High-order harmonic generation in boron carbide laser-induced plasma: comparison with carbon and boron plasmas, two-color-pumping-induced enhancement, quasi-phase-matching, and tuning of harmonics

The study of the laser-induced molecular plasma produced during the ablation of boron carbide as a medium for high-order harmonic generation is reported. The efficiency of harmonics generation in this laser-induced plasma is compared with the plasma produced on the surfaces of boron and carbon targets at the intensities of heating and driving pulses of 2 × 10 10 and 3 × 10 14 W/cm 2 , respectively. The stability of harmonic emission from boron carbide plasma was notably better compared with the boron and carbon plasmas. The influence of laser-induced plasma formation, the role of ablated components, the delay between heating and driving pulses, and the characteristics of converting pulses on the harmonic efficiency and harmonic cut-off in boron carbide plasma are studied.