基于双温耦合模型的太赫兹晶体损伤阈值分析

飞秒激光通过非线性光学整流效应产生太赫兹(THz)波时,THz波转换效率会随着飞秒激光功 率的增大而明显提高。然而,飞秒激光功率过高会造成非线性晶体损伤,进而影响THz波的 产生及输出, 因而对飞秒激光作用下非线性晶体的损伤阈值进行研究具有重要意义。本文在经典的双温模 型基础上,引 入电子激发、载流子吸收等电离过程的影响,建立了飞秒激光作用下非线性THz晶体损伤 阈值的预估模 型。采用有限差分法,数值模拟了飞秒激光辐照下THz晶体的温度场变化,并据此对 晶体损伤阈值进行 预估。在此基础上,分析比较了LiNbO₃、ZnTe和ZnSe 3种THz晶体的损伤 阈值随激光脉宽的变化规 律。结果表明,晶体的禁带宽度和比热容越大 ,晶体的损伤 阈值就越大;LiNbO₃晶体因其具有更高的损伤阈值,在产生高功率THz波方面 具有更大的优势。     

基于波前倾斜的太赫兹单次测量研究

太赫兹单次测量技术可以对一些超快不可逆过程进行快速测量,在蛋白质变性、核爆模拟分析等领域具有广阔的应用前景。从飞秒激光放大器发出的光脉冲分成两束并分别经过两块光栅产生波前倾斜,一束作为抽运光激发铌酸锂晶体,基于光整流效应产生高功率太赫兹波;另一束作为探测光,采用正交平衡探测法探测。利用该光路产生太赫兹脉冲并对其进行单次测量,系统的时间窗口为16.8 ps,频谱范围覆盖0.1～1.6 THz。     

基于非周期极化铌酸锂晶体产生任意频率太赫兹辐射

理论上研究并论证了飞秒激光在非周期性极化畴反转的铌酸锂晶体(LN)中由光整流效应产生任意频率、窄带的太赫兹(THz)波辐射的可行性.为实现对THz波谱的整形,文中利用模拟退火(SA)算法设计出铌酸锂晶体的极化畴反转结构的最佳模型,由此可产生任意预置时间波形的THz辐射场.结果表明,SA算法是一种有效的通过设计晶体极化畴...     

基于LiNbO3光整流效应的高峰值功率太赫兹源

基于光整流效应,通过倾斜泵浦光波前(TPFP)在铌酸锂晶体中实现相位匹配,是一种有效的产生太赫兹辐射的方法。建立了一种更完备的基于波面倾斜的产生太赫兹波的理论模型,用于分析不同泵浦光偏振下产生太赫兹波的转换效率。搭建了基于铌酸锂晶体光整流效应的高峰值功率太赫兹源和太赫兹时域光谱系统,并利用太赫兹面阵探测器对获得的太赫兹辐射进行了分析。结果表明,所获得的太赫兹辐射单脉冲峰值功率达到0.56 MW,频谱宽度为0.1 THz~2 THz,转换效率为0.56‰,与理论模拟结果相符。     

超短脉冲激光对无机硅材料的损伤

通过控制作用于材料表面的激光能量和脉冲数量,实验研究了800nm,50fs,1kHz激光作用下融石英玻璃和硅片的破坏机制和损伤规律,计算了材料的损伤阈值与脉冲能量以及脉冲数量的依赖关系,并采用简化的理论模型计算了熔石英玻璃材料的损伤阈值与激光脉宽以及光子能量之间的依赖关系。对这两种无机硅材料在飞秒脉冲作用后的微区结构改变进行了扫描电子显微镜(SEM)测试,研究了其形貌特征。结果表明,硅片是由缺陷中的导带电子作为种子电子引发雪崩电离导致材料损伤,而熔石英玻璃是由多光子电离激发出导带电子引发雪崩电离导致材料损伤。     

磁场对周期性极化铌酸锂晶体中产生的窄带太赫兹波的控制研究

本文 利用飞秒激光作用于光折变周期性极化铌酸锂(PPLN)晶体和掺 镁(Mg)的PPLN(PP-Mg:LN)晶体通过光整流效应产生窄带太赫兹(THz) 辐射,通过外加磁场的 办法对THz脉冲串的振幅和寿命进行有效控制。随着外加磁场的增强,在光折变PPLN晶体中 产生的THz 波的振幅和寿命都随之减小;当外加磁场足够强时,光折变PPLN晶体中产生的THz波将完 全被抑制。外 加磁场之所以能够对THz波的振幅和寿命进行有效控制,主要是由于洛伦兹力的作用使光折 变晶体内部产生了空间电荷场。     

GaP,GaAs和PPLN晶体级联差频产生太赫兹辐射

研究周期极化磷化镓晶体(GaP)、砷化镓晶体(GaAs)和周期极化铌酸锂晶体(PPLN)准相位匹配级联差频产生太赫兹辐射,相较于差频过程,级联过程太赫兹辐射输出功率增大9.5倍。通过分析三波耦合方程,计算并比较晶体的波矢失配量、极化周期和太赫兹功率,结果显示,基于GaP晶体产生的太赫兹功率略大于GaAs晶体输出的功率;GaAs晶体的极化周期最小;PPLN晶体的波矢失配量和极化周期取值范围最小,而输出的太赫兹功率和转换效率最高。建立基于周期极化掺氧化镁铌酸锂晶体(MgO:PPLN)准相位匹配原理的宽调谐激光系统,分析吸收因子对输出太赫兹功率的影响,计算级联差频峰值功率和转换效率。十五阶峰值功率3.72 MW,泵浦光总能量到太赫兹辐射能量的转换效率是3.72%。     

太赫兹波光学参量效应放大特性的理论研究

针对太赫兹波光学参量效应中增益介质对太赫兹波强烈吸收的特点,提出光学参量效应中泵浦光、斯托克斯光和太赫兹波三波共线相互作用可以有效放大太赫兹波。以周期极化铌酸锂晶体为例,通过解耦合波方程,在不同的近似条件下分析了前向和后向太赫兹波的放大特性。计算结果表明,在太赫兹波吸收系数远大于太赫兹波增益系数的条件下,泵浦光、斯托克斯光和太赫兹波三波共线作用可以有效提高太赫兹波功率。分析结果对周期极化铌酸锂晶体光学参量振荡产生太赫兹波的实验研究提供深入和全面的理论基础。     

铌酸锂芯片上的太赫兹集成和时空超分辨成像

飞秒激光与铁电晶体铌酸锂作用可以激发出太赫兹波段的声子极化激元。当铌酸锂的厚度减小至亚波长量级时,晶片就成为一个将太赫兹波产生、传输、调控、探测、与物质或微结构相互作用等过程集于一体的集成化芯片,为太赫兹波的研究和应用提供了平台。同时,利用时空超分辨成像技术可以对芯片中太赫兹波的传输以及与微结构作用过程进行可视化和定量分析。回顾了一些基于铌酸锂芯片的工作,比如太赫兹波传输特性的研究、频率可调谐太赫兹波源的产生、微结构对太赫兹波的调控等,这些工作说明亚波长铌酸锂芯片是一个很有前途的太赫兹集成器件。     

探测光波长对太赫兹波电光取样探测技术的影响

由于太赫兹波电光取样探测技术中电光晶体存在的色散关系, 探测光的波长会直接影响到电光取样的探测带宽和效率.由于该色散关系的存在, 不同的电光晶体在电光取样中响应函数不同.本文研究了两种典型的电光晶体-碲化锌和磷化镓晶体的响应函数, 发现在选取的四种探测激光波长内(600 nm、800 nm、1200 nm、1600 nm), 800 nm的探测激光更合适碲化锌晶体, 1200 nm的激光更合适磷化镓晶体.对于不同厚度的晶体, 存在一个最优化的探测激光波长, 使得该晶体的电光响应函数有最宽的带宽.     

Optimized Optical Rectification and Electro-optic Sampling in ZnTe Crystals with Chirped Femtosecond Laser Pulses

We report on optimization of the intensity of THz signals generated and detected by optical rectification and electro-optic sampling in dispersive, nonlinear media. Addition of a negative prechirp to the femtosecond laser pulses used in the THz generation and detection processes in 1-mm thick ZnTe crystals leads to an increase of the THz intensity of more than 30% at low laser intensity and up to 60% at higher laser intensity. Dispersion compensation in the ZnTe crystal, which becomes significant for laser pulses with durations much less than 100 fs, is responsible for the enhanced generation and detection efficiency at low excitation intensity, and our simulations indicate that two-photon absorption is responsible for the increased efficiency enhancement observed at high excitation intensity.     

Terahertz Generation by Optical Rectification in Sugar Crystal

Journal of Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves - We report on THz pulse generation through optical rectification of femtosecond laser pulses in sugar crystals. The sugar crystals were grown...     

Enhanced Terahertz Emission From ZnSe Nano-Grain Surface

ZnSe(111) nano-grain surface is fabricated by the femtosecond laser ablation technology and is applied for terahertz (THz) generation. Compared with bare ZnSe surface, this nano-grain surface can improve THz emission properties. The power of THz radiation from ZnSe nano-grain surface is about twice as large as that from bare surface at optical rectification range. This enhancement can be attributed to the local field enhancement of the ZnSe nano-grain surface. The primary field enhancement mechanism is the macroscopic local-field enhancement which includes both of the lightning-rod effect and the local-plasmon effect.     

Terahertz Generation and Optical Properties of Lithium Ternary Chalcogenide Crystals

We have investigated the generation of THz radiation in lithium ternary compounds LiInSe₂, LiGaSe₂, LiInS₂, LiGaS₂ and characterized these materials by THz time-domain spectroscopy. Using 800 nm femtosecond excitation pulse, all crystals produce THz radiation due to an optical rectification corresponding to the nonlinear optical coefficient d ₃₃. We have measured refractive indices along the x-axis and the z-axis for all crystals in the range 150–700 μm and fitted them by using Sellmeier equation. With respect to the obtained results, velocity-matching between the incident laser pulse and the generated THz wave cannot be achieved at 800 nm, but for shorter wavelengths. Hence, an enhanced THz generation in Lithium ternary compounds may be observed by using a laser emitting below 800 nm.     

Terahertz Phonon Mode Engineering of Highly Efficient Organic Terahertz Generators

For terahertz (THz) wave generators based on organic electrooptic crystals, their intrinsic phonon modes are playing an essential role in THz generation characteristics. Here, this study proposes an effective design strategy for THz phonon mode engineering of organic electrooptic salt crystals for efficient optical‐to‐THz frequency conversion. To reduce phonon‐mode intensity, strongly electronegative trifluoromethyl group acting as strong hydrogen‐bond acceptor is incorporated into molecular anions. New 2‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxystyryl)‐1‐methylquinolinium 4‐(trifluoromethyl)benzenesulfonate (HMQ‐4TFS) crystals exhibit a relatively small absorption coefficient in the THz spectral range between 0.5 and 4 THz, which is attributed to suppressed molecular vibrations due to strong hydrogen bonds involving the 4TFS anion. In addition, HMQ‐4TFS crystals possess a very large macroscopic optical nonlinearity, comparable (or even higher) to benchmark stilbazolium crystals. Based on the low‐intensity THz phonon modes and the large optical nonlinearity, a 0.37 mm thick HMQ‐4TFS crystal pumped with 150 fs infrared laser pulses facilitates very efficient THz wave generation by optical rectification, delivering 23 times higher peak‐to‐peak THz electric field than the widely used standard inorganic ZnTe crystal (1.0 mm thick) and a broader spectral bandwidth. Therefore, strongly electronegative groups introduced into molecular salt electrooptic crystals provide a very promising design strategy of THz phonon mode engineering for developing intense broadband THz sources.     

双波长波片导致的脉冲分离对双色场辐射太赫兹波的影响

由于群速度的偏振依赖性,飞秒激光脉冲入射到双波长波片时出射光脉冲会分离为两个具有一定时间延迟的飞秒激光脉冲。从实验和理论模拟两方面研究了双波长波片导致的脉冲分离现象对飞秒激光双色场成丝辐射太赫兹(THz)波效率的影响。实验结果表明,脉冲分离导致的时间延迟会降低双色场辐射THz波的效率,可通过零级双波长波片缩短分离脉冲之间的时间延迟,有效提高THz波的产生效率。     

多波长飞秒激光损伤可见光滤光片的实验及机理

针对飞秒激光作用光学该实验条件下薄膜过程中损伤阈值与激光波长的关系问题,利用近红外波段波长可调谐的高重频飞秒脉冲激光,对可见光滤光片光谱通带的过渡区域进行了背向损伤实验,测量了不同波长下的平均功率密度损伤阈值,并从飞秒激光作用的雪崩电离过程出发,推导并计算了该阈值与薄膜干涉场分布的关系,理论结果较好的预测了不同波长下平均功率密度损伤阈值的发展趋势.研究表明,该实验条件下薄膜的飞秒激光损伤是整体行为,同一样品中,干涉场分布的平均值越高即膜层中瞬时驻留的激光能量越大时,相应损伤阈值越低.     

飞秒激光作用下啁啾镜膜层内损伤相关动力学

光学元器件的激光损伤问题,一直以来都困扰着超强超短激光系统的进一步发展。飞秒激光领域,激光脉冲引起的光学器件损伤主要由材料的本征特性决定。光学材料内的多光子电离、雪崩电离、导带电子弛豫等一系列非线性过程,与材料的激光损伤过程密切相关。利用泵浦探测技术,采用中心波长为800 nm,重复频率1 kHz的飞秒激光脉冲,对Nb2O5/SiO2啁啾镜介质膜的内部与飞秒激光损伤相关的超快动力学进行了研究。发现强的泵浦光脉冲辐照结束后飞秒乃至几十皮秒的范围内,啁啾镜对探测光的反射率有一定程度的下降。反射率降低的主要原因是泵浦光在介质膜的Nb2O5层内激发的大量的自由电子对探测光吸收所致,且该过程对激光诱导损伤过程起主导作用。通过反射率的变化,对其介质膜内导带电子弛豫过程进行探究,测定得到其衰减寿命,分别为1.31、6.88、22.34 ps。     

Yellow‐Colored Electro‐Optic Crystals as Intense Terahertz Wave Sources

This study presents newly developed yellow‐colored organic electro‐optic crystals to provide high terahertz (THz) wave generation efficiency. Compared with currently existing red‐ or orange‐colored electro‐optic crystals, which are used for most benchmark organic THz sources, yellow‐colored crystals have additional superior advantages for THz wave generation, e.g., higher transparency in the visible wavelength range with accompanying different phase‐matching possibilities. The new yellow‐colored crystals consist of a highly nonlinear optical 4‐(4‐hydroxystyryl)‐1‐methylpyridinium (OHP) cation, with a relatively short wavelength of maximal absorption at 390 nm in solution, and various halogen‐substituted benzenesulfonate anions, with strong secondary‐bonding ability. OHP 4‐chlorobenzenesulfonate (OHP‐CBS) crystals exhibit large off‐resonant macroscopic optical nonlinearity and high transparency, with a cut‐off wavelength for solid‐state absorption near 490 nm. OHP‐CBS crystals provide excellent THz wave generation characteristics based on optical rectification. A 0.53 mm thick OHP‐CBS crystal delivers ≈27 times higher optical‐to‐THz conversion efficiency and a much broader spectrum bandwidth compared with the standard 1.0 mm thick ZnTe at 1300 nm pumping. Particularly, compared with a benchmark organic quinolinium crystal with a similar thickness of 0.55 mm, OHP‐CBS crystals exhibit 1.7 times higher optical‐to‐THz conversion efficiency, and show a significantly different THz spectral shape.