Ultrafast intense laser science: filamentation and application

申请人提议推进超快强激光科学的前沿，他在过去几年中对其发展作出了重大贡献，即增强非线性光学和遥感。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相关的大气污染物。它基于自聚焦和自聚焦现象。他将使用激光雷达（LIDAR）技术来远程检测在所谓的强飞秒激光脉冲灯丝内破碎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，可以将飞秒激光脉冲以高强度投射到远距离达几公里，这将从污染物分子诱导指纹荧光。仅使用一种激光就能够识别大多数化学和生物制剂的存在。 申请人还将研究他帮助开发的激光科学的新兴领域;他称之为“非线性光学”。他建议研究通过灯丝内部所谓的“四波混频”产生高质量、非常短（电磁场振荡的几个周期）脉冲的科学和技术。此外，我们亦会研究丝状体内部的污染物分子碎片产生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人才。展望了遥感化学技术在我国的应用前景。如果获得所需的资金，生物污染物将在五年内开发出来。

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.