Efficient combination and enhancement of high-power mid-infrared pulses in plasmas

摘要

High-power intense optical sources in the mid-to-long wavelength infrared region are very attractive for a wide range of fields from fundamental research to materials science and biology applications.However,there are still significant challenges in extending long-wavelength infrared pulses into the relativistic regime using conventional optical techniques.Here,based upon a new type of plasma-based optical method,we present an efficient scheme capable of combining several high-power long-wavelength infrared laser pulses into one single,more intense pulse,thus bringing the intensity of the output pulse to the relativistic regime.Such intense infrared pulses will open up new possibilities for strong-field physics and ultrafast applications.Furthermore,this is beneficial to understand the underlying physics and nonlinear processes of modulation,propagation and energy transfer of high-power intense laser pulses in plasmas.