A system and a method for generating tunable ultrafast optical pulses, the method comprising spectral broadening of a laser input beam by propagating the laser input beam in a nonlinear medium of a third-order nonlinear susceptibility .sup.(3), yielding an output laser spectrum; and one of: i) selecting at least one portion of the output laser spectrum, yielding an output pulse different than the input pulse and centered at a different frequency; ii) temporal compensation and spatial spreading of spectral components of the output laser spectrum; selecting two pulses at two different frequencies; and nonlinearly mixing the two pulses together in a first second-order nonlinear susceptibility .sup.(2) nonlinear crystal into a third pulse centered at a frequency which is a difference between the frequencies of the first two pulses; and iii) dividing output laser spectrum into a pump beam and a probe beam, directing a pump pulse to a third second-order nonlinear crystal for THz radiation generation; and directing a probe pulse to a third second-order nonlinear crystal for THz radiation reconstruction.

Disclosed is a system and method for remote sensing, surface profiling, object identification, and aiming based on two-photon population inversion and subsequent photon backscattering enhanced by superradiance using two co-propagating pump waves. The present disclosure enables efficient and highly-directional photon backscattering by generating the pump waves in properly pulsed time-frequency modes, proper spatial modes, with proper group-velocity difference in air. The pump waves are relatively delayed in a tunable pulse delay device and launched to free space along a desirable direction using a laser-pointing device. When the pump waves overlap in air, signal photons will be created through two-photon driven superradiant backscattering if target gas molecules are present. The backscattered signal photons propagate back, picked using optical filters, and detected. By scanning the relative delay and the launching direction while the signal photons are detected, three-dimensional information of target objects is acquired remotely.

Disclosed is a system and method for remote sensing, surface profiling, object identification, and aiming based on two-photon population inversion and subsequent photon backscattering enhanced by superradiance using two co-propagating pump waves. The present disclosure enables efficient and highly-directional photon backscattering by generating the pump waves in properly pulsed time-frequency modes, proper spatial modes, with proper group-velocity difference in air. The pump waves are relatively delayed in a tunable pulse delay device and launched to free space along a desirable direction using a laser-pointing device. When the pump waves overlap in air, signal photons will be created through two-photon driven superrdiant backscattering if target gas molecules are present. The backscattered signal photons propagate back, picked using optical filters, and detected. By scanning the relative delay and the launching direction while the signal photons are detected, three-dimensional information of target objects is acquired remotely.

Method for producing ultraintense laser pulses in which Stimulated Raman Back-Scattering (SRBS) amplifies and compresses a seed pulse, as well as an inventive compact plasma device which may implement the method. SRBS may be achieved by counter-propagating the seed pulse and a pump pulse through a few millimeter-long plasma having a plasma frequency equal to the difference between the pump and the seed pulse frequencies. Dichroic mirrors may be arranged to provide two amplifying and compression passes through the plasma, allowing greater seed pulse amplification by mitigating Landau damping within the plasma that would occur in a single pass of a plasma of double the length. Alternate examples provide for 2n number of amplification and compression passes by providing n short plasma columns, where n2, and additional, appropriately arranged dichroic mirrors. The compact size of the device, and the ultraintense, ultrashort pulses it emits, suit the device to dermatological applications.

Mid-Wave Infrared (MWIR) laser systems emits at multiple wavelengths spanning the mid-IR transmission bands with tunability not to coincide with absorption lines within the bands. Optical fiber-based pump sources and a series of Raman fiber wavelength shifting amplifiers create a single output aperture that contains multiple spectral lines within each MWIR sub-band.

Methods and systems are disclosed for using a chromatic lens system to provide a flying focusi.e., an advanced focusing scheme enabling spatiotemporal control of a focal location. In a method, a photon beam is emitted from a source at a wavelength. The photon beam may have more than one wavelength. The photon beam is focused to a focal location using a chromatic lens system. The focal location is at a first longitudinal distance along an optical axis from the chromatic lens system. The wavelength of the photon beam is changed as a function of time to change the focal location as a function of time. The wavelength may be changed such that the focal location changes with a focal velocity.

An optical system includes a first light source configured to generate a first light beam having a first power. The optical system includes a second light source configured to generate at least one second light beam having a second power. The second power can be greater than the first power. The optical system includes a device for a least partially co-aligning the at least one second light beam of the second power with the first light beam of the first power in a parallel or near-parallel pattern and within a region of atmospheric space so that energy will transfer from photons of the at least one second light beam of the second power to photons of the first light beam of the first power within the region of atmospheric space via Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS).

An optical system including a laser system for generating a plurality of coaxial laser beams. The laser beams are combined by the laser system for generating at least two different frequency components. One or more hollow core photonic crystal fibers each filled with a noble gas receive the coaxial laser beams from the laser system and generate an idler emission having an idler frequency component according to four-wave mixing of the at least two different frequency components in the one or more hollow core photonic crystal fibers. A control system is configured to control a gas pressure of the one or more hollow core photonic crystal fibers for controlling the idler frequency component of the idler emission.

Disclosed is a system and method for remote sensing, surface profiling, object identification, and aiming based on two-photon population inversion and subsequent photon backscattering enhanced by superradiance using two co-propagating pump waves. The present disclosure enables efficient and highly-directional photon backscattering by generating the pump waves in properly pulsed time-frequency modes, proper spatial modes, with proper group-velocity difference in air. The pump waves are relatively delayed in a tunable pulse delay device and launched to free space along a desirable direction using a laser-pointing device. When the pump waves overlap in air, signal photons will be created through two-photon driven superrdiant backscattering if target gas molecules are present. The backscattered signal photons propagate back, picked using optical filters, and detected. By scanning the relative delay and the launching direction while the signal photons are detected, three-dimensional information of target objects is acquired remotely.

Method for producing ultraintense laser pulses in which Stimulated Raman Back-Scattering (SRBS) amplifies and compresses a seed pulse, as well as an inventive compact plasma device which may implement the method. SRBS may be achieved by counter-propagating the seed pulse and a pump pulse through a few millimeter-long plasma having a plasma frequency equal to the difference between the pump and the seed pulse frequencies. Dichroic mirrors may be arranged to provide two amplifying and compression passes through the plasma, allowing greater seed pulse amplification by mitigating Landau damping within the plasma that would occur in a single pass of a plasma of double the length. Alternate examples provide for 2n number of amplification and compression passes by providing n short plasma columns, where n2, and additional, appropriately arranged dichroic mirrors. The compact size of the device, and the ultraintense, ultrashort pulses it emits, suit the device to dermatological applications.