Nonlinear and extreme light generation
Nonlinear optics
The main focus of nonlinear optics research is the development of new coherent broadband light sources, as well as novel techniques for pulse compression.
Introduction
What this field studies
Nonlinear optics is a branch of optics that deals with various kinds of optical nonlinearities, aiming to identify new and efficient nonlinear materials. The materials of interest include laser-active media, semiconductors, photonic crystals, and others, which may have the potential to host extreme light-matter interactions induced by high-intensity or high-repetition-rate ultrashort light pulses in single and multiple filamentation regimes.
Why it matters for sources
Nonlinear optics is essential for the development of coherent broad-bandwidth light sources, pulse compression techniques, and the generation of coherent broad-bandwidth radiation based on self-action effects of intense light pulses in wide-aperture functional materials.
Lasers used
CARBIDE and PHAROS femtosecond lasers, FLINT oscillators, and OPCPA systems are widely used to investigate nonlinear phenomena.
