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Advanced Quantum Technologies

Recent Advances in Air Lasing: A Perspective from Quantum Coherence (Adv. Quantum Technol. 11/2019)

Luqi Yuan, Yi Liu, Jinping Yao, Ya Cheng

Published Nov 1, 2019• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

The research topic of air lasing is of fundamental and practical importance. The cover image shows that, by interacting of the backward air lasing with other lasers at the target cloud, a coherent signal can be collected at the ground. In the corresponding Review (article number 1900080), Luqi Yuan and co-workers discuss basic concepts and highlight the quantum coherence in air lasing, which exhibits both fundamental physics and practical implications for remote sensing.

DOI
10.1002/qute.201970071

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The research topic of air lasing is of fundamental and practical importance. The cover image shows that, by interacting of the backward air lasing with other lasers at the target cloud, a coherent signal can be collected at the ground. In the corresponding Review (article number 1900080), Luqi Yuan and co-workers discuss basic concepts and highlight the quantum coherence in air lasing, which exhibits both fundamental physics and practical implications for remote sensing.
Abstract The research topic of air lasing is of fundamental and practical importance, which has grown rapidly in the past decade. Air lasing, or a laser‐like emission from air species including atomic oxygen, atomic argon, atomic nitrogen, molecular nitrogen, and molecular nitrogen ions, has been investigated vastly in both experiment and theory. In this review, the basic concepts of air lasing are discussed and the crucial role of quantum coherence in the air‐lasing process is highlighted. As an exciting perspective, air lasing not only exhibits important fundamental physics such as superradiance, nonlinear effects, vibrational and rotational dynamics, but also shows potential practical implications toward remote sensing.
Air lasing is a concept that refers to remote no-cavity (mirrorless) optical amplification in ambient air with the air constituents as the gain media. Due to the high potential of air lasing in view of applications in atmospheric sensing, a variety of pumping schemes have been proposed so far for building up population-inverted gain media in air and producing forward and/or backward directional lasing emissions. This review paper presents an overview of recent advances in the experimental observations and physical understanding of air lasing in various pumping schemes of air molecules by intense laser fields. Special emphasis is given to the strong-field-induced N 2 + air lasing, the mechanism of which is currently still in a hot debate.
There is nothing so practical as a good theory. As a case in point, the compelling need for standoff detection of hazardous gases and vapor indicators of explosives has motivated the development of remotely pumped, scheme(s) which produce radiation in the backward direction [1,2]. Moving from conceptualization to theoretical analysis and experimental verification, we demonstrate that high gain can be achieved in air. Backward air lasing provides possibilities for remote detection [3] as will be discussed.
A cavity-free laser in the sky could lead to revolutionary improvements in optical remote sensing for atmospheric science. Abundant in air, nitrogen molecules are prime candidates as an active medium for such a laser. Nitrogen molecules, either neutral or singly ionized, exhibit a significant optical gain in the UV regime when pumped by an intense femtosecond laser. Despite numerous works, the physical origin of this lasing is still not understood. Here we offer a consistent interpretation of all experimental facts by introducing a concept drawn from the field of quantum optics: transient lasing without inversion. Our experiments and simulations identify the crucial role of macroscopic coherence, instead of population inversion, in the nitrogen ions lasing system. Manipulating the macroscopic coherence provides a new level of control over nitrogen air lasing and offers new perspectives for the generation of very short wavelength laser where population inversion is difficult to achieve.
Abstract In today’s rapidly evolving quantum landscape, the generation and manipulation of quantum light not only represent fundamental challenges but also herald unprecedented opportunities in communication, computing, sensing, and imaging. This special issue brings together a collection of contributions that span the entire journey, from the creation of quantum light using novel materials and emitters to its seamless integration into photonic architectures and eventual deployment in advanced quantum applications. This special issue, “ Quantum Light: Creation, Integration, and Applications ,” features a collection of three review articles, five perspectives, and 23 original research papers, highlighting both the timeliness of the topic and the remarkable breadth and richness of ongoing advancements in the field.