Systematic experimental study on a highly efficient terahertz source based on two-color laser-induced air plasma

摘要

In this paper, highly efficient terahertz radiation generated by two-color femtosecond laser-induced air plasma is reported. A number of variables that can obviously influence terahertz generation and detection have been investigated systematically. The dependence on experimental parameters, including pulse energy, the rotation angle of beta-barium boron oxide (BBO) crystal, the distance between BBO crystal and laser-induced plasma, focal length, chopper frequency, and detection angle are presented, and the optimal values of these parameters have also been obtained experimentally. Finally, a highly efficient terahertz source has been achieved and can be utilized to carry out further investigation on terahertz sensing, spectroscopy, and imaging.