Generation of phase-stable half-cycle mid-infrared pulses through filamentation in gases

Yutaka Nomura,Takao Fuji,Aleksei M Zheltikov,Hideto Shirai,Noriaki Tsurumachi,Alexander A Voronin,M Chergui,S Cundiff,R De Vivie-Riedle,K Yamagouchi,A Taylor

doi:10.1051/epjconf/20134111003

Abstract

Phase-stable half-cycle mid-infrared pulses were produced through filamentation in argon. The pulse width was obtained as 7.9 fs at 4.1 μm carrier wave length by using frequency-resolved optical gating.

Highlights

Filamentation of powerful ultrashort laser pulses in gases [1,2,3] is one of the most interesting phenomena in nonlinear optics
Such MIR pulses with more than one octave at full width at half maximum are very attractive to be applied for molecular spectroscopy, e.g. two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy
We report the latest progress of the ultrabroadband MIR pulse generation through filamentation

Summary

Introduction

Filamentation of powerful ultrashort laser pulses in gases [1,2,3] is one of the most interesting phenomena in nonlinear optics. Enhanced nonlinear-optical processes in laser-induced filaments suggest a new strategy for the generation of ultrashort pulses of long-wavelength radiation. Ultrabroadband mid-infrared (MIR, 3– 20 μm) pulse generation through filamentation in air was firstly demonstrated in 2007 [4], and the technique was followed by several groups [5,6,7].

Results

Conclusion