Dominance of plasma-induced modulation in terahertz generation from gas filament

Abstract

In this paper, we revisit the fundamental mechanism responsible for terahertz generation from laser-induced plasma filament based on the photocurrent model by employing a blend of analytical calculation and numerical simulation. By using the frequency-decomposed finite-difference time-domain (FD-FDTD) method, the role of two-color field and photocurrent radiation in terahertz generation from plasma filament is visually separated, and the driving effect of photocurrent radiation is confirmed pretty significant within the process. Then, a pair of numerical experiments are taken to further analyze the driving effect of photocurrent radiation, and it is revealed that plasma-induced modulation to photocurrent radiation is actually the underlying physical mechanism of terahertz generation from plasma filament. Furthermore, a three-step diagram is introduced to reillustrate the overall physical process and provides a more comprehensive explanation. In addition, the mechanism of plasma-induced modulation to photocurrent radiation in terahertz generation is substantiated by taking theoretical prediction and numerical simulation of minimal filament length required for achieving stable backward terahertz emission, which directly confirms the validity and significance of plasma-induced modulation to photocurrent radiation in terahertz generation from laser-induced plasma filament.