Intense tunable terahertz radiation from phase-matched difference frequency generation in strongly magnetized plasmas
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.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2604.18908,
title = {Intense tunable terahertz radiation from phase-matched difference frequency generation in strongly magnetized plasmas},
author = {Sida Cao and Matthew R. Edwards},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.18908},
year = {2026}
}