Generation and control of femtosecond pulses by molecular modulation Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • We have demonstrated that coherent molecular modulation can result in the collinear generation of mutually-coherent spectral sidebands that extend in frequency from the infrared to the far ultraviolet. Our technique is based on adiabatic preparation of a highly coherent molecular superposition-state, which is achieved by using narrow-linewidth lasers slightly detuned from a Raman resonance. The phases of the resultant Stokes and anti-Stokes sidebands are adjusted in order to synthesize desired single-cycle pulse trains at the target. In this article we review recent improvements and developments in this area, including: techniques for increasing the number of generated sidebands; synchronization of the pulse trains with the molecular motion in the given molecular system; laser self-focusing and spatial soliton formation due to the coherent interaction of light with oscillating molecules. In the future, this Raman source may produce sub-cycle optical pulses, and allow synthesis of waveforms where the electric field is a predetermined function of time, not limited to a quasi-sinusoidal oscillation.

published proceedings

  • JOURNAL OF MODERN OPTICS

author list (cited authors)

  • Sokolov, A. V., Shverdin, M. Y., Walker, D. R., Yavuz, D. D., Burzo, A. M., Yin, G. Y., & Harris, S. E.

citation count

  • 63

complete list of authors

  • Sokolov, AV||Shverdin, MY||Walker, DR||Yavuz ยง, DD||Burzo, AM||Yin, GY||Harris, SE

publication date

  • January 2005