Physics – Optics
Scientific paper
2006-03-16
Physics
Optics
Scientific paper
The availability of few-cycle optical pulses opens a window to physical phenomena occurring on the attosecond time scale. In order to take full advantage of such pulses, it is crucial to measure and stabilise their carrier-envelope (CE) phase, i.e., the phase difference between the carrier wave and the envelope function. We introduce a novel approach to determine the CE phase by down-conversion of the laser light to the terahertz (THz) frequency range via plasma generation in ambient air, an isotropic medium where optical rectification (down-conversion) in the forward direction is only possible if the inversion symmetry is broken by electrical or optical means. We show that few-cycle pulses directly produce a spatial charge asymmetry in the plasma. The asymmetry, associated with THz emission, depends on the CE phase, which allows for a determination of the phase by measurement of the amplitude and polarity of the THz pulse.
Doerner Reinhard
Ergler Thorsten
Gimpel Hartmut
Kress Markus
Loeffler Torsten
No associations
LandOfFree
Determination of the Carrier-Envelope Phase of Few-Cycle Laser Pulses with Terahertz-Emission Spectroscopy does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Determination of the Carrier-Envelope Phase of Few-Cycle Laser Pulses with Terahertz-Emission Spectroscopy, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Determination of the Carrier-Envelope Phase of Few-Cycle Laser Pulses with Terahertz-Emission Spectroscopy will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-481436