Open AccessGuiding and emission of milijoule single-cycle THz pulse from laser-driven wire-like targets
Author(s) -
Yushan Zeng,
Chuliang Zhou,
Liwei Song,
Xiaoming Lu,
Zhongpeng Li,
Yingying Ding,
Yingxin Bai,
Yi Xu,
Yuxin Leng,
Ye Tian,
Jiansheng Liu,
Ruxin Li,
Zhizhan Xu
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.390764
Subject(s) - terahertz radiation , optics , laser , photomixing , electric field , femtosecond , far infrared laser , terahertz spectroscopy and technology , terahertz gap , gyrotron , undulator , optoelectronics , pulse (music) , materials science , physics , electron , terahertz metamaterials , quantum mechanics , detector
The miscellaneous applications of terahertz have called for an urgent demand of a super intense terahertz source. Here, we demonstrate the capability of femtosecond laser-driven wires as an efficient ultra-intense terahertz source using 700 mJ laser pulses. When focused onto a wire target, coherent THz generation took place in the miniaturized gyrotron-like undulator where emitted electrons move in the radial electric field spontaneously created on wire surface. The single-cycle terahertz pulse generated from the target is measured to be radially polarized with a pulse energy of a few milijoule. By further applying this scheme to a wire-tip target, we show the near field of the 500 nm radius apex could reach up to 90 GV/m. This efficient THz energy generation and intense THz electric field mark a substantial improvement toward ultra-intense terahertz sources.