High-coherence narrowband terahertz emission from a radially oscillating plasma oscillator.

Abstract

We present a method for generating a narrowband terahertz (THz) emission using a radially oscillating plasma oscillator formed in a plasma slab with a longitudinal paraboliclike density profile. Through quasi-three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we observe more stable, longer-lived plasma oscillations near the vertex of the density profile, resulting in temporally coherent THz emission. In contrast, a linear density gradient leads to faster decoherence of the plasma oscillator. The radiated THz pulse has a narrow spectral width of approximately 0.66 THz (∼3.36% relative bandwidth), with a spectral energy density efficiency of 0.01% per THz, in good agreement with analytical results. These findings demonstrate the potential of this scheme to efficiently concentrate THz energy into a compact, narrower spectral band, offering a promising route toward the development of next-generation narrowband THz sources for applications in THz-driven particle acceleration and ultrafast wireless communication.