Terahertz Wave Generation in Air by Femtosecond Optical Vortex Pulses

Abstract

Terahertz (THz) radiation is of great current interest due to many applications such as nonlinear THz spectroscopy and imaging. One of the compact and effective methods to obtain very high THz field strengths and extremely broadband spectral widths is THz wave generation from plasma filaments formed in air by focused bichromatic femtosecond laser pulses consisting of the first and the second harmonics (FH, SH). Here we investigate the effect of an azimuthal phase modulation of the SH carrying an optical vortex charge on the intensity and phase distribution of the THz pulse emitted from the laser induced plasma filament in air. We present both experimental and theoretical results.