Open AccessEfficient generation of a high-field terahertz pulse train in bulk lithium niobate crystals by optical rectification
Author(s) -
Qingyong Tian,
Hanxun Xu,
Yi Wang,
Yifan Liang,
Yuemei Tan,
Xiaonan Ning,
Yan Liu,
Yingchao Du,
Renkai Li,
Jianfei Hua,
Wenhui Huang,
Chuanxiang Tang
Publication year - 2021
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.419709
Subject(s) - optical rectification , terahertz radiation , lithium niobate , optics , materials science , laser , energy conversion efficiency , optoelectronics , pulse (music) , nonlinear optics , physics , detector
We demonstrate a highly efficient method for the generation of a high-field terahertz (THz) pulse train via optical rectification (OR) in congruent lithium niobate (LN) crystals driven by temporally shaped laser pulses. A narrowband THz pulse has been successfully achieved with sub-percent level conversion efficiency and multi MV/cm peak field at 0.26 THz. For the single-cycle THz generation, we achieved a THz pulse with 373-μJ energy in a LN crystal excited by a 100-mJ laser pulse at room temperature. The conversion efficiency is further improved to 0.77 % pumped by a 20-mJ laser pulse with a smaller pump beam size (6 mm in horizontal and 15 mm in vertical). This method holds great potential for generating mJ-level narrow-band THz pulse trains, which may have a major impact in mJ-scale applications like terahertz-based accelerators and light sources.