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arXiv · 1710.02624

Extreme case of Faraday effect: magnetic splitting of ultrashort laser pulses in plasmas

Suming Weng·Qian Zhao·Zhengming Sheng·Wei Yu·Shixia Luan·Min Chen·Lule Yu·Masakatsu Murakami·Warren B. Mori·Jie Zhang
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Abstract

The Faraday effect, caused by a magnetic-field-induced change in the optical properties, takes place in a vast variety of systems from a single atomic layer of graphenes to huge galaxies. Currently, it plays a pivot role in many applications such as the manipulation of light and the probing of magnetic fields and material's properties. Basically, this effect causes a polarization rotation of light during its propagation along the magnetic field in a medium. Here, we report an extreme case of the Faraday effect where a linearly polarized ultrashort laser pulse splits in time into two circularly polarized pulses of opposite handedness during its propagation in a highly magnetized plasma. This offers a new degree of freedom for manipulating ultrashort and ultrahigh power laser pulses. Together with technologies of ultra-strong magnetic fields, it may pave the way for novel optical devices, such as magnetized plasma polarizers. In addition, it may offer a powerful means to measure strong magnetic fields in laser-produced plasmas.

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Suming Weng, Qian Zhao, Zhengming Sheng, Wei Yu, Shixia Luan, Min Chen, Lule Yu, Masakatsu Murakami, Warren B. Mori, Jie Zhang. 2017-10-07. Extreme case of Faraday effect: magnetic splitting of ultrashort laser pulses in plasmas. https://doi.org/10.1364/optica.4.001086

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