Abstract

Optical rectification of ultrashort pulses is considered using Maxwell’s equations and a kinetic equation for electrons. When ponderomotive force plays a key role in the excitation of slow nonlinear current, we point out optimal conditions for low-frequency radiation generation. Accounting for the effects of kinetic treatment of electron motion as well as the finite duration of the incident pulse are found to be necessary to build a correct theory of terahertz radiation generation.

© 2017 Optical Society of America

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