Generation of single-cycle relativistic infrared pulses at wavelengths above 20 <i>µ</i>m from density-tailored plasmas

Zhu Xing-Long; Liu Wei-Yuan; Weng Su-Ming; Chen Min; Sheng Zheng-Ming; Zhang Jie

doi:10.1063/5.0068265

Volume 7 Issue 1

Jan. 2022

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Zhu Xing-Long, Liu Wei-Yuan, Weng Su-Ming, Chen Min, Sheng Zheng-Ming, Zhang Jie. Generation of single-cycle relativistic infrared pulses at wavelengths above 20 µm from density-tailored plasmas[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2022, 7(1): 014403. doi: 10.1063/5.0068265

Citation:

Zhu Xing-Long, Liu Wei-Yuan, Weng Su-Ming, Chen Min, Sheng Zheng-Ming, Zhang Jie. Generation of single-cycle relativistic infrared pulses at wavelengths above 20 µm from density-tailored plasmas[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2022, 7(1): 014403. doi: 10.1063/5.0068265

Citation:

Zhu Xing-Long, Liu Wei-Yuan, Weng Su-Ming, Chen Min, Sheng Zheng-Ming, Zhang Jie. Generation of single-cycle relativistic infrared pulses at wavelengths above 20 µm from density-tailored plasmas[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2022, 7(1): 014403. doi: 10.1063/5.0068265

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Generation of single-cycle relativistic infrared pulses at wavelengths above 20 µm from density-tailored plasmas

doi: 10.1063/5.0068265

Zhu Xing-Long^{1, 2, 3
,
,
,},
Liu Wei-Yuan^{1, 3
,},
Weng Su-Ming^{1, 3
,},
Chen Min^{1, 3
,},
Sheng Zheng-Ming^{1, 2, 3, 4
,
,
,},
Zhang Jie^{1, 2, 3}

1.
Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MOE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
2.
Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
3.
Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
4.
SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom

More Information

Corresponding author: a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: xinglong.zhu@sjtu.edu.cn and zmsheng@sjtu.edu.cn; a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: xinglong.zhu@sjtu.edu.cn and zmsheng@sjtu.edu.cn
Received Date: 2021-08-24
Accepted Date: 2021-11-03

Available Online: 2022-01-01

Publish Date: 2022-01-01

Abstract

Abstract

Ultra-intense short-pulse light sources are powerful tools for a wide range of applications. However, relativistic short-pulse lasers are normally generated in the near-infrared regime. Here, we present a promising and efficient way to generate tunable relativistic ultrashort pulses with wavelengths above 20 µm in a density-tailored plasma. In this approach, in the first stage, an intense drive laser first excites a nonlinear wake in an underdense plasma, and its photon frequency is then downshifted via phase modulation as it propagates in the plasma wake. Subsequently, in the second stage, the drive pulse enters a lower-density plasma region so that the wake has a larger plasma cavity in which longer-wavelength infrared pulses can be produced. Numerical simulations show that the resulting near-single-cycle pulses cover a broad spectral range of 10–40 µm with a conversion efficiency of ∼2.1% (∼34 mJ pulse energy). This enables the investigation of nonlinear infrared optics in the relativistic regime and offers new possibilities for the investigation of ultrafast phenomena and physics in strong fields.

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References(36)

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