Few-cycle and unipolar pulses of the electromagnetic field

Nikolay Rosanov {1}*,
In collaboration with
Ivan Alexandrov {1,2}, Mikhail Arkhipov {2}, Rostislav Arkhipov {1,2}, Alexander Plachenov {3}, and Dmitry Tumakov {1,2}
{1} Ioffe Institute, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
{2} St.-Petersburg State University
{3} MIREA, Moscow, Russia
*e-mail: nnrosanov@mail.ru

Progress in obtaining ever shorter radiation pulses makes relevant the question of the shortening limits and the properties of extremely short pulses of electromagnetic field.
Experimentally available pulses consist of at least several half-waves of the field with opposite polarity. Nonlinear optical effects make it possible to separate different half-waves, that is, to obtain practically isolated unipolar pulses, which serve as the limiting degree of temporal compression of electromagnetic pulses.
In addition to temporal compression, it is important that ultrashort unipolar pulses act on micro-objects unidirectionally and, therefore, more efficiently than bipolar ones.
Based on the Maxwell equations, we consider the possibility of obtaining both single unipolar pulses and several spaced unipolar pulses.
Their general properties and features of interaction with various micro-objects are discussed.

Sprecher: Prof. Dr. Nikolay N. Rosanov, Ioffe Institute, St Petersburg

Kontakt: Prof. Dr. Gerd Leuchs