1
|
Qi P, Qian W, Guo L, Xue J, Zhang N, Wang Y, Zhang Z, Zhang Z, Lin L, Sun C, Zhu L, Liu W. Sensing with Femtosecond Laser Filamentation. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 22:s22187076. [PMID: 36146424 PMCID: PMC9504994 DOI: 10.3390/s22187076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Femtosecond laser filamentation is a unique nonlinear optical phenomenon when high-power ultrafast laser propagation in all transparent optical media. During filamentation in the atmosphere, the ultrastrong field of 1013-1014 W/cm2 with a large distance ranging from meter to kilometers can effectively ionize, break, and excite the molecules and fragments, resulting in characteristic fingerprint emissions, which provide a great opportunity for investigating strong-field molecules interaction in complicated environments, especially remote sensing. Additionally, the ultrastrong intensity inside the filament can damage almost all the detectors and ignite various intricate higher order nonlinear optical effects. These extreme physical conditions and complicated phenomena make the sensing and controlling of filamentation challenging. This paper mainly focuses on recent research advances in sensing with femtosecond laser filamentation, including fundamental physics, sensing and manipulating methods, typical filament-based sensing techniques and application scenarios, opportunities, and challenges toward the filament-based remote sensing under different complicated conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Qi
- Institute of Modern Optics, Eye Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Wenqi Qian
- Institute of Modern Optics, Eye Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Lanjun Guo
- Institute of Modern Optics, Eye Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Jiayun Xue
- Institute of Modern Optics, Eye Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Institute of Modern Optics, Eye Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Yuezheng Wang
- Institute of Modern Optics, Eye Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Institute of Modern Optics, Eye Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Sensor and Sensing Network Technology, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Zeliang Zhang
- Institute of Modern Optics, Eye Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Lie Lin
- Institute of Modern Optics, Eye Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Sensor and Sensing Network Technology, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Changlin Sun
- Institute of Modern Optics, Eye Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Micro-Scale Optical Information Science and Technology, Tianjin 300350, China
- National Key Laboratory of Shock Wave and Detonation Physics, Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Liguo Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Shock Wave and Detonation Physics, Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Weiwei Liu
- Institute of Modern Optics, Eye Institute, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Sensor and Sensing Network Technology, Tianjin 300350, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
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.
Collapse
|
3
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gu C, Zuo Z, Peng D, Di Y, Zou X, Luo D, Liu Y, Li W. High-repetition-rate mid-IR femtosecond pulse synthesis from two mid-IR CW QCL-seeded OPAs. OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 28:27433-27442. [PMID: 32988037 DOI: 10.1364/oe.402760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Coherent pulse synthesis in the mid-infrared (mid-IR) domain is of great interest to achieve broadband sources from parent pulses, motivated by the advantages of optical frequency properties for molecular spectroscopy and quantum dynamics. We demonstrate a simple mid-IR coherent synthesizer based on two high-repetition-rate optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs) at nJ-level pump energy. The relative carrier envelope phase between the two OPAs was passively stable for a shared continuous wave (CW) quantum cascade laser (QCL) seed. Lastly, we synthesized mid-IR pulses with a duration of 105 fs ranging from 3.4 to 4.0 µm. The scheme demonstrated the potential to obtain broader mid-IR sources by coherent synthesis from multiple CW QCL-seeded OPAs.
Collapse
|
5
|
Hofstrand A, Moloney JV. Optical Carrier-Wave Subcycle Structures Associated with Supercritical Collapse of Long-Wavelength Intense Pulses Propagating in Weakly Anomalously Dispersive Media. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 124:043901. [PMID: 32058762 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.124.043901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We predict the emergence of attosecond-duration structures on an optical carrier wave when intense, long-wavelength pulses propagate through bulk media with weak anomalous dispersion. Under certain conditions, these structures can undergo a new type of carrier-resolved supercritical collapse, forming infinite spatiotemporal gradients in the field. The mathematical conditions for the onset of this singularity are briefly overviewed, and we demonstrate with a full 3D+time (3+1) simulation that such structures persist under realistic conditions for a 10 micron laser pulse propagating in air.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Hofstrand
- College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA and Program in Applied Mathematics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - J V Moloney
- College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA and Program in Applied Mathematics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ren X, Wang Y, Chang Z, Welch J, Bernstein A, Downer M, Brown J, Gaarde M, Couairon A, Kolesik M, Polynkin P. In-line Spectral Interferometry in Shortwave-Infrared Laser Filaments in Air. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 123:223203. [PMID: 31868407 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.123.223203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the nonlinear propagation of intense, two-cycle, carrier-envelope phase (CEP) stable laser pulses at 1.7 μm center wavelength in air. We observe CEP-dependent spectral interference in the visible part of the forward-propagating white light generated on propagation. The effect is robust against large fluctuations of the input pulse energy. This robustness is enabled by rigid clamping of both the peak optical field and the phase of the propagating waveform, which has been revealed by numerical simulations. The CEP locking can enhance the yield of the CEP-dependent strong-field processes in gaseous media with long-wavelength drivers, while the observed spectral interference enables single-shot, stand-off CEP metrology in the atmosphere.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Ren
- Department of Physics and CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 21816, USA
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Physics and CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 21816, USA
| | - Zenghu Chang
- Department of Physics and CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 21816, USA
| | - James Welch
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Aaron Bernstein
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Michael Downer
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Jeffrey Brown
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA
- CPHT, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, IP Paris, F-91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Mette Gaarde
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA
| | - Arnaud Couairon
- CPHT, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, IP Paris, F-91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Miroslav Kolesik
- College of Optical Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - Pavel Polynkin
- College of Optical Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| |
Collapse
|