Abstract: A laser pulse from an ultrashort pulse laser (USPL) is fired into the atmosphere. The USPL pulse is configured to generate a plasma filament at a predefined target in the atmosphere, in which free, or “seed,” electrons are generated by multi-photon or tunneling ionization of the air molecules in the filament. A second pulse is fired into the atmosphere to form a heater beam that impinges on the plasma filament and thermalizes the seed electrons within the plasma filament, leading to the collisional excitation of the electrons in the filament. The excited electrons collisionally excite various electronic and vibrational states of the air molecules in the filament, causing population inversions and lasing, e.g., exciting the C3?u?B3?g(v=0?0) transition of the N2 in the atmosphere to cause lasing at 337 nm.

Abstract: An electron injector including an electron source and a conducting grid situated close to the electron source, one or more RF accelerating/bunching cavities operating at the same fundamental RF frequency; a DC voltage source configured to bias the cathode at a small positive voltage with respect to the grid; a first RF drive configured to apply an RF signal between the cathode and grid at the fundamental and third harmonic RF frequencies; and a second RF drive configured to apply an RF drive signal to the accelerating/bunching cavities. Electrons are emitted by the cathode and travel through the grid to the accelerating/bunching cavities for input into an RF linac.

Abstract: A device for generating terahertz radiation using a phase matched optical rectification technique. The device converts laser radiation to terahertz radiation via a particular type of photonic downconversion. The device includes a crystalline material suitable for photonic downconversion of laser radiation, a first coupling component for coupling the laser radiation to the crystalline material and a second coupling component for coupling the generated terahertz radiation from the crystalline material to the environment. By sustaining the phase matching condition over a significant distance, the device is capable of providing terahertz radiation with high peak and average power.

Abstract: A system and methods for the quasi-remote compression and focusing of a moderate-intensity laser pulse to form a much higher intensity beam that can be directed at a target and used as a probe beam or used in a probe beam converter to generate other forms of electromagnetic radiation or energetic particles. A system for the quasi-remote propagation of high-intensity laser beams in accordance with the present invention comprises a main platform on which a first, “seed” laser pulse is generated, stretched, and amplified, and a remote platform, located at a distance from the main platform, which is configured to receive the amplified and stretched pulse and convert it into the high-intensity laser beam. The high-intensity laser beam in turn can then be converted into one or more probe beams directed at a target object.

Abstract: A system and methods for the quasi-remote compression and focusing of a moderate-intensity laser pulse to form a much higher intensity beam that can be directed at a target and used as a probe beam or used in a probe beam converter to generate other forms of electromagnetic radiation or energetic particles. A system for the quasi-remote propagation of high-intensity laser beams in accordance with the present invention comprises a main platform on which a first, “seed” laser pulse is generated, stretched, and amplified, and a remote platform, located at a distance from the main platform, which is configured to receive the amplified and stretched pulse and convert it into the high-intensity laser beam. The high-intensity laser beam in turn can then be converted into one or more probe beams directed at a target object.

Abstract: A laser pulse from an ultrashort pulse laser (USPL) is fired into the atmosphere. The USPL pulse is configured to generate a plasma filament at a predefined target in the atmosphere, in which free, or “seed,” electrons are generated by multi-photon or tunneling ionization of the air molecules in the filament. A second pulse is fired into the atmosphere to form a heater beam that impinges on the plasma filament and thermalizes the seed electrons within the plasma filament, leading to the collisional excitation of the electrons in the filament. The excited electrons collisionally excite various electronic and vibrational states of the air molecules in the filament, causing population inversions and lasing, e.g., exciting the C3?u?B3?g(v=0?0) transition of the N2 in the atmosphere to cause lasing at 337 nm.

Abstract: An electron injector including an electron source and a conducting grid situated close to the electron source, one or more RF accelerating/bunching cavities operating at the same fundamental RF frequency; a DC voltage source configured to bias the cathode at a small positive voltage with respect to the grid; a first RF drive configured to apply an RF signal between the cathode and grid at the fundamental and third harmonic RF frequencies; and a second RF drive configured to apply an RF drive signal to the accelerating/bunching cavities. Electrons are emitted by the cathode and travel through the grid to the accelerating/bunching cavities for input into an RF linac.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention includes an apparatus. The apparatus includes a plurality of lasers comprising a plurality of laser paths. The apparatus further includes an incoherent combining beam director in the plurality of laser paths. The apparatus also includes a plurality of optical elements in the plurality of laser paths between the plurality of lasers and the beam director.

Abstract: A device for generating terahertz radiation using a phase matched optical rectification technique. The device converts laser radiation to terahertz radiation via a particular type of photonic downconversion. The device includes a crystalline material suitable for photonic downconversion of laser radiation, a first coupling component for coupling the laser radiation to the crystalline material and a second coupling component for coupling the generated terahertz radiation from the crystalline material to the environment. By sustaining the phase matching condition over a significant distance, the device is capable of providing terahertz radiation with high peak and average power.

Abstract: A system for detecting atmospheric contamination, the system comprising a laser operable to generate an infrared light beam comprising a longitudinal component and a transverse component, the laser remote from the atmospheric contamination, and a processor operable to process a flouresence resulting from contact between the atmospheric contamination and an ultraviolet light being generated from the longitudinal and transverse components of the infrared light of the laser, wherein the processor determines the identity of the fluorescence by comparing the fluorescence to known fluorescence.

Abstract: A method used to detect and identify biological substances suspended in air in the form of aerosols or clouds including generating a remote infrared light beam directed toward the atmospheric contamination, producing an ultraviolet light beam from the infrared light beam by compression via the air through which the IR beam travels, and producing fluorescence of the atmospheric contamination, when the generated ultraviolet light contacts the atmospheric contamination. The fluorescent signals are then processed in order to identify the nature of the atmospheric contamination.

Abstract: A system for detecting atmospheric contamination, the system comprising a laser operable to generate an infrared light beam comprising a longitudinal component and a transverse component the laser remote from the atmospheric contamination, and a processor operable to process a flouresence resulting from contact between the atmospheric contamination and an ultraviolet light being generated from the longitudinal and transverse components of the infrared light of the laser, wherein the processor determines the identity of the fluorescence by comparing the fluorescence to known fluorescence.

Abstract: A method used to detect and identify biological substances suspended in air in the form of aerosols or clouds including generating a remote infrared light beam directed toward the atmospheric contamination, producing an ultraviolet light beam from the infrared light beam by compression via the air through which the IR beam travels, and producing fluorescence of the atmospheric contamination, when the generated ultraviolet light contacts the atmospheric contamination. The fluorescent signals are then processed in order to identify the nature of the atmospheric contamination.

Abstract: A method for generating an acoustic source in a liquid includes transmitting an optical pulse through the liquid so the optical pulse reaches ILIB through pulse compression and ionizes a liquid volume. The pulse compression is achieved through at least one of a) group velocity dispersion induced longitudinal compression of a frequency chirped optical pulse and b) transverse self focusing via a nonlinear optical Kerr effect. The acoustic source can be generated at a controllable remote location many meters from the optical source. The optical source can be a laser or other suitable optical device.

Abstract: A method for generating an acoustic source in a liquid includes transmitting an optical pulse through the liquid so the optical pulse reaches ILIB through pulse compression and ionizes a liquid volume. The pulse compression is achieved through at least one of a) group velocity dispersion induced longitudinal compression of a frequency chirped optical pulse and b) transverse self focusing via a nonlinear optical Kerr effect. The acoustic source can be generated at a controllable remote location many meters from the optical source. The optical source can be a laser or other suitable optical device.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for developing a conditioned electron beam of high quality for an exemplary application to a free-electron source of coherent radiation. The system comprises: a source for producing an electron beam of relatively high energy, a microwave source for generating a microwave field, and a wiggler for generating transverse to the electron beam a periodic magnetic field which cooperates with the microwave field to interact with the electron beam and develop a conditioned electron beam of high quality.

Abstract: An x-ray lithography device in which a beam of electrons interacts with a microwave field of a quasi-optical maser such as a quasi-optical gyrotron. This maser comprises a pair of spaced mirrors defining a quasi-optical cavity therebetween, with one mirror being provided with an orifice to permit extraction of the x-ray beam produced. A Bragg reflector is connected to the mirror orifice to reduce the microwave power loss from the device through the orifice. Electrons injected in the maser cavity are caused to "wiggle" by the interacting microwave field, which functions as an undulator, so as to produce a non-coherent x-ray beam that travels along the longitudinal axis of the cavity and exits through the mirror orifice.

Abstract: The laser synchrotron source (LSS) utilizes a high peak power or high average power laser to generate within a vacuum chamber a laser beam travelling in one direction to interact with an electron beam traveling in an opposite direction in order to generate high-power x-rays. A ring resonator formed by a plurality of mirrors directs the laser beam in a closed loop to impact with the electron beam to produce x-rays. Concave mirrors in the ring resonator focus the laser beam upon the point where the laser beam interacts with the electron beam to intensify the laser energy at that point. When a radio frequency linear accelerator (rf linac) is used to produce the electron beam, x-rays having a short pulse length are generated. When a betatron is used as an electron source, x-rays having a long pulse length are generated.

Abstract: A betatron for accelerating charged particles in a toroidal vacuum chamber comprisinga betatron magnetic field generator;a toroidal magnetic field generator;a generating circuit for generating a charged particle beam into the toroidal chamber with an energy and current such that the ratio of the Budker parameter .nu. to the relativistic factor .gamma. of the beam in the range .nu./.gamma.=0.005 to 0.

Abstract: An electron cyclotron maser high-frequency generator/amplifier having a cavity resonator positioned in an axial magnetic field. A spiralling beam of relativistic electrons is injected into the cavity and stimulated emission of radiation by the electrons takes place at the frequency of a wave mode supported by the cavity resonator. The transverse efficiency, defined as the average electron energy loss divided by its initial transverse energy, is maximized by disposing a shaped iron collar about the cavity resonator to provide an axial magnetic field in the cavity resonator whose amplitude increases in the beam direction-of-travel. In an alternative embodiment, the transverse efficiency is maximized by tapering the inner wall of the cavity in the axial direction to provide a wave-mode in the cavity resonator whose electric-field amplitude increases in the beam direction-of-travel.