical contribution from the resulting free-current densities in this equation is often described using a classical Drude model. However, the ultimate form of this contribution in the modified nonlinear Schroedinger equation is somewhat inconsistent in the literature. We clarify this ambiguity by deriving the modified nonlinear Schroedinger equation from the classical wave equation containing a free-current density contribution. The Drude model is then used to obtain an expression for the complex free-carrier current density envelope with temporal dispersion corrections for ultrashort laser pulses. These temporal dispersion corrections to the current-density term differ, to our knowledge, from all other models in the literature in that they depend more sensitively on the value of the Drude free-carrier collision time. These corrections reduce to the current models in the literature for limiting cases. Theoretical analysis and computer simulations show that these differences can significantly affect the dynamic interactions of plasma absorption and plasma defocusing for materials with free-carrier collision times on the order of one optical cycle (or less) of the applied field.},
doi = {10.1103/PHYSREVA.81.033818},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21408500}, journal = {Physical Review. A},
issn = {1050-2947},
number = 3,
volume = 81,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010},
month = {Mon Mar 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010}
}