Narrowband THz Emission from a Plasma Oscillator Imbedded in a Plasma Density Gradient

A novel method is presented for generating radiation using the beat wave associated with a bi-frequency laser pulse, to excite plasma oscillations in a plasma slab with a density gradient. By resonantly exciting a plasma wave, it can be localised and transformed into a plasma oscillator that produces a beam of radially polarised terahertz radiation. Particle-in-cell simulations and analytic theory are used to demonstrate its main characteristics, which includes narrow bandwidth. The radiator should have useful applications such as terahertz-band particle accelerators and pump-probe experiments.