A Two-color 0.8 and 10 Micron Ultrafast Laser System
Abstract
This is a FY2021 ONR DURIP proposal. In support of the ONR MURI andAFOSR experimental programs, we propose to procure a custom build commercial Ti:Sapphirelaser system that will generate a two-color, 0.8 m femtosecond and 10 m picosecond pulsessynchronized to 20 fs. The main goal of our DoD funded program is to explore throughexperiment, theory and simulations basic physics of laser-matter/plasma interactions in theLWIR region at intensities of 1-100 TW/cm2 using a picosecond, multiterawatt (multi-TW)power CO2 laser pulses. We will investigate nonlinear optics and laser-plasma physics in thelong wavelength limit relevant to filamentation in air. Acquisition of the two-color will serve twomain purposes: i) generation of a 10 J, 10 m picosecond seed for the multi-TW CO2 laserchain at the UCLA Neptune Laboratory and ii) a few mJ probing capability of high-fieldprocesses initiated by such a CO2 laser via using a 30 fs, 0.8 m pulse deterministicallysynchronized with the 10 m pulse.Availability of an energetic 10 m seed source for the CO2 laser system should allowgeneration of a single 3 ps pulse in a gas laser and its amplification without any prepulses to amulti-TW level exceeding the critical power of self-focusing in air and also gain capability tostudy LWIR plasma physics with femtosecond time resolution.An ultrafast 0.8 m probe pulse will open an opportunity to measure dynamics of Kerrnonlinearity in gases and semiconductors on a femtosecond/picosecond time scale.Space- and time-resolved probing of LWIR excited plasmas will be used for firstmeasurements of1) Low-density 1013-1016 plasma associated with the self-guided CO2 laser beam in air;2) Electron mobility in a partially ionized plasma and plasma conductivity in air;3) Plasma density and electron temperature near the surface of the dielectric target;4) THz and microwave waveforms generated in a plasma channel in air.All members of our MURI team, including University of Maryland, University ofArizona, University of Central Florida-CREOL, State University of New York at Stony BrookSUNY as well as collaborators from University of Geneva will be using the two-color 0.8 and10 micron ultrafast laser system in their research activities at the UCLA Neptune Laboratory.This development will facilitate research-related education process for many years to come bytraining PhD students and postdocs in a state-of-the-art on-campus facility where they can gainhands-on laboratory experience.This abstract does not contain proprietary information and can be released to public.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 06, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112293
Entities
People
- Chandrashekhar J. Joshi
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California, Los Angeles