Plasma generation by ultrashort multi-chromatic pulses during nonlinear propagation

Jeremy R. Gulley; Jiexi Liao; Thomas E. Lanier

doi:10.1117/12.2040666

7 March 2014 Plasma generation by ultrashort multi-chromatic pulses during nonlinear propagation

Jeremy R. Gulley, Jiexi Liao, Thomas E. Lanier

Proceedings Volume 8972, Frontiers in Ultrafast Optics: Biomedical, Scientific, and Industrial Applications XIV; 89720T (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2040666
Event: SPIE LASE, 2014, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

The use of femtosecond lasers in industrial, biomedical, and defense related applications during the last 15 years has necessitated a detailed understanding of pulse propagation coupled with ultrafast laser-material interactions. Current models of ultrashort pulse propagation in solids describe the pulse evolution of fields with broad spectra and are typically coupled to models of ionization and laser-plasma interaction that assume monochromatic laser fields. In this work we address some of the errors introduced by combining these inconsistent descriptions. In particular, we show that recently published experiments and simulations demonstrate how this contradiction can produce order-of-magnitude errors in calculating the ionization yield, and that this effect leads to altered dimensions and severity of optical breakdown and laser-induced modifications to dielectric solids. We introduce a comprehensive treatment of multi-chromatic non-equilibrium laser-material interaction in condensed matter and successfully couple this model to a unidirectional (frequency-resolved) pulse propagation equation for the field evolution. This approach, while more computationally intensive than the traditional single rate equation for the free electron density, reduces the number of adjustable phenomenological parameters typically used in current models. Our simulation results suggest that intentionally multi-chromatic fields (i.e. strongly chirped pulses or co-propagating pulses of different frequencies) can be arranged to control ionization yields and hence ultrafast laser induced material modifications.

Citation Download Citation

Jeremy R. Gulley, Jiexi Liao, and Thomas E. Lanier "Plasma generation by ultrashort multi-chromatic pulses during nonlinear propagation", Proc. SPIE 8972, Frontiers in Ultrafast Optics: Biomedical, Scientific, and Industrial Applications XIV, 89720T (7 March 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2040666

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available