Efficient generation and amplification of intense vortex and vector laser pulses via strongly-coupled stimulated Brillouin scattering in plasmas
Abstract The past decade has seen tremendous progress in the production and utilization of vortex and vector laser pulses. Although both are considered as structured light beams, the vortex lasers have helical phase fronts and phase singularities, while the vector lasers have spatially variable pola...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Communications Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01493-6 |
| _version_ | 1797355746853126144 |
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| author | Yipeng Wu Chaojie Zhang Zan Nie Mitchell Sinclair Audrey Farrell Kenneth A. Marsh E. Paulo Alves Frank Tsung Warren B. Mori Chan Joshi |
| author_facet | Yipeng Wu Chaojie Zhang Zan Nie Mitchell Sinclair Audrey Farrell Kenneth A. Marsh E. Paulo Alves Frank Tsung Warren B. Mori Chan Joshi |
| author_sort | Yipeng Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The past decade has seen tremendous progress in the production and utilization of vortex and vector laser pulses. Although both are considered as structured light beams, the vortex lasers have helical phase fronts and phase singularities, while the vector lasers have spatially variable polarization states and polarization singularities. In contrast to the vortex pulses that carry orbital angular momentum (OAM), the vector laser pulses have a complex spin angular momentum (SAM) and OAM coupling. Despite many potential applications enabled by such pulses, the generation of high-power/-intensity vortex and vector beams remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate using theory and three-dimensional simulations that the strongly-coupled stimulated Brillouin scattering (SC-SBS) process in plasmas can be used as a promising amplification technique with up to 65% energy transfer efficiency from the pump beam to the seed beam for both vortex and vector pulses. We also show that SC-SBS is strongly polarization-dependent in plasmas, enabling an all-optical polarization control of the amplified seed beam. Additionally, the interaction of such structured lasers with plasmas leads to various angular momentum couplings and decouplings that produce intense new light structures with controllable OAM and SAM. This scheme paves the way for novel optical devices such as plasma-based amplifiers and light field manipulators. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:15:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bbdc25ea0409489997bc3cd3d0a55c9f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2399-3650 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:15:28Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-bbdc25ea0409489997bc3cd3d0a55c9f2024-01-14T12:25:57ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Physics2399-36502024-01-017111210.1038/s42005-023-01493-6Efficient generation and amplification of intense vortex and vector laser pulses via strongly-coupled stimulated Brillouin scattering in plasmasYipeng Wu0Chaojie Zhang1Zan Nie2Mitchell Sinclair3Audrey Farrell4Kenneth A. Marsh5E. Paulo Alves6Frank Tsung7Warren B. Mori8Chan Joshi9University of California Los AngelesUniversity of California Los AngelesUniversity of California Los AngelesUniversity of California Los AngelesUniversity of California Los AngelesUniversity of California Los AngelesUniversity of California Los AngelesUniversity of California Los AngelesUniversity of California Los AngelesUniversity of California Los AngelesAbstract The past decade has seen tremendous progress in the production and utilization of vortex and vector laser pulses. Although both are considered as structured light beams, the vortex lasers have helical phase fronts and phase singularities, while the vector lasers have spatially variable polarization states and polarization singularities. In contrast to the vortex pulses that carry orbital angular momentum (OAM), the vector laser pulses have a complex spin angular momentum (SAM) and OAM coupling. Despite many potential applications enabled by such pulses, the generation of high-power/-intensity vortex and vector beams remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate using theory and three-dimensional simulations that the strongly-coupled stimulated Brillouin scattering (SC-SBS) process in plasmas can be used as a promising amplification technique with up to 65% energy transfer efficiency from the pump beam to the seed beam for both vortex and vector pulses. We also show that SC-SBS is strongly polarization-dependent in plasmas, enabling an all-optical polarization control of the amplified seed beam. Additionally, the interaction of such structured lasers with plasmas leads to various angular momentum couplings and decouplings that produce intense new light structures with controllable OAM and SAM. This scheme paves the way for novel optical devices such as plasma-based amplifiers and light field manipulators.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01493-6 |
| spellingShingle | Yipeng Wu Chaojie Zhang Zan Nie Mitchell Sinclair Audrey Farrell Kenneth A. Marsh E. Paulo Alves Frank Tsung Warren B. Mori Chan Joshi Efficient generation and amplification of intense vortex and vector laser pulses via strongly-coupled stimulated Brillouin scattering in plasmas Communications Physics |
| title | Efficient generation and amplification of intense vortex and vector laser pulses via strongly-coupled stimulated Brillouin scattering in plasmas |
| title_full | Efficient generation and amplification of intense vortex and vector laser pulses via strongly-coupled stimulated Brillouin scattering in plasmas |
| title_fullStr | Efficient generation and amplification of intense vortex and vector laser pulses via strongly-coupled stimulated Brillouin scattering in plasmas |
| title_full_unstemmed | Efficient generation and amplification of intense vortex and vector laser pulses via strongly-coupled stimulated Brillouin scattering in plasmas |
| title_short | Efficient generation and amplification of intense vortex and vector laser pulses via strongly-coupled stimulated Brillouin scattering in plasmas |
| title_sort | efficient generation and amplification of intense vortex and vector laser pulses via strongly coupled stimulated brillouin scattering in plasmas |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01493-6 |
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