1,241 research outputs found
Terahertz Wave Guiding by Femtosecond Laser Filament in Air
Femtosecond laser filament generates strong terahertz (THz) pulse in air. In
this paper, THz pulse waveform generated by femtosecond laser filament has been
experimentally investigated as a function of the length of the filament.
Superluminal propagation of THz pulse has been uncovered, indicating that the
filament creates a THz waveguide in air. Numerical simulation has confirmed
that the waveguide is formed because of the radially non-uniform refractive
index distribution inside the filament. The underlying physical mechanisms and
the control techniques of this type THz pulse generation method might be
revisited based on our findings. It might also potentially open a new approach
for long-distance propagation of THz wave in air.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure
Impulsive rotational Raman scattering of N2 by a remote "air laser" in femtosecond laser filament
We report on experimental realization of impulsive rotational Raman
scattering from neutral nitrogen molecules in a femtosecond laser filament
using an intense self-induced white-light seeding "air laser" generated during
the filamentation of an 800 nm Ti: Sapphire laser in nitrogen gas. The
impulsive rotational Raman fingerprint signals are observed with a maximum
conversion efficiency of ~0.8%. Our observation provides a promising way of
remote identification and location of chemical species in atmosphere by
rotational Raman scattering of molecules.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
High-brightness switchable multi-wavelength remote laser in air
Remote laser in air based on amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) has
produced rather well-collimated coherent beams in both backward and forward
propagation directions, opening up possibilities for new remote sensing
approaches. The remote ASE-based lasers were shown to enable operation either
at ~391 and 337 nm using molecular nitrogen or at ~845 nm using molecular
oxygen as gain medium, depending on the employed pump lasers. To date, a
multi-wavelength laser in air that allows for dynamically switching the
operating wavelength has not yet been achieved, although this type of laser is
certainly of high importance for detecting multiple hazard gases. In this
Letter, we demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, a harmonic-seeded
switchable multi-wavelength laser in air driven by intense mid-infrared
femtosecond laser pulses. Furthermore, population inversion in the
multi-wavelength remote laser occurs at an ultrafast time-scale (i.e., less
than ~200 fs) owing to direct formation of excited molecular nitrogen ions by
strong-field ionization of inner-valence electrons, which is fundamentally
different from the previously reported pumping mechanisms based either on
electron recombination of ionized molecular nitrogen or on resonant two-photon
excitation of atomic oxygen fragments resulting from resonant two-photon
dissociation of molecular oxygen. The bright multi-wavelength laser in air
opens the perspective for remote detection of multiple pollutants based on
nonlinear spectroscopy.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure
Population Redistribution among Multiple Electronic States of Molecular Nitrogen Ions in Strong Laser Fields
We carry out a combined theoretical and experimental investigation on the
population distributions in the ground and excited states of tunnel ionized N2
molecules at various driver wavelengths in the near- and mid-infrared range.
Our results reveal that efficient couplings (i.e., population exchanges)
between the ground state and the excited states occur in strong laser fields.
The couplings result in the population inversion between the ground and the
excited states at the wavelengths near 800 nm, which is verified by our
experiment by observing the amplification of a seed at ~391 nm. The result
provides insight into the mechanism of free-space nitrogen ion lasers generated
in remote air with strong femtosecond laser pulses.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure
Garnierite mineralization from a serpentinite-derived lateritic regolith, Sulawesi Island, Indonesia: Mineralogy, geochemistry and link to hydrologic flow regime
Garnierite represents a significant nickel ore in many lateritic Ni deposits worldwide. To gain a better understanding of its nature and origin, a well-developed garnierite-hosting transect from the Kolonodale area of East Sulawesi, Indonesia, has been investigated using field geology, mineralogy and geochemical data. Garnierite occurs mainly in veins in the lower saprolite of a serpentinite-derived regolith. Mineralogically, it can be determined as an intimate mixture of Ni-rich serpentine-like (lizardite-Nepouite) and talc-like (kerolite-pimelite) phases. Results of EMP analyses indicate that Ni is preferentially enriched in the talc-like phases rather than the serpentine-like phases. A sequential precipitation of mineral phases progressively enriched in Ni and Si to form garnierite during weathering is suggested. The Ni-lizardite (2.63-8.49 wt% Ni) with elevated Fe (4.02-6.44 wt %) may have been inherited from saprolite in a first instance and enriched in Ni by cation exchange processes. Newly precipitated minerals are kerolite-pimelite (7.84-23.54 wt% Ni) and then followed by Ni-free quartz. Minor amount of Nepouite (23.47-28.51 wt% Ni) occur in laths along shrinkage cracks of previously formed minerals, indicating a late stage paragenetic sequence. With emphasis on a hydrologic consideration, indicators of a preferential flow regime are identified in the garnierite-hosting regolith, including: (i) non-uniform pattern of the garnierite field occurrence, (ii) syn-weathering active nature of the garnierite-hosting structures, (iii) close relationship between the garnierite occurrence and vertical FeeMn oxides pipes as well as FeeMn oxides patched areas, and (iv) specific physico-chemical property of the garnierite location with higher organic matter concentrations but lower pH values compared to surroundings. It is proposed that the origin of garnierite is closely linked to a preferential flow of oversaturated solutions through accessible conduits in the regolith. Garnierite features as colloidal nature, high organic matter and low pH are key-parameters in metal transport and deposition
Remote creation of strong and coherent emissions in air with two-color ultrafast laser pulses
We experimentally demonstrate generation of strong narrow-bandwidth emissions
with excellent coherent properties at ~391 nm and ~428 nm from molecular ions
of nitrogen inside a femtosecond filament in air by an orthogonally polarized
two-color driver field (i. e., 800 nm laser pulse and its second harmonic). The
durations of the coherent emissions at 391 nm and 428 nm are measured to be
~2.4 ps and ~7.8 ps respectively, both of which are much longer than the
duration of the pump and its second harmonic pulses. Furthermore, the measured
temporal decay characteristics of the excited molecular systems suggest an
"instantaneous" population inversion mechanism that may be achieved in
molecular nitrogen ions at an ultrafast time scale comparable to the 800 nm
pump pulse.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure
Real-time observation of dynamics in rotational molecular wave packets by use of "air laser" spectroscopy
Molecular rotational spectroscopy based on strong-field-ionization-induced
nitrogen laser is employed to investigate the time evolution of the rotational
wave packet composed by a coherent superposition of quantum rotational states
created in a field-free molecular alignment. We show that this technique
uniquely allows real-time observation of the ultrafast dynamics of the
individual rotational states in the rotational wavepacket. Our analysis also
shows that there exist two channels of generation of the nitrogen laser,
shedding new light on the population inversion mechanism behind the air laser
generated by intense femtosecond laser pulses.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figure
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