ABSTRACT
Optical modulators can have high modulation speed and broad bandwidth, while being compact. However, these optical modulators usually work for low-intensity light beams. Here we present an ultrafast, plasma-based optical modulator, which can directly modulate high-power lasers with intensity up to 10(16) W cm(-2) to produce an extremely broad spectrum with a fractional bandwidth over 100%, extending to the mid-infrared regime in the low-frequency side. This concept relies on two co-propagating laser pulses in a sub-millimetre-scale underdense plasma, where a drive laser pulse first excites an electron plasma wave in its wake while a following carrier laser pulse is modulated by the plasma wave. The laser and plasma parameters suitable for the modulator to work are based on numerical simulations.
ABSTRACT
It is shown by simulations that terahertz (THz) radiation can be produced more efficiently by a mid-infrared laser pulse from a gas target. The THz amplitude is enhanced by 35 times as the laser wavelength increases from 1 µm to 4 µm; a 4 µm laser at 10(15) W cm(-2) produces 5 MV/cm THz radiation. The THz amplitude changes oscillatingly with increasing laser intensity for a given laser wavelength. In addition, the laser intensity threshold for the THz emission is lower for a longer laser wavelength.
