Frequency-Agile source of remote optical (UV-THz) emission (market assessment)

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The present proposal concerns a market assessment related to the development of a source of frequency agileradiation (from UV to THz) obtained by using multi-color filamentation in an in-line setup and by spectrallyshaping a femtosecond laser beam. High power frequency agile sources of optical radiation (from the visible tothe THz) are not technologically mature due to complexity and cost. The current approach in non-linear opticalinteraction and generation of radiation at some controlled distance is based on splitting a laser beam in severalbeams, changing the frequency of some of these beams and recombining the various beams. Precise alignment,system complexity and high stability of the multi-beam system are critical and difficult to control, which limitsthe practical use in a real environment. We developed a novel approach which circumvents the currentlimitations offering a way to spatially and temporally overlap two-color pulses or multi color pulses in acompletely collinear geometry for the generation at long distance of tunable UV, VIS, IR and/or THz sourcevia nonlinear optical interaction or photocurrent generation processes. The system developed and tested allowsan easy generation of frequency-agile radiation through programmable control of the laser spectral amplitudeand phase. The optical source can be generated on a range of distances (100m - km) from a single laser beammodulated into collinear multi-pulses of different wavelengths, with a controlled temporal delay between thepulses, which are combined at a controlled distance in a multiple-color filament. The system ensures acomplete insensibility to alignments, vibrations and turbulences on long distances propagation particularly inair. The number of optical components in the present device is reduced offering a robust and compact way togenerate remote radiation with perfectly controlled parameters for remote sensing or spectroscopy. The stableand programmable generation of tunable Infra-red emission in the range between 2µm and 12µm and THzradiation in the 2THz to 6THz range has been demonstrated at long distances.