title: Phase-matching conditions for nonlinear frequency conversion by use of aligned molecular gases.
abstract: Transient birefringence can be induced in a gas of anisotropic molecules by an intense polarized laser pulse. We propose to use this birefringence to phase match nonlinear optical frequency-conversion processes. The conditions for anisotropic phase matching are derived, and experimental conditions required for phase-matched third-harmonic generation in a gas-filled hollow-core fiber are presented. We show that these conditions are experimentally feasible over a significant parameter range, making possible a new type of nonlinear optics.
authors.affiliation: JILA and the Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0440, USA. bartels@colorado.edu
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bartels
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Baertschy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wyss
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Murnane
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kapteyn