Modeling the terahertz radiation generation process, obtained by filtration of spectral supercontinuum, formed during propagation of femtosecond laser pulse in GaAs crystal

Abstract

We present the results of theoretical studies of the process of generation of terahertz radiation arising via interaction of few-cycle laser pulses propagating in an isotropic nonlinear medium. Numerical time-integration, by the finite-difference method, of the system of nonlinear Maxwell equations has been performed. We consider the interaction of mutually-orthogonal linearly polarized pulses, both having the central wavelength of 1.98 μm, durations of 30 fs, and the energies of 30 nJ, propagating along the normal to the 〈110〉 plane in a 1 mm-thickness GaAs crystal. In the nonlinear part of the medium polarization the without-inertia nonlinear second-order susceptibility is taken into account. The process of formation of a terahertz pulse arising via spectral filtration of supercontinuum formed in the spectra of pump pulses at the output of nonlinear crystal is studied. The dependences of both the current frequency of the pump pulses on time for different lengths of nonlinear crystal and of pump pulse durations on the crystal length are obtained. Also the dependences of the current frequency of the terahertz pulse on time at different crystal lengths, as well as of the efficiency of generation of terahertz radiation on the length of nonlinear crystal and on the energy of pump pulses are obtained.