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Gerard Mourou

Bio: Gerard Mourou is an academic researcher from École Polytechnique. The author has contributed to research in topics: Laser & Ultrashort pulse. The author has an hindex of 82, co-authored 653 publications receiving 34147 citations. Previous affiliations of Gerard Mourou include University of Michigan & San Diego State University.


Papers
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Patent
08 Nov 2001
TL;DR: In this paper, a system for generating high-energy particles and for inducing nuclear reactions is described, which includes a laser and for emitting a laser beam, an irradiation target for receiving the laser beam and producing high energy particles, and a secondary target to receive the high energy particle and thereby inducing a nuclear reaction.
Abstract: A system is provided for generating high-energy particles and for inducing nuclear reactions The system includes a laser and for emitting a laser beam, an irradiation target for receiving the laser beam and producing high-energy particles, and a secondary target for receiving the high-energy particles, thereby inducing a nuclear reaction A method is also provided including producing a laser beam of high-intensity with an ultra-short pulse duration, irradiating the laser beam onto an irradiation target in order to ionize the irradiation target and produce a collimated beam of high-energy particles, and colliding the collimated beam of high-energy particles onto a secondary target containing a nuclei, thereby inducing a nuclear reaction on the secondary target

57 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wave-front distortions of a terawatt-class laser system are measured with good accuracy (lambda/50) and discussed, emphasizing the necessity of implementing adaptive optics in ultrahigh-intensity chirped-pulse amplification lasers.
Abstract: A simple new three-wave interferometric technique is used to measure, for what is believed to be the first time, the wave front of femtosecond ultrahigh-peak-power pulses carrying a strong B integral (B = 5.26+/-0.15) in a single shot. Wave-front distortions of a terawatt-class laser system are measured with good accuracy (lambda/50) and discussed. These distortions can significantly reduce the focused peak intensity, emphasizing the necessity of implementing adaptive optics in ultrahigh-intensity chirped-pulse amplification lasers.

57 citations

Patent
02 Dec 1998
TL;DR: In this article, a method for transscleral photodisruption of tissue on the interior surface of the sclera includes selecting a wavelength for a laser beam, which can be either from a first range of wavelengths (0.4-1.4 μm) which is normally strongly scattered as it is transmitted through the Sclera, or from a second range of longer wavelengths (1.5-2.5 μm).
Abstract: An ab interno method for transscleral photodisruption of tissue on the interior surface of the sclera includes selecting a wavelength for a laser beam. The selected wavelength may be either from a first range of wavelengths (0.4-1.4 μm) which is normally strongly scattered as it is transmitted through the sclera, or from a second range of longer wavelengths (1.5-2.5 μm) which is less scattered as it is transmitted through the sclera. If the first range of wavelengths is selected, a chemical agent may be applied to the sclera to make it effectively transparent, but this may not be necessary. In either case, the laser beam is focused directly through the sclera to a focal point on the interior surface of the sclera. Once focused, the laser beam is activated to photodisrupt scleral tissue at the focal point. The laser beam is then moved in a pattern and refocused at successive focal points to photodisrupt scleral tissue at each of the focal points. This continues until the desired volume of scleral tissue has be photodisrupted, and thereby removed, from the interior surface of the sclera. The use of ultrashort laser pulses (in the femtosecond or picosecond range) is advantageous in order to achieve high precision and avoid collateral tissue damage. Such collateral damage is known to cause unwanted healing effects which are known to result in surgical failure.

55 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that secondary avalanche reactions are happening and confirming the results of high-gain, neutron-free, clean, safe, low-cost, and long-term available energy.
Abstract: Exceptionally high reaction gains of hydrogen protons measured with the boron isotope 11 are compared with other fusion reactions This is leading to the conclusion that secondary avalanche reactions are happening and confirming the results of high-gain, neutron-free, clean, safe, low-cost, and long-term available energy The essential basis is the unusual non-thermal block-ignition scheme with picosecond laser pulses of extremely high powers above the petawatt range

55 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
18 Jul 1988
TL;DR: Reflection high energy electron diffraction with picosecond time resolution is demonstrated in this article, where the surface diffraction patterns are obtained using a laser driven picoscond electron gun, due to the synchronization of the photogenerated electron pulses with the laser source, such a technique provides a picosescond time resolved surface structural probe sensitive to the first few monolayers.
Abstract: Reflection high‐energy electron diffraction with picosecond time resolution is demonstrated. The surface diffraction patterns are obtained using a laser driven picosecond electron gun. Due to the synchronization of the photogenerated electron pulses with the laser source, such a technique provides a picosecond time‐resolved surface structural probe sensitive to the first few monolayers.

54 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI

[...]

08 Dec 2001-BMJ
TL;DR: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one, which seems an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.
Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

33,785 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Apr 1988-Nature
TL;DR: In this paper, a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) is presented.
Abstract: Deposits of clastic carbonate-dominated (calciclastic) sedimentary slope systems in the rock record have been identified mostly as linearly-consistent carbonate apron deposits, even though most ancient clastic carbonate slope deposits fit the submarine fan systems better. Calciclastic submarine fans are consequently rarely described and are poorly understood. Subsequently, very little is known especially in mud-dominated calciclastic submarine fan systems. Presented in this study are a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) that reveals a >250 m thick calciturbidite complex deposited in a calciclastic submarine fan setting. Seven facies are recognised from core and thin section characterisation and are grouped into three carbonate turbidite sequences. They include: 1) Calciturbidites, comprising mostly of highto low-density, wavy-laminated bioclast-rich facies; 2) low-density densite mudstones which are characterised by planar laminated and unlaminated muddominated facies; and 3) Calcidebrites which are muddy or hyper-concentrated debrisflow deposits occurring as poorly-sorted, chaotic, mud-supported floatstones. These

9,929 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
11 Oct 2012-Nature
TL;DR: This work reviews recent progress in graphene research and in the development of production methods, and critically analyse the feasibility of various graphene applications.
Abstract: Recent years have witnessed many breakthroughs in research on graphene (the first two-dimensional atomic crystal) as well as a significant advance in the mass production of this material. This one-atom-thick fabric of carbon uniquely combines extreme mechanical strength, exceptionally high electronic and thermal conductivities, impermeability to gases, as well as many other supreme properties, all of which make it highly attractive for numerous applications. Here we review recent progress in graphene research and in the development of production methods, and critically analyse the feasibility of various graphene applications.

7,987 citations

01 Dec 1982
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that any black hole will create and emit particles such as neutrinos or photons at just the rate that one would expect if the black hole was a body with a temperature of (κ/2π) (ħ/2k) ≈ 10−6 (M/M)K where κ is the surface gravity of the body.
Abstract: QUANTUM gravitational effects are usually ignored in calculations of the formation and evolution of black holes. The justification for this is that the radius of curvature of space-time outside the event horizon is very large compared to the Planck length (Għ/c3)1/2 ≈ 10−33 cm, the length scale on which quantum fluctuations of the metric are expected to be of order unity. This means that the energy density of particles created by the gravitational field is small compared to the space-time curvature. Even though quantum effects may be small locally, they may still, however, add up to produce a significant effect over the lifetime of the Universe ≈ 1017 s which is very long compared to the Planck time ≈ 10−43 s. The purpose of this letter is to show that this indeed may be the case: it seems that any black hole will create and emit particles such as neutrinos or photons at just the rate that one would expect if the black hole was a body with a temperature of (κ/2π) (ħ/2k) ≈ 10−6 (M/M)K where κ is the surface gravity of the black hole1. As a black hole emits this thermal radiation one would expect it to lose mass. This in turn would increase the surface gravity and so increase the rate of emission. The black hole would therefore have a finite life of the order of 1071 (M/M)−3 s. For a black hole of solar mass this is much longer than the age of the Universe. There might, however, be much smaller black holes which were formed by fluctuations in the early Universe2. Any such black hole of mass less than 1015 g would have evaporated by now. Near the end of its life the rate of emission would be very high and about 1030 erg would be released in the last 0.1 s. This is a fairly small explosion by astronomical standards but it is equivalent to about 1 million 1 Mton hydrogen bombs. It is often said that nothing can escape from a black hole. But in 1974, Stephen Hawking realized that, owing to quantum effects, black holes should emit particles with a thermal distribution of energies — as if the black hole had a temperature inversely proportional to its mass. In addition to putting black-hole thermodynamics on a firmer footing, this discovery led Hawking to postulate 'black hole explosions', as primordial black holes end their lives in an accelerating release of energy.

2,947 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Terahertz spectroscopy and imaging provide a powerful tool for the characterization of a broad range of materials, including semiconductors and biomolecules, as well as novel, higher-power terahertz sources.
Abstract: Terahertz spectroscopy systems use far-infrared radiation to extract molecular spectral information in an otherwise inaccessible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Materials research is an essential component of modern terahertz systems: novel, higher-power terahertz sources rely heavily on new materials such as quantum cascade structures. At the same time, terahertz spectroscopy and imaging provide a powerful tool for the characterization of a broad range of materials, including semiconductors and biomolecules.

2,673 citations