Free space broadband intense THz sources and applications

A. D. Koulouklidis; V. Yu. Fedorov; C. Gollner; V. Shumakova; A. Pugžlys; A. Baltuška; S. Tzortzakis

doi:10.1117/12.2558454

24 April 2020 Free space broadband intense THz sources and applications

A. D. Koulouklidis, V. Yu. Fedorov, C. Gollner, V. Shumakova, A. Pugžlys, A. Baltuška, S. Tzortzakis

Proceedings Volume 11390, Next-Generation Spectroscopic Technologies XIII; 113900I (2020) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2558454
Event: SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing, 2020, Online Only

Abstract

Extreme nonlinear interactions of THz electromagnetic fields with matter are the next frontier in nonlinear optics. However, reaching this frontier in free space is limited by the existing lack of appropriate powerful THz sources. Here we demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally the realization of a novel THz source with high peak power performance based on two-color filamentation of femtosecond mid-infrared laser pulses at 3.9 μm. Our theory predicts that under this scheme sub-cycle THz pulses with multi-millijoule energies and record conversion efficiencies can be produced. Besides, we elucidate the origin of this high efficiency, which is made up of several factors, including a novel mechanism where the harmonics produced by the mid-infrared pulses strongly contribute to the field symmetry breaking and enhance the THz generation. In our experiments we verify the theoretical predictions by demonstrating ultrashort sub-cycle THz pulses with sub-millijoule energy and THz conversion efficiency of 2.36%, resulting in THz field amplitudes above 100 MV cm^-1. Moreover, we show that these intense THz fields can drive nonlinear effects in bulk semiconductors (ZnSe and ZnTe) in free space and at room temperature. Our numerical simulations indicate that the observed THz yield can be significantly upscaled by further optimizing the experimental setup leading to even higher field strengths. Such intense THz pulses enable extreme field science, including into other, relativistic phenomena.

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A. D. Koulouklidis, V. Yu. Fedorov, C. Gollner, V. Shumakova, A. Pugžlys, A. Baltuška, and S. Tzortzakis "Free space broadband intense THz sources and applications", Proc. SPIE 11390, Next-Generation Spectroscopic Technologies XIII, 113900I (24 April 2020); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2558454

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KEYWORDS

Terahertz radiation

Crystals

Polarization

Mid-IR

Plasma

Energy efficiency

Mirrors

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