Plasma characterization using terahertz-wave-enhanced fluorescence

We demonstrate that the terahertz-wave-enhanced fluorescence emission from excited atoms or molecules can be employed in the characterization of laser-induced gas plasmas. The electron relaxation time and plasma density were deduced through applying the electron impact excitation/ionization and electron-ion recombination processes to the measured time-dependent enhanced fluorescence. The electron collision dynamics of nitrogen plasma excited at different gas pressures and laser pulse energies have been systematically investigated. This plasma characterization method provides picosecond temporal resolution and enables omnidirectional optical signal collection.