Ultrafast intense laser science: filamentation and application

申请者提议推动超快强激光科学的前沿，他在过去几年的发展中做出了重大贡献，即丝化、非线性光学和遥感。他将开发一种新的飞秒(万亿分之一秒)激光技术来探测与环境和安全有关的大气污染物。它是基于自聚焦和丝化现象的。他将使用激光雷达(LIDAR)技术远程探测在所谓的飞秒强激光脉冲灯丝中碎裂的污染物分子的荧光。与使用其他长激光脉冲相比，这项技术的独特之处在于，人们可以将飞秒激光脉冲以高强度投射到远至几公里的距离，这将诱导污染物分子的指纹荧光。只需使用一次激光，就能识别大多数化学和生物制剂的存在。申请者还将学习他帮助开发的一个新兴的激光科学领域；他将其称为“丝状非线性光学”。他建议研究如何通过灯丝内部的“四波混频”产生高质量、极短(电磁场振荡几个周期)脉冲的科学和技术。还将研究从灯丝内碎裂的污染物分子诱导荧光的非线性物理过程。拟议的项目将产生超快强激光科学领域的科学和技术方面的新知识，并有助于培训大量高素质的人员。如果获得必要的资金，预计遥感化学-生物污染物的技术将在不到五年的时间内开发出来。

The applicant proposes to push forward a frontier in ultrafast intense laser science which he has contributed significantly in its development in the past few years, namely, filamentation nonlinear optics and remote sensing. He will develop a new femtosecond (one millionth of a trillionth of a second) laser technology to detect atmospheric pollutants related to environment and security. It is based upon the phenomenon of self-focusing and filamentation. He will use the LIDAR (laser radar) technique to remotely detect the fluorescence of pollutant molecules fragmented inside the so-called filament of intense femtosecond laser pulses. The uniqueness of this technique as compared to using other long laser pulses is that one can project the femtosecond laser pulse to remote distances up to a few km at high intensity which will induce finger print fluorescence from pollutant molecules. Using only one laser one would be able to identify the existence of most chemical and biological agents. The applicant will also study an emerging field of laser science which he helps develop; he calls this 'filamentation nonlinear optics'. He proposes to study the science and technology for the generation of high quality, very short (a few cycle of oscillation of the electromagnetic field) pulses through the so-called 'four-wave-mixing' inside the filament. The nonlinear physical processes of inducing the fluorescence from the fragmented pollutant molecules inside the filament will also be studied. The proposed project would generate new knowledge in the science and technology of the field of ultrafast intense laser science and contribute to the training of a good number of highly qualified personnel. It is expected that the technology of remotely sensing chem.-bio pollutants will be developed within less than five years if the necessary funding is secured.