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arXiv · 2604.18908

Intense tunable terahertz radiation from phase-matched difference frequency generation in strongly magnetized plasmas

Sida Cao·Matthew R. Edwards
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Abstract

High-energy terahertz pulses are challenging to produce due to the low conversion efficiency and limited optical damage threshold of nonlinear crystals. Here, we describe the high-efficiency generation of terahertz radiation pulses with tunable frequency and field strengths exceeding 500 GV/m by propagating two-color laser pulses through a strongly magnetized plasma. The field strength is substantially enhanced by utilizing two extraordinary-mode branches to minimize the phase mismatch. We derive the phase-matching conditions and characterize the nonlinear coupling analytically, and validate these predictions with particle-in-cell simulations. These results establish a new pathway toward next-generation intense terahertz sources with performance well beyond the limits of existing plasma mechanisms and conventional crystal-based approaches.

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Sida Cao, Matthew R. Edwards. 2026-04-20. Intense tunable terahertz radiation from phase-matched difference frequency generation in strongly magnetized plasmas. https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.18908

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