Project Details
Projekt
Generation of midwave- and longwave infrared few-cycle multi-mJ pulses for the study of soliton-induced ultrafast nonlinear phenomena in atomic and molecular gases by using dielectric-coated metallic hollow-core fibers
Subject Area
Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
Term
since 2020
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 443415906
The project aims at the use of an already existing novel multi-mJ ultrashort pulse midwave IR (MWIR) OPCPA system (3 mJ, 5 micrometers) operating at 1 kHz and its extension to longer wavelengths in the longwave IR (LWIR) range (covering 7-12 micrometers) for the study of nonlinear processes in dielectric-coated metallic hollow-core fibers (DM-HCF). This unique laser source and the exploration of DM-HCFs grant access to a new segment of mid-IR nonlinear optics, e.g., to investigate new spectral and temporal regimes and ultrafast nonlinear processes in the anomalous dispersion range hitherto inaccessible in other waveguides. In particular solitonic phenomena in the 5-12 micrometers spectral range for distortion-less soliton pulse delivery, few-cycle soliton self-compression and soliton-induced supercontinuum generation will be studied from both a theoretical and experimental perspective. The individual goals are:(1) Extending the existing few-cycle MWIR OPCPA system for the generation of ultrashort pulses in the range of 7-12 micrometers, enabling pulse energies in the mJ-range. (2) Theoretical and experimental study of DM-HCFs for MWIR and LWIR pulse self-compression in the anomalous dispersion regime. In the considered wavelength range from 5-12 micrometers an unrivaled new compression technique is expected. Furthermore, DM-HCFs allow the compression of pulses with much higher energy compared to glass HCFs. (3) Theoretical and experimental study of supercontinuum generation in DM-HCFs filled with a gas using the high-energy MWIR and LWIR pulses. The application of such pump pulses should allow the generation of extremely broadband supercontinua extending into the THz spectral range.(4) Distortion-less soliton propagation of MWIR and LWIR pulses in gas-filled DM-HCFs will be studied in dependence on wavelength and pulse energy. Solitons in the targeted wavelength range between 3-12 micrometers have not been realized yet. (5) Generation of high-energy THz pulses in gases by using the two-color pulse technique. One can expect that with millijoule pulses in the MWIR and LWIR the THz yield will be increased by up to two orders of magnitude compared to near-IR pump pulses.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
