2023/03/11 by Eduardo J. C. Dias, Dias, Eduardo J. C., I. Madan +15
Chemistry · Engineering · #FOS: Physical sciences #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #Plasmonic and Surface Plasmon Research #Spectroscopy and Laser Applications #Terahertz technology and applications
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2303.06451
openalex publication_date 2023/03/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Dense micron-sized electron plasmas, such as those generated upon irradiation of nanostructured metallic surfaces by intense femtosecond laser pulses, constitute a rich playground to study light-matter interactions, many-body phenomena, and out-of-equilibrium charge dynamics. Besides their fundamental interest, laser-induced plasmas hold potential for the generation of localized terahertz radiation pulses. However, the underlying mechanisms ruling the formation and evolution of these plasmas is not yet well understood. Here, we develop a comprehensive microscopic theory to predictably describe the spatiotemporal dynamics of laser-pulse-induced plasmas. Through detailed analysis of electron emission, metal screening, and plasma cloud interactions, we investigate the spatial, temporal, and spectral characteristics of the so-generated terahertz fields, which can be extensively controlled through the metal morphology and the illumination conditions. We further describe the interaction with femtosecond electron beams to explain recent ultrafast electron microscopy experiments, whereby the position and temporal dependence of the observed electron acceleration permits assessing the associated terahertz field. Besides its potential application to the design of low-frequency light sources, our work contributes with fundamental insight on the generation and dynamics of micron-scale electron plasmas and their interaction with ultrafast electron pulses.