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Ionization-Induced Self-Compression of Tightly Focused Femtosecond Laser Pulses

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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Ionization-Induced Self-Compression of Tightly Focused Femtosecond Laser Pulses. / He, Z-H; Nees, J. A.; Hou, B. et al.
In: Physical review letters, Vol. 113, No. 26, 263904, 30.12.2014.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

He, Z-H, Nees, JA, Hou, B, Krushelnick, K & Thomas, AGR 2014, 'Ionization-Induced Self-Compression of Tightly Focused Femtosecond Laser Pulses', Physical review letters, vol. 113, no. 26, 263904. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.263904

APA

He, Z-H., Nees, J. A., Hou, B., Krushelnick, K., & Thomas, A. G. R. (2014). Ionization-Induced Self-Compression of Tightly Focused Femtosecond Laser Pulses. Physical review letters, 113(26), Article 263904. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.263904

Vancouver

He Z-H, Nees JA, Hou B, Krushelnick K, Thomas AGR. Ionization-Induced Self-Compression of Tightly Focused Femtosecond Laser Pulses. Physical review letters. 2014 Dec 30;113(26):263904. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.263904

Author

He, Z-H ; Nees, J. A. ; Hou, B. et al. / Ionization-Induced Self-Compression of Tightly Focused Femtosecond Laser Pulses. In: Physical review letters. 2014 ; Vol. 113, No. 26.

Bibtex

@article{c41367e1f52f4420b72d12c21d084c79,
title = "Ionization-Induced Self-Compression of Tightly Focused Femtosecond Laser Pulses",
abstract = "As lasers become progressively higher in power, optical damage thresholds will become a limiting factor. Using the nonlinear optics of plasma may be a way to circumvent these limits. Here, we present a new self-compression mechanism for high-power, femtosecond laser pulses based on geometrical focusing and three dimensional spatiotemporal reshaping in an ionizing plasma. By propagating tightly focused, 10-mJ femtosecond laser pulses through a 100-mu m gas jet, the interplay between ionization gradients, focusing, and diffraction of the light pulse leads to stable and uniform self-compression of the pulse, while maintaining a high-energy throughput and excellent refocusability. Self-compression down to 16 fs from an original 36-fs pulse is measured using second-harmonic-generation frequency-resolved optical gating. Using this mechanism, we are able to maintain a high transmission (>88%) such that the pulse peak power is doubled. Three-dimensional numerical simulations are performed to support our interpretation of the experimental observations.",
keywords = "HELIUM GAS, ENERGY, POSTCOMPRESSION, ACCELERATORS, GENERATION, PHYSICS, FS",
author = "Z-H He and Nees, {J. A.} and B. Hou and K. Krushelnick and Thomas, {A. G. R.}",
year = "2014",
month = dec,
day = "30",
doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.263904",
language = "English",
volume = "113",
journal = "Physical review letters",
issn = "0031-9007",
publisher = "American Physical Society",
number = "26",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ionization-Induced Self-Compression of Tightly Focused Femtosecond Laser Pulses

AU - He, Z-H

AU - Nees, J. A.

AU - Hou, B.

AU - Krushelnick, K.

AU - Thomas, A. G. R.

PY - 2014/12/30

Y1 - 2014/12/30

N2 - As lasers become progressively higher in power, optical damage thresholds will become a limiting factor. Using the nonlinear optics of plasma may be a way to circumvent these limits. Here, we present a new self-compression mechanism for high-power, femtosecond laser pulses based on geometrical focusing and three dimensional spatiotemporal reshaping in an ionizing plasma. By propagating tightly focused, 10-mJ femtosecond laser pulses through a 100-mu m gas jet, the interplay between ionization gradients, focusing, and diffraction of the light pulse leads to stable and uniform self-compression of the pulse, while maintaining a high-energy throughput and excellent refocusability. Self-compression down to 16 fs from an original 36-fs pulse is measured using second-harmonic-generation frequency-resolved optical gating. Using this mechanism, we are able to maintain a high transmission (>88%) such that the pulse peak power is doubled. Three-dimensional numerical simulations are performed to support our interpretation of the experimental observations.

AB - As lasers become progressively higher in power, optical damage thresholds will become a limiting factor. Using the nonlinear optics of plasma may be a way to circumvent these limits. Here, we present a new self-compression mechanism for high-power, femtosecond laser pulses based on geometrical focusing and three dimensional spatiotemporal reshaping in an ionizing plasma. By propagating tightly focused, 10-mJ femtosecond laser pulses through a 100-mu m gas jet, the interplay between ionization gradients, focusing, and diffraction of the light pulse leads to stable and uniform self-compression of the pulse, while maintaining a high-energy throughput and excellent refocusability. Self-compression down to 16 fs from an original 36-fs pulse is measured using second-harmonic-generation frequency-resolved optical gating. Using this mechanism, we are able to maintain a high transmission (>88%) such that the pulse peak power is doubled. Three-dimensional numerical simulations are performed to support our interpretation of the experimental observations.

KW - HELIUM GAS

KW - ENERGY

KW - POSTCOMPRESSION

KW - ACCELERATORS

KW - GENERATION

KW - PHYSICS

KW - FS

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.263904

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.263904

M3 - Journal article

VL - 113

JO - Physical review letters

JF - Physical review letters

SN - 0031-9007

IS - 26

M1 - 263904

ER -