High-power THz wave generation in plasma induced by polarization adjusted two-color laser pulses

Abstract

We introduce a simple and efficient method of enhancing the terahertz field in an air plasma produced by two-color laser pulses, by inserting a specially designed dual-wavelength wave plate between the non-linear optical crystal and the plasma. Adjusting the polarization of the two laser pulses yielded an electric field of 1.4 MV/cm, which was 1.7 times as intense as that obtained from the unmodified system. Additionally, taking a dispersion of the group velocities of the two-color laser pulses into account, we discussed the validity of the enhancement factor.