Generation of ultrabroadband terahertz radiation under optical breakdown of air by two femtosecond pulses of different frequencies

Abstract

Experimental results on the generation of terahertz (THz) electromagnetic radiation under ionization of air by femtosecond pulses at fundamental and second-harmonic frequencies of a Ti-sapphire laser are presented. The mean power of the generated THz radiation as a function of the time delay between two pulses of different frequencies is found to be quasi-periodical. Theoretically, we show that efficient generation of THz radiation is governed by the inertial part of the nonlinear response of the medium, which is determined by the dynamics of population of highly excited states with subsequent emission of electrons.