High Power UV Source Development and Its Applications
Abstract
Dating back to the famous "kite" experiment by Benjamin Franklin, human beings(led by a number of daredevils) have been fascinated by the prospect of interrogating, triggering and even harvesting lightning. Advances in high-power laser technology have provided scientists a new tool: when powerful enough, a laser beam can ionize atmosphere, create a plasma channel and propagate as a non-diffracting light bullet called"filaments", which could promote and guide lightning discharge. An ultraviolet (UV) laser would provide unique advantages due to a low threshold of filament formation. However, a major bottleneck in conducting these experiments is the lack of a powerful yet stable laser source in the UV spectral range.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- AD1053643
Entities
People
- Xiaozhen Xu
Organizations
- University of Central Florida