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雷达启发的强激光啁啾脉冲技术——军事需求催生基础研究的一个典型案例

Radar-inspired chirped pulse amplification technique of intense lasers——a standard case of military needs spawning fundamental research

  • 摘要: 基础研究前沿领域大多来自人们对自然规律的自由探索,然而国家需求、特别是战时的特殊需求往往也会导致基础研究特色新生的领域,其中的科学思想和技术方法更容易催生颠覆性科技创新。2018年诺贝尔物理学奖颁发给了雷达启发的“啁啾脉冲技术”正是这方面的典型案例。雷达是“二战”时期最重要的军事需求之一。一方面,雷达发射源的新技术探索,导致从微波激射器到激光一系列的原创性的基础研究和技术突破,如原子的激光冷却技术;基于激光的光纤通信技术更是改变了现代人类的生活方式。另一方面,雷达系统的啁啾脉冲技术被应用于光学领域,突破了产生强激光的技术瓶颈;而强激光的出现又催生了一些全新的基础研究领域,如惯性约束核聚变。文章将通过从雷达到激光及啁啾脉冲技术历史发展中的关键技术介绍,展示战略需求对基础研究诞生的牵引性作用。

     

    Abstract: Fundamental research areas are usually born out of free exploration of the Nature. However, national needs, especially special needs of wartime, can lead to unexpected emergence of new areas of fundamental research. Ideas and methods in these areas are more likely to generate revolutionary technologies. A standard case is the radar-inspired chirped pulse amplification technique for strong lasers, which was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics. Radar was one of the most important military needs in World War II. On the one hand, the searching for new radar-emitting sources led to a series of innovative fundamental researches, including the emergence of masers and subsequently lasers. Lasers then spawned many new fundamental research areas, such as laser cooling. Lasers and laser-based fiber-optic communication technologies have changed the life style of modern humans. On the other hand, the chirped pulse amplification technique of radar systems was transposed to the field of optics, breaking the technical bottleneck of generating strong lasers. And the emergence of strong lasers has spawned another series of new fundamental research areas, such as inertial confinement fusion. This article will demonstrate the traction of strategic needs on the birth of basic research through the introduction of key technologies from radar to laser and the chirped pulse amplification technique.

     

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