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Physical Review A

Broadband spectral generation with refractive index control

Stephen E. Harris, Alexei V. Sokolov

Published Jun 1, 1997• 162 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We describe a method for generating a wide spectrum and at the same time improving propagation through a model inhomogeneous gaseous medium. The method is based on using a small two-photon detuning from a Raman resonance to adiabatically establish an appropriate molecular superposition state. This state, in turn, generates a broad spectrum of sidebands whose refractive index, Rayleigh scatter, and accumulated phase delay are much less than those of a single spectral component, if propagating alone.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.55.r4019

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We describe a method for generating a wide spectrum and at the same time improving propagation through a model inhomogeneous gaseous medium. The method is based on using a small two-photon detuning from a Raman resonance to adiabatically establish an appropriate molecular superposition state. This state, in turn, generates a broad spectrum of sidebands whose refractive index, Rayleigh scatter, and accumulated phase delay are much less than those of a single spectral component, if propagating alone.
We describe nonlinear optical processes in a medium with maximal coherence on a Raman transition. The nonlinear polarization of such a medium is of the same order of magnitude as the linear polarization. This allows efficient frequency conversion and generation of a wide spectrum of Raman sidebands. The phase of the coherence can be controlled through a small two-photon detuning from the Raman resonance. An appropriate choice of the phase improves nonlinear generation and propagation of sidebands through an inhomogeneous gaseous medium.
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.
Recent experiments have shown that coherent molecular oscillations may generate a comb of coherent collinear sidebands with 50,000 cm/sup -1/ of spectral bandwidth. The essence of this technique is the use of a Raman transition with a sufficiently large coherence that the generation and phase slip length are of the same order. The coherence is established by driving the molecular transition with two single-mode laser fields slightly detuned from the Raman resonance, so as to excite a single molecular superposition state. This talk will summarize the characteristics of this light source and describe two recent experiments which show the mutual coherence of the generated sidebands.
Subfemtosecond pulses can be generated in a Raman generator by using electromagnetically induced transparency if ultrabroad Raman sidebands are generated and then propagate in such a way that the generated sidebands at higher frequencies are temporally advanced with regard to those at lower frequencies. However, it was recently demonstrated by experiments [1] that above-resonance Raman excitations ensured the establishment of anti-phased Raman coherence for pulse compression but only very limited number of Raman sidebands could be generated due to Raman self-defocusing [2], while broadband sidebands could be generated under below-resonance Raman excitations, which supported no pulse compression in the same Raman media. In order to establish anti-phased Raman coherence and simultaneously overcome Raman self-defocusing to benefit efficient generation of broadband sidebands, we suggest in this report a new technique to generate sub-fs pulse train in a Raman generator driven by three sufficiently intense single-mode laser beams whose carrier frequencies are tuned off the Raman resonance with two different two-photon detunings. The Raman interaction establishes a molecular modulation through nonadibatic processes. The simulation on the basis of the fundamental rotational Raman transitions in H2 shows that sub-fs pulse can be generated by above-resonance or below-resonance Raman excitations, or even Raman excitations with opposite detunings, as is shown in Fig.1. This opens a new way for experiments to observe enhanced generation of broadband Raman sidebands, together with compression of the phase-locked Raman sidebands into sub-fs pulse trains in the same Raman media
We report pulse-shaper-assisted phase control of a broad spectrum, aiming to synthesize nonsinusoidal waveforms. We first generate multiple-order coherent Raman sidebands by focusing two laser beams into a piece of diamond. Then we combine five sidebands into a single beam by using a prism. Our setup allows for both coarse, manual phase adjustments and fine tuning of the spectral phases. A flat spectral phase across these five frequency-separated sub-bands is achieved, which implies generation of two to three optical-cycle pulses.
We suggest a technique to generate subfemtosecond pulse train in a Raman generator driven by three sufficiently intense single-mode laser beams whose carrier frequencies are tuned off the Raman resonance with two different two-photon detunings. The Raman interaction establishes a molecular modulation through a nonadiabatic process. The simulation based on the first fundamental vibrational Raman transition of solid hydrogen indicates that subfemtosecond pulse train can be generated when the signs of the two-photon detunings are opposite. This opens an experimentally feasible way to observe enhanced generation of broadband Raman sidebands as well as compression of the phase-locked Raman sidebands into subfemtosecond pulse trains in the same Raman media with above- and below-resonance Raman excitations.