Ultrafast intense laser science: filamentation and application

申请人拟推动他在过去几年对超快强激光科学的发展做出重大贡献的前沿领域，即丝化非线性光学和遥感。他将开发一种新的飞秒（万亿分之一秒的百万分之一）激光技术，用于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。他将使用LIDAR（激光雷达）技术来远程探测在所谓的强飞秒激光脉冲灯丝内碎片化的污染物分子的荧光。与使用其他长激光脉冲相比，该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几公里远的地方，从而从污染物分子中诱导出指纹荧光。只要使用一束激光，人们就能识别出大多数化学和生物制剂的存在。申请人还将研究他帮助发展的新兴激光科学领域；他把这种现象称为“灯丝非线性光学”。他建议研究通过所谓的“四波混频”在灯丝内部产生高质量、极短（电磁场振荡几个周期）脉冲的科学技术。研究了灯丝内部污染物分子碎片诱导荧光的非线性物理过程。该项目将在超快强激光科学领域产生新的科学和技术知识，并有助于培养大量高素质人才。人们对遥感化学技术的发展寄予厚望。——如果获得必要的资金，将在5年内开发出生物污染物。

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.