Spatial-spectral distribution of Rabi radiation generated in plasma

Area of Science:

• Atomic physics
• Laser-induced plasmas
• Nonlinear optics

Background:

• Coherent Rabi sideband radiation arises from strong laser-atom interactions.
• Understanding spatial-spectral distributions is crucial for controlling light propagation and energy deposition.
• Laser-induced microplasmas provide a dense, excited medium for studying fundamental light-matter interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To observe and control the spatial-spectral distributions of coherent, dynamic Rabi sideband radiation.
• To investigate the influence of laser pulse temporal shape on Rabi sideband characteristics.
• To compare experimental observations with theoretical predictions.

Main Methods:

• Generating neutral excited atomic oxygen in a laser-induced microplasma.
• Interacting the excited atomic oxygen with shaped picosecond probe laser pulses (10^10 W cm^-2).
• Measuring and comparing spatial-spectral distributions for asymmetric and Gaussian temporal pulse shapes.

Main Results:

• Successfully observed and controlled spatial-spectral distributions of Rabi sideband radiation.
• Demonstrated distinct spatial-spectral distributions for asymmetric versus Gaussian picosecond laser pulses.
• Achieved quantitative agreement between experimental results and theoretical predictions.

Conclusions:

• The temporal shape of picosecond laser pulses significantly influences Rabi sideband radiation characteristics.
• Theoretical models incorporating radial intensity distribution accurately predict observed spatial-spectral distributions.
• This work offers insights into controlling coherent light-matter interactions in laser-produced plasmas.