Multi-cycle THz Pulses Research Articles

Dephasingless two-color terahertz generation

A laser pulse composed of a fundamental and an appropriately phased second harmonic can drive a time-dependent current of photoionized electrons that generates broadband THz radiation. Over the propagation distances relevant to many experiments, dispersion causes the relative phase between the harmonics to evolve. This “dephasing” slows the accumulation of THz energy and results in a multi-cycle THz pulse with significant angular dispersion. Here, we introduce a novel optical configuration that compensates the relative phase evolution, allowing for the formation of a half-cycle THz pulse with almost no angular dispersion. The configuration uses the spherical aberration of an axilens to map a prescribed radial phase variation in the near field to a desired longitudinal phase variation in the far field. Simulations that combine this configuration with an ultrashort flying focus demonstrate the formation of a half-cycle THz pulse with a controlled emission angle and 1/4 the angular divergence of the multi-cycle pulse created by a conventional optical configuration.

Highly scalable multicycle THz production with a homemade periodically poled macrocrystal

The THz regime is widely appealing across many disciplines including solid-state physics, life sciences, and increasingly in particle acceleration. Multicycle THz pulses are typically formed via optical rectification in periodically poled crystals. However the manufacturing procedures of these crystals limit their apertures to below ~1 cm, which from damage limitations of the crystal, limits the total pump power which can be employed, and ultimately, the total THz power which can be produced. Here we report on the simple in-house fabrication of a periodically poled crystal using ~300 μm thick wafers. Each wafer is consecutively rotated by 180∘ to support quasi-phase matching. We validate the concept with a Joule-class laser system operating at 10 Hz and measure up to 1.3 mJ of energy at 160 GHz, corresponding to an average peak power of approximately 35 MW and a conversion efficiency of 0.14%. In addition, a redshifting of the pump spectrum of ~50 nm is measured. Our results indicate that high-power THz radiation can be produced with existing and future high-power lasers in a scalable way, setting a course toward multi-gigawatt multicycle THz pulses.

Electromagnetic and Beam Dynamics Studies for High Gradient Accelerators at Terahertz Frequencies

THz radiation is one of the most appealing portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in terms of multi-disciplinary use in basic science and technology. Beyond the numerous applications, a great interest is its potential for future, compact linear accelerators.Conventional radio-frequency accelerating structures operating at the S and C band can reach gradients up to 30 - 50MV/m, respectively; higher accelerating gradients, of the order of 100MV/m, have been obtained with X-band cavities. THz-based accelerating structures enable operation at even higher gradient, potentially up to the GV/m scale, holding great potential for their application to free-electron lasers and linear colliders, for instance.Here we present electromagnetic and beam dynamics studies about the use of a dielectric loaded waveguide to accelerate electron bunches by mean of a narrow-band multi-cycle THz pulse. The excitation of the accelerating structure by the THz pulse and the bunch acceleration in the excited field are investigated through CST Microwave Studio and GPT simulations.

Feasibility study for a THz acceleration experiment on the PHIL accelerator at LAL

We present a feasibility study for an experiment aiming to post-accelerate an electron bunch, coming from the PHIL (Photo-Injecteur au LAL) photoinjector at LAL (Laboratoire de l’Accélérateur Linéaire), in a circular partially dielectric-loaded waveguide (DLW) driven by a multicycle THz pulse generated by the infrared laser coming from the LASERIX (Installation laser XUV/IR de l’Université Paris Sud) facility. We first discuss the considerations taken into account to fix the DLW design and the THz pulse properties, especially the choice of a 160 GHz THz pulse frequency, and then provide a set of values for their main parameters. We then perform start-to-end simulations of the acceleration experiment, taking into account the current achievable range of parameters at PHIL and the THz pulse properties already achieved with LASERIX with some margins for the coupling losses. They demonstrate the possibility to obtain a 1.2 MeV energy gain for a 10 pC bunch, without charge losses, with a clear shift of the energy spectrum, which would represent a significant improvement compared to the current state-of-the-art of THz acceleration. An overview of the upcoming steps towards the realization of the experiment is finally given.

Simulation of a concept for a compact ultrafast X-ray pulse source based on RF and THz technologies

We study through simulations a layout mixing RF and THz technologies for a compact ultrafast X-ray pulse source based on Inverse Compton Scattering (ICS), aiming to deliver few femtoseconds to sub-femtosecond pulses. The layout consists of an S-band gun as the electron source and a dielectric-loaded circular waveguide driven by a multicycle THz pulse to accelerate and longitudinally compress the bunch, before X-ray generation via ICS with a laser pulse. We detail several schemes allowing the optimization of the electron bunch properties. This optimization leads to a preliminary layout and various working points able to deliver 0.1–5 pC bunches, ranging from 15 to 18 MeV average kinetic energy, 0.4 to 5 fs rms length, 0.1% to 2.6% rms energy spread, and 5 to 13 μm rms transverse size. Simultaneously, the beamline is kept compact (≈1.3 m up to the ICS point), which has not yet been achieved using only conventional RF technologies. The properties of the X-ray pulse are investigated with simulations, showing the possibility to tune its energy between 2.9 and 11.5 keV. For 400 mJ of laser energy, 1.5 × 104–7.7 × 104 photons/pulse in 1.5% rms bandwidth or 6.2 × 103–3.5 × 104 photons/pulse with lower bandwidths (0.56%–1.5% rms along the energy range) can be expected. The properties of the DLW and of the THz pulse driving it, the state-of-the-art of the THz pulse generation schemes, and the influence of various jitters and the limits that they should not exceed for a reasonably stable operation are finally given.

Efficient semiconductor multicycle terahertz pulse source

Multicycle THz pulse generation by optical rectification in GaP semiconductor nonlinear material is investigated by numerical simulations. It is shown that GaP can be an efficient and versatile source with up to about 8% conversion efficiency and a tuning range from 0.1 THz to about 7 THz. Contact-grating technology for pulse-front tilt can ensure an excellent focusability and scaling the THz pulse energy beyond 1 mJ. Shapeable infrared pump pulses with a constant intensity-modulation period can be delivered for example by a flexible and efficient dual-chirped optical parametric amplifier. Potential applications include linear and nonlinear THz spectroscopy and THz-driven acceleration of electrons.

Simulations on a potential hybrid and compact attosecond X-ray source based on RF and THz technologies

We investigate through beam dynamics simulations the potential of a hybrid layout mixing RF and THz technologies to be a compact X-ray source based on Inverse Compton Scattering (ICS), delivering few femtoseconds to sub-femtosecond pulses. The layout consists of an S-band gun as electron source and a dielectric-loaded circular waveguide driven by a multicycle THz pulse to accelerate and longitudinally compress the bunch, which will then be used to produce X-ray pulses via ICS with an infrared laser pulse. The beam dynamics simulations we performed, from the photocathode up to the ICS point, allows to have an insight in several important physical effects for the proposed scheme and also in the influence on the achievable bunch properties of various parameters of the accelerating and transverse focusing devices. The study presented in this paper leads to a preliminary layout and set of parameters able to deliver at the ICS point, according to our simulations, ultrashort bunches (≈1 fs rms), at 15 MeV, with ≥1 pC charge and transversely focused down to ≈10μm rms while keeping a compact beamline (≤1.5 m), which has not yet been achieved using only conventional RF technologies. Future studies will be devoted to the investigation of several potential ways to improve the achieved bunch properties, to overcome the limitations identified in the current study and to the definition of the technical requirements. This will lead to an updated layout and set of parameters.

Periodically intensity-modulated pulses by optical parametric amplification for multicycle tunable terahertz pulse generation

The superposition of signal and idler pulses in dual-chirped optical parametric amplification is proposed for the efficient generation of intensity-modulated pulses with periodic modulation. Both the duration and the modulation period are easily and independently adjustable. Numerical simulations for a three-stage optical parametric amplifier system predicted an efficiency as high as ~50% for about 40 mJ of output pulse energy at a wavelength of 2 µm. Sources of such intensity-modulated pulses near 1.6 µm or 2 µm wavelength, pumped by Ti:sapphire or Yb-doped lasers, can be ideally suited for intense multicycle THz pulse generation with tunable frequency and bandwidth by optical rectification for example in organic, semiconductor, or lithium niobate materials.

Prospects of Semiconductor Terahertz Pulse Sources

Extremely high pump-to-terahertz (THz) conversion efficiencies up to 0.7% were demonstrated in recent experiments with ZnTe THz pulse sources. Such high efficiencies could be achieved by pumping at an infrared wavelength sufficiently long to suppress both two- and three-photon absorption and the associated free-carrier absorption at THz frequencies. Here, high-field high-energy THz pulse generation by optical rectification in semiconductor nonlinear materials is investigated by numerical simulations. Basic design aspects of infrared-pumped semiconductor THz sources are discussed. Optimal pumping and phase-matching conditions are given. Multicycle THz pulse generation for particle acceleration is discussed.

THz cavities and injectors for compact electron acceleration using laser-driven THz sources

We present a design methodology for developing ultrasmall electron injectors and accelerators based on cascaded cavities excited by short multicycle THz pulses obtained from laser-driven THz generation schemes. Based on the developed concept for optimal coupling of the THz pulse, a THz electron injector and two accelerating stages are designed. The designed electron gun consists of a four cell cavity operating at 300 GHz and a door-knob waveguide to coaxial coupler. Moreover, special designs are proposed to mitigate the problem of thermal heat flow and induced mechanical stress to achieve a stable device. We demonstrated a gun based on cascaded cavities that is powered by only 1.1 mJ of THz energy in 300 cycles to accelerate electron bunches up to 250 keV. An additional two linac sections can be added with five and four cell cavities both operating at 300 GHz boosting the bunch energy up to 1.2 MeV using a 4-mJ THz pulse.

Tunable multi-cycle THz generation in organic crystal HMQ-TMS

We report on the generation of continuously tunable multi-cycle THz pulses with center frequencies from 0.3 to 0.8 THz in the organic nonlinear crystal, HMQ-TMS [2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxystyryl)-1-methylquinolinium 2,-4,-6-trimethylbenzenesulfonate], by collinearly phase matched optical rectification of temporally shaped 800 nm pulses. The generation of harmonic frequency components inherent in the pulse shaper is selectively suppressed by varying the generation crystal thickness. THz pulses generated from HMQ-TMS show up to 20 times higher pulse energies compared to the benchmark inorganic THz generator ZnTe under identical conditions. The THz energy conversion efficiencies are measured to be on the order of 10(-5).

Achromatic THz wave plate composed of stacked parallel metal plates

We propose a simple achromatic terahertz wave plate composed of stacked parallel metal plates with a hole array. It consists of an ensemble of designed parallel plate waveguides; the high and low propagation speeds of waves in TE and TM waveguide modes with the same group velocity cause a constant phase difference over a wide frequency region. Using that wave plate, we obtained intense single- and multi-cycle THz pulses with circular polarization.

Terahertz generation by optical rectification in lithium niobate crystal using a shadow mask

A simple approach to generate high energy, frequency and bandwidth tunable multicycle THz pulses by optical rectification (OR) of spatially shaped femtosecond laser pulses in the lithium niobate (LN) crystal is proposed and demonstrated. A one dimensional binary shadow mask is used as a laser beam shaper. By building the mask's image in the bulk LN crystal with various demagnifications, the frequency of THz generation was tuned in the range of 0.3 - 1.2 THz. There exist also an opportunity to tune the bandwidth of THz generation from 20 GHz to approximately 1 THz by changing the optical beam size on the crystal. The energy spectral density of narrowband THz generation is almost independent of the bandwidth and is typically 0.18 μJ/THz for ~1 W pump power at 1 kHz repetition rate.

Bandwidth tunable THz wave generation in large-area periodically poled lithium niobate

A new scheme of optical rectification (OR) of femtosecond laser pulses in a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal, which generates high energy and bandwidth tunable multicycle THz pulses, is proposed and demonstrated. We show that the number of the oscillation cycles of the THz electric field and therefore bandwidth of generated THz spectrum can easily and smoothly be tuned from a few tens of GHz to a few THz by changing the pump optical spot size on PPLN crystal. The minimal bandwidth is 17 GHz that is smallest ever of reported in scheme of THz generation by OR at room temperature. Similar to the case of Cherenkov-type OR in single-domain LiNbO₃, the spectrum of THz generation extends from 0.1 THz to 3 THz when laser beam is focused to a size close to half-period of PPLN structure. The energy spectral density of narrowband THz generation is almost independent of the bandwidth and is typically 220 nJ/THz for ~1 W pump power at 1 kHz repetition rate.

Coupling terahertz radiation onto a metal wire using a subwavelength coaxial aperture

We demonstrate a simple technique for coupling freely propagating broadband THz radiation to multi-cycle THz pulses on a cylindrical metal wire. This is accomplished by inserting the tapered end of a cylindrical wire into the center of a subwavelength circular aperture fabricated in a freestanding metal film, forming an effective coaxial waveguide. By doing so, we convert the transmission properties of THz pulses through the aperture from an evanescent mode to a propagating mode. By fabricating concentric annular grooves about the aperture, multicycle THz pulses are coupled to the wire. The individual groove geometry, number of grooves, and groove spacing surrounding the subwavelength aperture on the metal film determine the shape of THz pulses launched on the waveguide.