Optimal Pulse Duration Research Articles

High conversion efficiency, high energy terahertz pulses by optical rectification in cryogenically cooled lithium niobate

We demonstrate highly efficient terahertz (THz) generation by optical rectification (OR) of near-optimum pump pulses centered at 1.03 μm in cryogenically cooled lithium niobate. Using a close to optimal pulse duration of 680 fs and a pump energy of 1.2 mJ, we report conversion efficiencies above 3.8±0.4%, which is more than an order of magnitude higher than previously reported. The results confirm the advantage of using cryogenic cooling of the lithium niobate crystal that significantly reduces the THz absorption, enabling the scaling of THz pulse energies to the millijoule level via OR.

Investigation of laser-driven proton acceleration using ultra-short, ultra-intense laser pulses

We report optimization of laser-driven proton acceleration, for a range of experimental parameters available from a single ultrafast Ti:sapphire laser system. We have characterized laser-generated protons produced at the rear and front target surfaces of thin solid targets (15 nm to 90 μm thicknesses) irradiated with an ultra-intense laser pulse (up to 1020 W⋅cm−2, pulse duration 30 to 500 fs, and pulse energy 0.1 to 1.8 J). We find an almost symmetric behaviour for protons accelerated from rear and front sides, and a linear scaling of proton energy cut-off with increasing pulse energy. At constant laser intensity, we observe that the proton cut-off energy increases with increasing laser pulse duration, then roughly constant for pulses longer than 300 fs. Finally, we demonstrate that there is an optimum target thickness and pulse duration.

A new model of selective photothermolysis to aid laser treatment of port wine stains

Pulsed dye lasers equipped with cryogen spray cooling (CSC) are now widely used to treat vascular malformation such as port wine stains (PWSs). This paper presents a new integrated model that can quantitatively simulate the cooling of the skin and the heating of the targeted blood vessels in PWSs during laser treatment. The new model is based on the classical homogeneous multi-layer skin model that treats PWS-containing dermis as a mixture of dermal tissue and homogeneously distributed blood. Light propagation in skin and PWSs is simulated by a Monte-Carlo method, which provides accurate description of the light scattering and absorption in the skin. Thermal response of a targeted vessel in the new model is then obtained from the thermal analysis of a Krogh-unit that consists of the vessel and the surrounding dermal tissues and is buried in PWSs. The results from the multi-layer skin model provide appropriate laser influence input as well as the initial thermal condition for the micro-model of the Krogh-unit. A general dynamic relation is also introduced on the surface of skin to quantify the convective cooling of CSC. The model is then applied to dye-laser treatment (wavelength of 585 nm) of PWSs with CSC. Numerical results demonstrate that the present model is able to quantify thermal response of a deeply buried blood vessel in PWSs as a discrete blood vessel does, with a more realistically estimate of the sheltering effect of the dermal tissue (scattering) and blood vessels (absorption) in front of the targeted vessel. To understand the poor response of PWSs in clinic, the thermal characteristics of a targeted vessel was simulated under various conditions. The effects of two morphological parameters, the vessel diameter and the burying depth of the vessel, are then systematically investigated under various pulse durations and fluences of laser. A threshold fluence for given vessel diameter and depth is then estimated quantitatively under the condition of the optimal laser pulse duration. The results indicate that significant high threshold fluence is needed for large vessels buried deeply in the dermis, explaining the physics of the difficulty in clinic of complete clearance of PWSs. The results provide guidance to the clinic selection of the laser pulse duration and laser energy fluence for given PWSs.

Atom interferometry usingδ-kicked and finite-duration pulse sequences

We investigate an atom interferometer in which large momentum differences between the arms are obtained by using quantum resonances in the atom optics $\delta$-kicked rotor. The interferometer can potentially measure the Talbot time (from which $h/m$ can be deduced), the local gravitational field, or can serve as a narrow velocity filter. We present an analytical analysis in the short pulse limit, and a numerical investigation for finite pulse durations. The sensitivity of the interferometer is improved by a moderate violation of the short pulse limit. Remarkably simple relations predict the optimal pulse duration, and the sensitivity of the interferometer.

Development of Laser-Produced Tin Plasma-Based EUV Light Source Technology for HVM EUV Lithography

Since 2002, we have been developing a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser-produced tin (Sn) plasma (LPP) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source, which is the most promising solution because of the 13.5 nm wavelength high power (>200 W) light source for high volume manufacturing. EUV lithography is used for its high efficiency, power scalability, and spatial freedom around plasma. We believe that the LPP scheme is the most feasible candidate for the EUV light source for industrial use. We have several engineering data from our test tools, which include 93% Sn ionization rate, 98% Sn debris mitigation by a magnetic field, and 68% CO2 laser energy absorption rate. The way of dispersion of Sn by prepulse laser is key to improve conversion efficiency (CE). We focus on prepulsed laser pulsed duration. When we have optimized pulse duration from nanosecond to picosecond, we have obtained maximum 4.7% CE (CO2 laser to EUV; our previous data was 3.8%) at 2 mJ EUV pulse energy. Based on these data we are developing our first light source as our product: “GL200E.” The latest data and the overview of EUV light source for the industrial EUV lithography are reviewed in this paper.

Time resolved imaging of electrohydrodynamic jetting on demand induced by square pulse voltage

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing is receiving much attention due to its high resolution printing capability, as well as its many advantages such as reduced manufacturing steps and non-toxic, flexible processes. However, many issues need be resolved before it can be widely used. In this work, to demonstrate EHD printing on demand, square pulse voltage signals are applied between a hole-type electrode and the nozzle supplied with working fluid from a reservoir at constant pressure. Continuous fine jet, pulsating fine jet, and pulsating droplet modes are observed depending on the voltage signal. To obtain the optimum voltage pulse duration, the change in the jetting start time is measured by varying the voltage configurations and hydrostatic pressure applied to the nozzle. Among the modes, the pulsating droplet mode is studied in detail for various voltage signals. Futhermore, the printing is demonstrated using the optimized voltage signal.

2D particle-in-cell simulations of ion acceleration in laser irradiated submicron clusters including field ionization

The interaction of femtosecond laser pulses with submicron water clusters is studied here by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Field ionization is included in our simulations using Ammosov–Delone–Krainov ionization rate. We search for optimum laser and cluster parameters to obtain quasimonoenergetic beam of protons accelerated from the cluster. For the laser amplitude a0≈3 used in recent experiments, the optimum cluster size is about 150 nm for the generation of pronounced peak in proton energy distribution function at maximum energy and the optimum laser pulse duration is about 40–80 fs. Various initial density profiles of cluster plasma, formed due to insufficient laser pulse contrast and prepulses, are involved in this study, including underdense clusters.

Dependence of gold nanoparticle production on pulse duration by laser ablation in liquid media

The dependence on laser fluence and laser pulse duration of size, size distribution and concentration of gold nanoparticles synthesized by laser ablation in liquid media was investigated. It was demonstrated that increasing laser energy from 1 to 5 mJ/pulse enhances the ablation rate by a factor of 100. The behavior of the ablation rate, hence of the nanoparticle concentration, as a function of pulse duration (varied from 40 fs to 200 ps) was found to strongly differ from that in air, which can be explained by photoionization and important losses of laser energy in the femtosecond regime. The optimal pulse duration for maximum ablation rate in liquid media was found to be equal to 2 ps.

Bistability and All-Optical Memory in Dual-Mode Diode Lasers With Time-Delayed Optical Feedback

A proposal for an all-optical memory based on a bistability of single-mode states in a dual-mode diode laser with time-delayed optical feedback is presented. The system is modeled using a multimode extension of the Lang-Kobayashi equations with injected optical pulses. We uncover the bifurcation structure by deriving analytical expressions for the boundaries of the bistable region and demonstrate how the delay time in the external cavity determines an optimal pulse duration for efficient switching of the memory element. We also show the relevant role played by gain saturation and by the dual-mode solutions of the Lang-Kobayashi equations for the existence of the bistable regions. Our results demonstrate that feedback induced bistability can lead to significant performance improvements when compared to memory elements based on the injection locking bistability in dual-mode devices.

The effect of different pulse durations in the treatment of nail psoriasis with 595-nm pulsed dye laser: A randomized, double-blind, intrapatient left-to-right study

Several studies have proven the efficacy of pulsed dye laser (PDL) in the treatment of plaque type psoriasis. However, only two published studies indicate the effectiveness of PDL on nail psoriasis. We sought to study the effect of different pulse durations in the treatment of nail psoriasis with the 595-nm PDL to determine the optimal pulse duration. Twenty patients with bilateral fingernail psoriasis were recruited and completed a 6-month trial. PDL was applied on the proximal and lateral nailfolds based on random assignment. Forty nails were treated with 6-millisecond pulse duration and 9 J/cm(2) whereas 39 nails were treated with 0.45-millisecond pulse duration and 6 J/cm(2). Patients were blinded to pulse durations. One blinded dermatologist used the Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI) to assess the clinical outcome from pretreatment and posttreatment photographs. Patients were monitored for adverse events. Pain was evaluated after the procedure using a visual analog scale assessed by the patient. After 6 months of first treatment, there was a significant reduction in overall NAPSI, nail matrix NAPSI, and nail bed NAPSI scores from baseline in both groups; however, no significant difference was found between the two pulse duration groups. Side effects were mild including transient petechiae and hyperpigmentation. There was no placebo group. PDL was found to be an effective and well-tolerated option in the treatment of nail psoriasis. No significant difference in terms of efficacy was found between the longer and shorter pulse duration treatment groups.

Adhesive-based liquid metal radio-frequency microcoil for magnetic resonance relaxometry measurement

This paper reports the fabrication and characterization of an adhesive-based liquid-metal microcoil for magnetic resonance relaxometry (MRR). Conventionally, microcoils are fabricated by various techniques such as electroplating, microcontact printing and focused ion beam milling. These techniques require considerable fabrication efforts and incur high cost. In this paper, we demonstrate a novel technique to fabricate three-dimensional multilayer liquid-metal microcoils together with the microfluidic network by lamination of dry adhesive sheets. One of the unique features of the adhesive-based technique is that the detachable sample chamber can be disposed after each experiment and the microcoil can be reused without cross-contamination multiple times. The integrated microcoil has a low direct-current (DC) resistance of 0.3 Ω and a relatively high inductance of 67.5 nH leading to a high quality factor of approximately 30 at 21.65 MHz. The microcoil was characterized for ∼0.5 T proton MRR measurements. The optimal pulse duration, amplitude, and frequency for the 90° pulse were 131 μs, -30 dB (1.56 W) and 21.6553 MHz, respectively. In addition, we used the liquid-metal microcoil to perform a parametric study on the transverse relaxation rate of human red blood cells at different hematocrit levels. The transverse relaxation rate increases quadratically with the hematocrit level. The results from the liquid-metal microcoil were verified by measurements with a conventional solenoid coil.

Distortion of terahertz signals due to imperfect synchronization with chirped probe pulses

Terahertz (THz) signals measured by means of the spectral-encoding technique with different temporal discrepancies between probe pulses and THz signals are investigated. It is found that imperfect synchronization between the chirped probe and THz pulses induce a distortion and this distortion affects significantly the retrieved THz spectrum if the temporal discrepancy is large. The distortion becomes more prominent if the probe pulse length is less than the optimal chirped probe pulse duration. A simple approach is proposed to realize the synchronization and minimize the distortion. THz signals from a high-voltage-biased air plasma filament are measured with this approach and distortion similar to the simulation results is observed.

Selective control of vibrational modes with sequential femtosecond-scale laser pulses

For nonresonant femtosecond-scale laser pulses, we showed earlier that the optimum FWHM pulse duration is 0.42 T if one wishes to achieve maximum relative excitation of a specific vibrational mode with period T. Here we show that much greater enhancement of a specific mode can be achieved with a sequence of laser pulses which have both this optimized duration and optimized delays between pulses. One can thus enhance a selected set of modes that are particularly useful in identifying or characterizing a chemical system, to lift them out of the background of less informative modes.

Coherent population trapping resonances in the problem of quantum filtering of light pulses

The conditions necessary to implement a single-photon pulse source using quantum filtering based on the coherent population trapping phenomenon in N-systems of atomic levels are determined. The dependences of dark resonance characteristics on laser field intensities are experimentally measured in Rb vapor. These dependences define optimum intensity ratios and pulse durations of used laser beams, at which the system can efficiently operate as a single-photon quantum filter.

Towards generation of mJ-level ultrashort THz pulses by optical rectification

Optical rectification of ultrashort laser pulses in LiNbO3 by tilted-pulse-front excitation is a powerful way to generate near single-cycle terahertz (THz) pulses. Calculations were carried out to optimize the output THz peak electric field strength. The results predict peak electric field strengths on the MV/cm level in the 0.3-1.5 THz frequency range by using optimal pump pulse duration of about 500 fs, optimal crystal length, and cryogenic temperatures for reducing THz absorption in LiNbO3. The THz electric field strength can be increased further to tens of MV/cm by focusing. Using optimal conditions together with the contact grating technique THz pulses with 100 MV/cm focused electric field strength and energies on the tens-of-mJ scale are feasible.

Effect of laser pulse time profile on its absorption by argon clusters

AbstractThe interaction of medium sized Argon clusters (30 Å) with high-intensity femtosecond laser pulses (806 nm, 8 × 1016 W/cm2) of durations ranging from 10 fs to 120 fs have been studied using a three-dimensional relativistic time dependent molecular dynamic approach. The dynamics of cluster expansion is explained in terms of temporal evolution of electron population in the cluster and snapshots of particle positions at various times. The effects of inter-cluster distance on ionization dynamics are presented. It is observed that the collisional ionization increases with decreasing inter-cluster distance. The effect of pulse duration on laser energy absorption is also studied. For a laser pulse of gaussian time profile, there exists an optimum pulse duration for maximum absorption. No such optimum exists for a nearly flat top (super-gaussian) laser pulse. Results indicate the existence of resonance absorption inside the cluster. It is also observed that the high energy component of ion emission from cluster is anisotropic, showing a preferential direction of emission along laser polarization while the low energy ions emerge almost isotropically.

Enhanced soft X-ray emission from carbon nanofibers irradiated with ultra-short laser pulses

A comparative experimental study of the X-ray emission in the water-window spectral region has been performed using carbon nanofibers (CNFs) of different sizes and graphite plate targets, irradiated with ultra-short (Ti:sapphire) laser pulses. More than an order of magnitude enhancement in the X-ray yield is observed from CNFs of 60-nm diameter with respect to graphite targets. The X-ray emission from CNFs of 160-nm diameter was also high. The integrated X-ray yield of these carbon-based targets scales with the laser intensity (IL) as \(I_{\mathrm{L}}^{\sim 1.3-1.4}\) in the intensity range of 4×1016–4×1017 W/cm2. The effect of the laser pulse duration on the X-ray emission from the CNFs was also studied by varying the pulse duration from 45 fs up to 3 ps at a constant fluence of 2×104 J/cm2. The optimum laser pulse duration for maximum X-ray emission increases with the diameter of the CNFs used. The results are explained from physical considerations of heating and hydrodynamic expansion of the CNF plasma in which resonance field enhancement takes place while passing through two times the critical density. The results add to the efforts towards achieving an efficient low-cost water-window X-ray source for microscopy.

Field-free alignment in linear molecules by a square laser pulse

In this paper, we propose a square laser pulse to realize the field-free alignment in linear molecules. We show that the molecular alignment after the laser pulse can be obtained in both non-adiabatic and adiabatic regimes. Comparing with the conventional Gaussian laser pulse, the maximum degree of the molecular alignment can be enhanced with the same laser energy in the short laser pulse and the same laser intensity in the long laser pulse. We also show that, by observing the time evolution of the molecular alignment during the interaction with a long laser pulse, the optimum pulse duration and its corresponding alignment degree at the full revival time for a given laser intensity and rotational temperature can be directly obtained.

Noise-induced effects in magnetization reversal and chirality control of circular array of single-domained nanomagnets

The effect of noise on the process of high-speed remagnetization of vortex state of a pentagonal array of five circular magnetic nanoparticles is studied by means of computer simulation of Landau–Lifshits model. The mean switching time (MST) and its standard deviation (SD) of the reversal between the counterclockwise and clockwise vorticities have been computed. It has been demonstrated that with the reversal by the pulse with sinusoidal shape, the optimal pulse duration exists, which minimizes both the MST and the SD. Besides, both MST and SD significantly depend on the angle between the reversal magnetic field and pentagon edge, and the optimal angle roughly equals 10°. Also, it is demonstrated that the optimization of the angle, duration and the amplitude of the driving field leads to significant decrease in both MST and SD. In particular, for the considered parameters, the MST can be decreased from 60 ns to 2–3 ns. Such a chain of magnetic nanoparticles can effectively be used as an element of magnetoresistive memory, and at the temperature 300 K the stable operation of the element is observed up to rather small size of nanoparticles with the radius of 20 nm.

Generalized retarded response of nonlinear media and its influence on soliton dynamics

We demonstrate by means of numerical simulations of the generalized Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation that the retarded response of a nonlinear medium embedded in a single hole of a photonic crystal fiber crucially affects the spectrum generated by ultrashort laser pulses. By introducing a hypothetic medium with fixed dispersion and nonlinearity and with a variable retarded response, we are able to separate the influence of the retarded response from other effects. We show that the fission length of a launched higher-order soliton dramatically increases if the characteristic time of the retarded response is close to the input pulse duration. Furthermore, we investigate the effect of the retarded response on the soliton self-frequency shift and find that the optimum input pulse duration for maximizing the spectral width has to be shortened for a larger characteristic retarded response time. Our work has important implications on future studies of spatiotemporal solitons in selectively liquid-filled photonic crystal fibers.