Bursts of terahertz radiation from large-scale plasmas irradiated by relativistic picosecond laser pulses

G. Q. Liao, Y. T. Li, C. Li, L. N. Su, Y. Zheng, M. Liu, W. M. Wang, Z. D. Hu, W. C. Yan, J. Dunn, J. Nilsen, J. Hunter, Y. Liu, X. Wang, L. M. Chen, J. L. Ma, X. Lu, Z. Jin, R. Kodama, Z. M. Sheng & 1 others J. Zhang

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter

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Abstract

Powerful terahertz (THz) radiation is observed from large-scale underdense preplasmas in front of a solid target irradiated obliquely with picosecond relativistic intense laser pulses. The radiation covers an extremely broad spectrum with about 70% of its energy located in the high frequency regime over 10 THz. The pulse energy of the radiation is found to be above 100  μJ per steradian in the laser specular direction at an optimal preplasma scale length around 40–50  μm. Particle-in-cell simulations indicate that the radiation is mainly produced by linear mode conversion from electron plasma waves, which are excited successively via stimulated Raman scattering instability and self-modulated laser wakefields during the laser propagation in the preplasma. This radiation can be used not only as a powerful source for applications, but also as a unique diagnostic of parametric instabilities of laser propagation in plasmas.
Original languageEnglish
Article number255001
Number of pages5
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume114
Issue number25
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 Jun 2015

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bursts
radiation
pulses
lasers
propagation
plasma waves
electron plasma
Raman spectra
energy
cells
simulation

Keywords

  • terahertz radiation
  • intense laser pulses
  • electron plasma waves

Cite this

Liao, G. Q. ; Li, Y. T. ; Li, C. ; Su, L. N. ; Zheng, Y. ; Liu, M. ; Wang, W. M. ; Hu, Z. D. ; Yan, W. C. ; Dunn, J. ; Nilsen, J. ; Hunter, J. ; Liu, Y. ; Wang, X. ; Chen, L. M. ; Ma, J. L. ; Lu, X. ; Jin, Z. ; Kodama, R. ; Sheng, Z. M. ; Zhang, J. / Bursts of terahertz radiation from large-scale plasmas irradiated by relativistic picosecond laser pulses. In: Physical Review Letters. 2015 ; Vol. 114, No. 25.
@article{e3eaf20160ee4a5ca7f4f68f8e6076d3,
title = "Bursts of terahertz radiation from large-scale plasmas irradiated by relativistic picosecond laser pulses",
abstract = "Powerful terahertz (THz) radiation is observed from large-scale underdense preplasmas in front of a solid target irradiated obliquely with picosecond relativistic intense laser pulses. The radiation covers an extremely broad spectrum with about 70{\%} of its energy located in the high frequency regime over 10 THz. The pulse energy of the radiation is found to be above 100  μJ per steradian in the laser specular direction at an optimal preplasma scale length around 40–50  μm. Particle-in-cell simulations indicate that the radiation is mainly produced by linear mode conversion from electron plasma waves, which are excited successively via stimulated Raman scattering instability and self-modulated laser wakefields during the laser propagation in the preplasma. This radiation can be used not only as a powerful source for applications, but also as a unique diagnostic of parametric instabilities of laser propagation in plasmas.",
keywords = "terahertz radiation, intense laser pulses, electron plasma waves",
author = "Liao, {G. Q.} and Li, {Y. T.} and C. Li and Su, {L. N.} and Y. Zheng and M. Liu and Wang, {W. M.} and Hu, {Z. D.} and Yan, {W. C.} and J. Dunn and J. Nilsen and J. Hunter and Y. Liu and X. Wang and Chen, {L. M.} and Ma, {J. L.} and X. Lu and Z. Jin and R. Kodama and Sheng, {Z. M.} and J. Zhang",
year = "2015",
month = "6",
day = "23",
doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.255001",
language = "English",
volume = "114",
journal = "Physical Review Letters",
issn = "0031-9007",
number = "25",

}

Liao, GQ, Li, YT, Li, C, Su, LN, Zheng, Y, Liu, M, Wang, WM, Hu, ZD, Yan, WC, Dunn, J, Nilsen, J, Hunter, J, Liu, Y, Wang, X, Chen, LM, Ma, JL, Lu, X, Jin, Z, Kodama, R, Sheng, ZM & Zhang, J 2015, 'Bursts of terahertz radiation from large-scale plasmas irradiated by relativistic picosecond laser pulses', Physical Review Letters, vol. 114, no. 25, 255001. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.255001

Bursts of terahertz radiation from large-scale plasmas irradiated by relativistic picosecond laser pulses. / Liao, G. Q. ; Li, Y. T.; Li, C.; Su, L. N.; Zheng, Y.; Liu, M.; Wang, W. M.; Hu, Z. D. ; Yan, W. C. ; Dunn, J.; Nilsen, J.; Hunter, J.; Liu, Y.; Wang, X.; Chen, L. M. ; Ma, J. L. ; Lu, X.; Jin, Z. ; Kodama, R.; Sheng, Z. M.; Zhang, J.

In: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 114, No. 25, 255001, 23.06.2015.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter

TY - JOUR

T1 - Bursts of terahertz radiation from large-scale plasmas irradiated by relativistic picosecond laser pulses

AU - Liao, G. Q.

AU - Li, Y. T.

AU - Li, C.

AU - Su, L. N.

AU - Zheng, Y.

AU - Liu, M.

AU - Wang, W. M.

AU - Hu, Z. D.

AU - Yan, W. C.

AU - Dunn, J.

AU - Nilsen, J.

AU - Hunter, J.

AU - Liu, Y.

AU - Wang, X.

AU - Chen, L. M.

AU - Ma, J. L.

AU - Lu, X.

AU - Jin, Z.

AU - Kodama, R.

AU - Sheng, Z. M.

AU - Zhang, J.

PY - 2015/6/23

Y1 - 2015/6/23

N2 - Powerful terahertz (THz) radiation is observed from large-scale underdense preplasmas in front of a solid target irradiated obliquely with picosecond relativistic intense laser pulses. The radiation covers an extremely broad spectrum with about 70% of its energy located in the high frequency regime over 10 THz. The pulse energy of the radiation is found to be above 100  μJ per steradian in the laser specular direction at an optimal preplasma scale length around 40–50  μm. Particle-in-cell simulations indicate that the radiation is mainly produced by linear mode conversion from electron plasma waves, which are excited successively via stimulated Raman scattering instability and self-modulated laser wakefields during the laser propagation in the preplasma. This radiation can be used not only as a powerful source for applications, but also as a unique diagnostic of parametric instabilities of laser propagation in plasmas.

AB - Powerful terahertz (THz) radiation is observed from large-scale underdense preplasmas in front of a solid target irradiated obliquely with picosecond relativistic intense laser pulses. The radiation covers an extremely broad spectrum with about 70% of its energy located in the high frequency regime over 10 THz. The pulse energy of the radiation is found to be above 100  μJ per steradian in the laser specular direction at an optimal preplasma scale length around 40–50  μm. Particle-in-cell simulations indicate that the radiation is mainly produced by linear mode conversion from electron plasma waves, which are excited successively via stimulated Raman scattering instability and self-modulated laser wakefields during the laser propagation in the preplasma. This radiation can be used not only as a powerful source for applications, but also as a unique diagnostic of parametric instabilities of laser propagation in plasmas.

KW - terahertz radiation

KW - intense laser pulses

KW - electron plasma waves

UR - http://journals.aps.org/prl/

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.255001

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.255001

M3 - Letter

VL - 114

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

SN - 0031-9007

IS - 25

M1 - 255001

ER -

Liao GQ, Li YT, Li C, Su LN, Zheng Y, Liu M et al. Bursts of terahertz radiation from large-scale plasmas irradiated by relativistic picosecond laser pulses. Physical Review Letters. 2015 Jun 23;114(25). 255001. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.255001

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