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Tochitsky SY, Welch EC, Matteo DA, Panagiotopoulos P, Kolesik M, Moloney JV, Joshi C. Self-channeling of a multi-Joule 10 µm picosecond pulse train through long distances in air. OPTICS EXPRESS 2024; 32:2067-2080. [PMID: 38297744 DOI: 10.1364/oe.512074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
In the long-wave infrared (LWIR) range, where, due to wavelength scaling, the critical power of Kerr self-focusing Pcr in air increases to 300-400 GW, we demonstrate that without external focusing a train of picosecond CO2 laser pulses can propagate in the form of a single several-centimeter diameter channel over hundreds of meters. The train of 10 µm pulses, for which the total energy ≥20 J is distributed over several near-terawatt picosecond pulses with a maximum power ≤2Pcr, is generated naturally during short pulse amplification in a CO2 laser. It is observed that the high-power 10 µm beam forms a large diameter "hot gas" channel in the ambient air with a ≥ 50 ms lifetime. Simulations of the experiment show that such filamentation-free self-channeling regime has low propagation losses and can deliver multi-Joule/TW-power LWIR pulses over km-scale distances.
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Patel A, Gollner C, Jutas R, Shumakova V, Shneider MN, Pugzlys A, Baltuska A, Shashurin A. Ionization rate and plasma dynamics at 3.9 micron femtosecond photoionization of air. Phys Rev E 2022; 106:055210. [PMID: 36559482 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.106.055210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The introduction of mid-IR optical parametric chirped pulse amplifiers has catalyzed interest in multimillijoule, infrared femtosecond pulse-based filamentation. As tunneling ionization is a fundamental first stage in these high-intensity laser-matter interactions, characterizing the process is critical to understand derivative topical studies on femtosecond filamentation and self-focusing. Here, we report direct nonintrusive measurements of total electron count and electron number densities generated at 3.9 μm femtosecond midinfrared tunneling ionization of atmospheric air using constructive-elastic microwave scattering. Subsequently, we determine photoionization rates to be in the range 5.0×10^{8}-6.1×10^{9}s^{-1} for radiation intensities of 1.3×10^{13}-1.9×10^{14}W/cm^{2}, respectively. The proposed approach paves the wave to precisely tabulate photoionization rates in mid-IR for a broad range of intensities and gas types and to study plasma dynamics at mid-IR filamentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Patel
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Claudia Gollner
- Photonics Institute, Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rokas Jutas
- Photonics Institute, Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Mikhail N Shneider
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Audrius Pugzlys
- Photonics Institute, Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrius Baltuska
- Photonics Institute, Vienna University of Technology, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexey Shashurin
- School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
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Matteo D, Welch E, Tochitsky S, Schunemann PG, Guha S, Joshi C. Efficient second harmonic generation of a high-power picosecond CO 2 laser. OPTICS LETTERS 2022; 47:1259-1262. [PMID: 35230342 DOI: 10.1364/ol.445099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A comparative analysis of AgGaSe2, GaSe, CdGeAs2, and Te for second harmonic generation (SHG) of a picosecond CO2 laser at intensities up to 50 GW/cm2 is presented. We demonstrate external energy conversion efficiency of >20% in AgGaSe2. Conversion efficiency >5% is measured in GaSe and CdGeAs2. Self-focusing and multifilamentation are found to severely limit the SHG process in CdGeAs2 and Te at such high fields. Demonstration of ≥150 MW SH pulses for a 10 μm picosecond pump, in combination with femtosecond CO2 laser development, will open new strong-field applications in the 4.5-5.5 μm range.
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Migal E, Pushkin A, Minaev N, Bravy B, Potemkin F. Control of spectral shift, broadening, and pulse compression during mid-IR self-guiding in high-pressure gases and their mixtures. OPTICS LETTERS 2022; 47:985-988. [PMID: 35167575 DOI: 10.1364/ol.450508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Precise control of the nonlinear optical phenomena is the limiting factor for the spectral broadening and pulse compression techniques for high-power laser systems. Here we demonstrate that generation of the blue and red components under filamentation of 4.55-μm mid-IR pulses can be easily adjusted independently through the use of inert and molecular gases, while uniform broadening up to 1-μm bandwidth at the 1/e2 level relies on the proper choice of gas mixture and its compounds partial pressure. Such synthesized media provide a feasible route for the free of damage control of pulse spectral broadening and compression for gigawatt peak power laser systems operating in the mid-IR. Additional management of a generated spectrum can be realized through the adjustment of focusing conditions. The resulted pulse is compressed by a factor of 2.6 down to 62 fs pulse duration (4.1 optical cycles) with additional dispersion compensation. Controllable nonlinear compression down to four optical cycles keeping the millijoule energy level of a mid-IR laser pulse provides direct access to extreme nonlinear optics.
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Woodbury D, Goffin A, Schwartz RM, Isaacs J, Milchberg HM. Self-Guiding of Long-Wave Infrared Laser Pulses Mediated by Avalanche Ionization. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 125:133201. [PMID: 33034483 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.125.133201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Nonlinear self-guided propagation of intense long-wave infrared (LWIR) laser pulses is of significant recent interest, as it promises high power transmission without beam breakup and multifilamentation. Central to self-guiding is the mechanism for the arrest of self-focusing collapse. Here, we show that discrete avalanche sites centered on submicron aerosols can arrest self-focusing, providing a new mechanism for self-guided propagation of moderate intensity LWIR pulses in outdoor environments. Our conclusions are supported by simulations of LWIR pulse propagation using an effective index approach that incorporates the time-resolved plasma dynamics of discrete avalanche breakdown sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Woodbury
- Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - A Goffin
- Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - R M Schwartz
- Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - J Isaacs
- Plasma Physics Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375, USA
| | - H M Milchberg
- Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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Migal E, Pushkin A, Bravy B, Gordienko V, Minaev N, Sirotkin A, Potemkin F. 3.5-mJ 150-fs Fe:ZnSe hybrid mid-IR femtosecond laser at 4.4 μm for driving extreme nonlinear optics. OPTICS LETTERS 2019; 44:2550-2553. [PMID: 31090729 DOI: 10.1364/ol.44.002550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
We report on entering a new era of mid-IR femtosecond lasers based on amplification in a relatively new gain chalcogenide medium, Fe:ZnSe. Our hybrid all-solid-state laser system is based on direct pulse amplification of femtosecond seed from three-stage AGS-based-optical parametric amplification (OPA) in a Fe:ZnSe laser crystal optically pumped by a Cr:Yb:Ho:YSGG Q-switched nanosecond laser. The development of the pump source with output energy up to 90 mJ operating at a 10 Hz repetition rate regime and highly efficient grating compressor (80%) provides 3.5-mJ 150-fs femtosecond pulses centered at 4.4 μm. Diode-pumped Er:YAG/Er:YLF lasers make it possible to increase the beam quality and repetition rate of the proposed laser system up to 100 Hz. Focusing such a laser radiation into the ∼3λ beam diameter allows us to reach a focus laser intensity up to 1016 W/cm2 which is only an order of magnitude lower than a relativistic intensity of 1017 W/cm2 and enough to drive strong nonlinear optics in mid-IR. We show as a proof-of-principle experiment the generation of four-octave spanning (from 350 nm up to 5.5 μm) supercontinuum in xenon.
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Shumakova V, Ališauskas S, Malevich P, Voronin AA, Mitrofanov AV, Sidorov-Biryukov DA, Zheltikov AM, Kartashov D, Baltuška A, Pugžlys A. Chirp-controlled filamentation and formation of light bullets in the mid-IR. OPTICS LETTERS 2019; 44:2173-2176. [PMID: 31042176 DOI: 10.1364/ol.44.002173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Formation of light bullets-tightly localized in space and time light packets, retaining their spatiotemporal shape during propagation-is, for the first time, experimentally observed and investigated in a new regime of mid-infrared filamentation in ambient air. It is suggested that the light bullets generated in ambient air by multi-mJ, positively chirped 3.9-μm pulses originate from a dynamic interplay between the anomalous dispersion in the vicinity of CO2 resonance and positive chirp, both intrinsic, carried by the driver pulse, and accumulated, originating from nonlinear propagation in air. By adjusting the initial chirp of the driving pulses, one can control the spatial beam profile, energy losses, and spectral-temporal dynamics of filamenting pulses and deliver sub-3-cycle mid-IR pulses in high-quality beam on a remote target.
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Fedorov VY, Tzortzakis S. Optimal wavelength for two-color filamentation-induced terahertz sources. OPTICS EXPRESS 2018; 26:31150-31159. [PMID: 30650705 DOI: 10.1364/oe.26.031150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We theoretically study the generation of terahertz (THz) radiation by two-color filamentation of ultrashort laser pulses with different wavelengths. We consider wavelengths in the range from 0.6 to 10.6 μm, thus covering the whole range of existing and future powerful laser sources in the near, mid and far-infrared. We show how different parameters of two-color filaments and generated THz pulses depend on the laser wavelength. We demonstrate that there is an optimal laser wavelength for two-color filamentation that provides the highest THz conversion efficiency and results in generation of extremely intense single cycle THz fields.
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