MIRADCOM Program in Swept-Gain Superradiance,
Abstract
Recently, Bonifacio, Hopf, Meystre and Scully, using amplifier theory, predicted that under certain conditions, a noise amplifier, pumped by an impulse excitation traveling at the speed of light in the active material, can produce highly nonlinear spacially asymptotic coherent pulses of electromagnetic energy of anomalous intensity and of anomalously short temporal width. The pulse intensities were predicted to increase as the square of the density of the active material, whereas the temporal width should decreased as the inverse of the density. Also, the pulses are characterized by a temporal delay from the pump cutoff to the peak of the pulse evolution. This process has come to be known as swept-gain superradiance. Electromangetic energy having these general characteristics would be useful in application to LADAR systems for propagation, ranging, discrimination and coherent imaging. Other applications would include coupling to plasmas for efficient energy delivery needed for laser induced fusion and for plasma diagnostics. Since the pulses are produced in the amplifier configuration without mirrors, this presents an attractive scheme for production of unidirectional coherent VUV and X-ray radiation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA056449
Entities
People
- Charles M. Bowden
- David W. Howgate
- John J. Ehrlich