1
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Elkind M, Cohen I, Blackman D, Meir T, Perelmutter L, Catabi T, Levanon A, Glenzer SH, Arefiev AV, Pomerantz I. Intense laser interaction with micro-bars. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21345. [PMID: 38049633 PMCID: PMC10696094 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48866-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Intense laser fields interact very differently with micrometric rough surfaces than with flat objects. The interaction features high laser energy absorption and increased emission of MeV electrons, ions, and of hard x-rays. In this work, we irradiated isolated, translationally-symmetric objects in the form of micrometric Au bars. The interaction resulted in the emission of two forward-directed electron jets having a small opening angle, a narrow energy spread in the MeV range, and a positive angle to energy correlation. Our numerical simulations show that following ionization, those electrons that are pulled into vacuum near the object's edge, remain in-phase with the laser pulse for long enough so that the Lorentz force they experience drive them around the object's edge. After these electrons pass the object, they form attosecond duration bunches and interact with the laser field over large distances in vacuum in confined volumes that trap and accelerate them within a narrow range of momentum. The selectivity in energy of the interaction, its directionality, and the preservation of the attosecond duration of the electron bunches over large distances, offer new means for designing future laser-based light sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Elkind
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Itamar Cohen
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - David Blackman
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Talia Meir
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The School of Electrical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lior Perelmutter
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tomer Catabi
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Assaf Levanon
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Alexey V Arefiev
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ishay Pomerantz
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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2
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Ong JF, Zubarev A, Berceanu AC, Cuzminschi M, Tesileanu O. Nanowire implosion under laser amplified spontaneous emission pedestal irradiation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20699. [PMID: 38001241 PMCID: PMC10673875 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48090-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanowire array targets exhibit high optical absorption when interacting with short, intense laser pulses. This leads to an increased yield in the production of accelerated particles for a variety of applications. However, these interactions are sensitive to the laser prepulse and could be significantly affected. Here, we show that an array of aligned nanowires is imploded when irradiated by an Amplified Spontaneous Emission pedestal of a [Formula: see text] laser with an intensity on the order of [Formula: see text]. Using radiation hydrodynamics simulations, we demonstrate that the electron density profile is radially compressed at the tip by the rocket-like propulsion of the ablated plasma. The mass density compression increases up to [Formula: see text] when a more dense nanowire array is used. This is due to the ablation pressure from the neighboring nanowires. These findings offer valuable information for selecting an appropriate target design for experiments aimed at enhancing production of accelerated particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Ong
- Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), Horia Hulubei National Institute for R &D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), 30 Reactorului Street, 077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, Romania.
| | - A Zubarev
- Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), Horia Hulubei National Institute for R &D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), 30 Reactorului Street, 077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, Romania
- National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, Romania
| | - A C Berceanu
- Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), Horia Hulubei National Institute for R &D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), 30 Reactorului Street, 077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, Romania
| | - M Cuzminschi
- Horia Hulubei National Institute for R &D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), 30 Reactorului Street, 077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, Romania
- Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, 077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, Romania
| | - O Tesileanu
- Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), Horia Hulubei National Institute for R &D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), 30 Reactorului Street, 077125, Bucharest-Măgurele, Romania
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3
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Lamač M, Mima K, Nejdl J, Chaulagain U, Bulanov SV. Anomalous Relativistic Emission from Self-Modulated Plasma Mirrors. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:205001. [PMID: 38039469 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.205001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of intense laser pulses with plasma mirrors has demonstrated the ability to generate high-order harmonics, producing a bright source of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation and attosecond pulses. Here, we report an unexpected transition in this process. We show that the loss of spatiotemporal coherence in the reflected high harmonics can lead to a new regime of highly efficient coherent XUV generation, with an extraordinary property where the radiation is directionally anomalous, propagating parallel to the mirror surface. With analytical calculations and numerical particle-in-cell simulations, we discover that the radiation emission is due to laser-driven oscillations of relativistic electron nanobunches that originate from a plasma surface instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Lamač
- ELI Beamlines Facility, The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC, Za Radnicí 835, Dolní Břežany 25241, Czechia
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 3, Prague 2, 12116, Czechia
| | - K Mima
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - J Nejdl
- ELI Beamlines Facility, The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC, Za Radnicí 835, Dolní Břežany 25241, Czechia
- Faculty of Nuclear Science and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Břehová 7, Prague 1, 11519, Czechia
| | - U Chaulagain
- ELI Beamlines Facility, The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC, Za Radnicí 835, Dolní Břežany 25241, Czechia
| | - S V Bulanov
- ELI Beamlines Facility, The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC, Za Radnicí 835, Dolní Břežany 25241, Czechia
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, 619-0215 Kyoto, Japan
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4
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Kaur J, Ouillé M, Levy D, Daniault L, Robbes A, Zaïm N, Flacco A, Kroupp E, Malka V, Haessler S, Lopez-Martens R. High repetition rate relativistic laser-solid-plasma interaction platform featuring simultaneous particle and radiation detection. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2023; 94:113002. [PMID: 38032283 DOI: 10.1063/5.0157390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
We report on a uniquely designed high repetition rate relativistic laser-solid-plasma interaction platform, featuring the first simultaneous measurement of emitted high-order harmonics, relativistic electrons, and low divergence proton beams. This versatile setup enables detailed parametric studies of the particle and radiation spatio-spectral beam properties under a wide range of controlled interaction conditions, such as pulse duration and plasma density gradient. Its array of complementary diagnostics unlocks the potential to unravel interdependencies among the observables and should aid in further understanding the complex collective dynamics at play during laser-plasma interactions and in optimizing the secondary beam properties for applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaismeen Kaur
- Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, ENSTA-Paris, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Marie Ouillé
- Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, ENSTA-Paris, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, 91120 Palaiseau, France
- Ardop Engineering, Cité de la Photonique, 11 Avenue de la Canteranne, Bât. Pléione, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Dan Levy
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Louis Daniault
- Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, ENSTA-Paris, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Axel Robbes
- Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, ENSTA-Paris, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Neil Zaïm
- Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, ENSTA-Paris, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Alessandro Flacco
- Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, ENSTA-Paris, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Eyal Kroupp
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Victor Malka
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Stefan Haessler
- Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, ENSTA-Paris, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, 91120 Palaiseau, France
| | - Rodrigo Lopez-Martens
- Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, ENSTA-Paris, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, 91120 Palaiseau, France
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5
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Xue K, Sun T, Wei KJ, Li ZP, Zhao Q, Wan F, Lv C, Zhao YT, Xu ZF, Li JX. Generation of High-Density High-Polarization Positrons via Single-Shot Strong Laser-Foil Interaction. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:175101. [PMID: 37955489 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.175101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
We put forward a novel method for producing ultrarelativistic high-density high-polarization positrons through a single-shot interaction of a strong laser with a tilted solid foil. In our method, the driving laser ionizes the target, and the emitted electrons are accelerated and subsequently generate abundant γ photons via the nonlinear Compton scattering, dominated by the laser. These γ photons then generate polarized positrons via the nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process, dominated by a strong self-generated quasistatic magnetic field B^{S}. We find that placing the foil at an appropriate angle can result in a directional orientation of B^{S}, thereby polarizing positrons. Manipulating the laser polarization direction can control the angle between the γ photon polarization and B^{S}, significantly enhancing the positron polarization degree. Our spin-resolved quantum electrodynamics particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that employing a laser with a peak intensity of about 10^{23} W/cm^{2} can obtain dense (≳10^{18} cm^{-3}) polarized positrons with an average polarization degree of about 70% and a yield of above 0.1 nC per shot. Moreover, our method is feasible using currently available or upcoming laser facilities and robust with respect to the laser and target parameters. Such high-density high-polarization positrons hold great significance in laboratory astrophysics, high-energy physics, and new physics beyond the standard model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Xue
- Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter (MOE), Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Information and Quantum Optoelectronic Devices, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Ting Sun
- Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter (MOE), Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Information and Quantum Optoelectronic Devices, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Ke-Jia Wei
- Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter (MOE), Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Information and Quantum Optoelectronic Devices, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Zhong-Peng Li
- Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter (MOE), Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Information and Quantum Optoelectronic Devices, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Qian Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter (MOE), Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Information and Quantum Optoelectronic Devices, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Feng Wan
- Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter (MOE), Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Information and Quantum Optoelectronic Devices, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Chong Lv
- Department of Nuclear Physics, China Institute of Atomic Energy, P.O. Box 275(7), Beijing 102413, China
| | - Yong-Tao Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter (MOE), Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Information and Quantum Optoelectronic Devices, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Zhong-Feng Xu
- Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter (MOE), Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Information and Quantum Optoelectronic Devices, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Jian-Xing Li
- Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter (MOE), Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Information and Quantum Optoelectronic Devices, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
- Department of Nuclear Physics, China Institute of Atomic Energy, P.O. Box 275(7), Beijing 102413, China
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6
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Shcherbakov MR, Sartorello G, Zhang S, Bocanegra J, Bosch M, Tripepi M, Talisa N, AlShafey A, Smith J, Londo S, Légaré F, Chowdhury E, Shvets G. Nanoscale reshaping of resonant dielectric microstructures by light-driven explosions. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6688. [PMID: 37865645 PMCID: PMC10590427 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42263-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Femtosecond-laser-assisted material restructuring employs extreme optical intensities to localize the ablation regions. To overcome the minimum feature size limit set by the wave nature of photons, there is a need for new approaches to tailored material processing at the nanoscale. Here, we report the formation of deeply-subwavelength features in silicon, enabled by localized laser-induced phase explosions in prefabricated silicon resonators. Using short trains of mid-infrared laser pulses, we demonstrate the controllable formation of high aspect ratio (>10:1) nanotrenches as narrow as [Formula: see text]. The trench geometry is shown to be scalable with wavelength, and controlled by multiple parameters of the laser pulse train, such as the intensity and polarization of each laser pulse and their total number. Particle-in-cell simulations reveal localized heating of silicon beyond its boiling point and suggest its subsequent phase explosion on the nanoscale commensurate with the experimental data. The observed femtosecond-laser assisted nanostructuring of engineered microstructures (FLANEM) expands the nanofabrication toolbox and opens exciting opportunities for high-throughput optical methods of nanoscale structuring of solid materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim R Shcherbakov
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92612, USA.
| | - Giovanni Sartorello
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
- Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Simin Zhang
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Joshua Bocanegra
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Physics, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Melissa Bosch
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Michael Tripepi
- Physics Department, Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI, 49242, USA
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Noah Talisa
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, 20723, USA
| | - Abdallah AlShafey
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Joseph Smith
- Physics Department, Marietta College, Marietta, OH, 45750, USA
| | - Stephen Londo
- Advanced Laser Light Source (ALLS) at Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Varennes, Québec, J3X 1P7, Canada
| | - François Légaré
- Advanced Laser Light Source (ALLS) at Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Varennes, Québec, J3X 1P7, Canada
| | - Enam Chowdhury
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Gennady Shvets
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
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7
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Kumar M, Song HS, Lee J, Park D, Suk H, Hur MS. Intense multicycle THz pulse generation from laser-produced nanoplasmas. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4233. [PMID: 36918732 PMCID: PMC10015041 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31427-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a novel scheme to obtain robust, narrowband, and tunable THz emission using a nano-dimensional overdense plasma target, irradiated by two counter-propagating detuned laser pulses. So far, no narrowband THz sources with a field strength of GV/m-level have been reported from laser-solid interaction (mostly half-or single-cycle THz pulses with only broadband frequency spectrum). From two- and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we find that the strong plasma current generated by the beat ponderomotive force in the colliding region, produces beat-frequency radiation in the THz range. Here we report intense THz pulses [Formula: see text]THz) with an unprecedentedly high peak field strength of 11.9 GV/m and spectral width [Formula: see text], which leads to a regime of an extremely bright narrowband THz source of TW/cm[Formula: see text], suitable for various ambitious applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Kumar
- Department of Physics, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Seon Song
- Department of Physics, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeho Lee
- Department of Physics, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Dohyun Park
- Department of Physics, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyyong Suk
- Department of Physics and Photon Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Sup Hur
- Department of Physics, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea.
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8
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TeV/m catapult acceleration of electrons in graphene layers. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1330. [PMID: 36693925 PMCID: PMC9873800 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28617-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent nanotechnology advances enable fabrication of layered structures with controllable inter-layer gap, giving the ultra-violet (UV) lasers access to solid-state plasmas which can be used as medium for electron acceleration. By using a linearly polarized 3 fs-long laser pulse of 100 nm wavelength and 10[Formula: see text] W/cm[Formula: see text] peak intensity, we show numerically that electron bunches can be accelerated along a stack of ionized graphene layers. Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations reveal a new self-injection mechanism based on edge plasma oscillations, whose amplitude depends on the distance between the graphene layers. Nanometre-size electron ribbons are electrostatically catapulted into buckets of longitudinal electric fields in less than 1 fs, as opposed to the slow electrostatic pull, common to laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) schemes in gas-plasma. Acceleration then proceeds in the blowout regime at a gradient of 4.79 TeV/m yielding a 0.4 fs-long bunch with a total charge in excess of 2.5 pC and an average energy of 6.94 MeV, after travelling through a graphene target as short as 1.5 [Formula: see text]m. These parameters are unprecedented within the LWFA research area and, if confirmed experimentally, may have an impact on fundamental femtosecond research.
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9
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Dulat A, Aparajit C, Choudhary A, Lad AD, Ved YM, Paradkar BS, Ravindra Kumar G. Subpicosecond pre-plasma dynamics of a high contrast, ultraintense laser-solid target interaction. OPTICS LETTERS 2022; 47:5684-5687. [PMID: 37219303 DOI: 10.1364/ol.461452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Using the spectral interferometry technique, we measured subpicosecond time-resolved pre-plasma scale lengths and early expansion (<12 ps) of the plasma produced by a high intensity (6 × 1018 W/cm2) pulse with high contrast (109). We measured pre-plasma scale lengths in the range of 3-20 nm, before the arrival of the peak of the femtosecond pulse. This measurement plays a crucial role in understanding the mechanism of laser coupling its energy to hot electrons and is hence important for laser-driven ion acceleration and the fast ignition approach to fusion.
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10
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Luminous, relativistic, directional electron bunches from an intense laser driven grating plasma. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16818. [PMID: 36207383 PMCID: PMC9546899 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21210-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bright, energetic, and directional electron bunches are generated through efficient energy transfer of relativistic intense (~ 1019 W/cm2), 30 femtosecond, 800 nm high contrast laser pulses to grating targets (500 lines/mm and 1000 lines/mm), under surface plasmon resonance (SPR) conditions. Bi-directional relativistic electron bunches (at 40° and 150°) are observed exiting from the 500 lines/mm grating target at the SPR conditions. The surface plasmon excited grating target enhances the electron flux and temperature by factor of 6.0 and 3.6, respectively, compared to that of the plane substrate. Particle-in-Cell simulations indicate that fast electrons are emitted in different directions at different stages of the laser interaction, which are related to the resultant surface magnetic field evolution. This study suggests that the SPR mechanism can be used to generate multiple, bright, ultrafast relativistic electron bunches for a variety of applications.
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11
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Swain K, Mahalik SS, Kundu M. Laser cluster interaction in ambient magnetic fields for accelerating electrons in two stages without external injection. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11256. [PMID: 35787644 PMCID: PMC9253368 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14816-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In the few-cycle pulse regime of laser-cluster interaction (intensity [Formula: see text], wavelength [Formula: see text] nm), laser absorption is mostly collisionless and may happen via anharmonic resonance (AHR) process in the overdense (cluster) plasma potential. Many experiments, theory and simulation show average absorbed energy per cluster-electron ([Formula: see text]) close to the electron's ponderomotive energy ([Formula: see text]) in the collisionless regime. In this work, by simple rigid sphere model (RSM) and detailed particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation, we show enhanced [Formula: see text] 30-70[Formula: see text]-a 15-30 fold increase-with an external (crossed) magnetic field near the electron-cyclotron resonance (ECR). Due to relativistic mass increase, electrons quickly deviate from the standard (non-relativistic) ECR, but time-dependent relativistic-ECR (RECR) happens which also contributes to enhanced [Formula: see text]. Here laser is coupled to electrons in two stages, i.e, AHR and ECR/RECR. To probe further we retrieve the phase-difference [Formula: see text] between the driving electric field and corresponding velocity component for each electron (in PIC and RSM). We find absorption by electron via AHR happens in a very short interval [Formula: see text] for less than half a laser period where [Formula: see text] remains close to [Formula: see text] (necessary condition for maximum laser absorption) and then [Formula: see text] drops to its initial [Formula: see text] (meaning no absorption) after such short-lived AHR. On the contrary, auxiliary magnetic field near the ECR modifies AHR scenario inside the cluster and also helps maintaining the required phase [Formula: see text] for the liberated cluster-electron accompanied by frequency matching for ECR/RECR for a prolonged [Formula: see text] (which covers 50-60% of the laser pulse through pulse maxima) even after AHR-leading to jump in [Formula: see text] 30-70[Formula: see text]. We note that to realize the second stage of enhanced energy coupling via ECR/RECR, the first stage via AHR is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalyani Swain
- Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar, 382 428, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400094, India
| | - Sagar Sekhar Mahalik
- Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar, 382 428, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400094, India
| | - Mrityunjay Kundu
- Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar, 382 428, India. .,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, 400094, India.
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12
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Divergence of High-Order Harmonic Generation by a Convex Plasma Surface. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12115745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The electron density profile on a plasma surface has a decisive influence on the mechanism and characteristics of the plasma high-order harmonic generation. When the pre-pulse has a similar spatial and temporal distribution as the main laser pulse, the plasma surface on the target will expand to form a convex profile of the similar size as the focal spot of the main pulse. We experimentally observed that the divergence of the harmonics generated by the relativistic laser light incident on a silica target has a saddle-shaped structure. The two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation with convex plasma surfaces explains the experimental results very well and infers a 0.12λL plasma scale length around the center of the convex profile. Further, we qualitatively explained that the asymmetry of the saddle-shaped harmonic divergence is caused by oblique incidence.
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13
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Wei S, Gong H, Song H, Hu A, Xiong J, Zhang H, Li J, Qiu R. An Active Dose Measurement Device for Ultra-short, Ultra-intense Laser Facilities. HEALTH PHYSICS 2022; 122:685-695. [PMID: 35383629 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0000000000001560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ultra-short, ultra-intense laser facilities could produce ultra-intense pulsed radiation fields. Currently, only passive detectors are fit for dose measurement in this circumstance. Since the laser device could generate a dose up to tens of mSv outside the chamber in tens of picoseconds, resulting in a high instantaneous dose rate of ~107 Sv s-1, it is necessary to perform real-time dose measurement to ensure the safety of nearby workers. Due to fast response and excellent radiation resistance, a diamond-based dose measurement device was designed and developed, and its dose-rate response and its feasibility for such occasions were characterized. The measurement results showed that the detector had a good dose-rate linearity in the range of 3.39 mGy h-1 to 10.58 Gy h-1 for an x-ray source with energy of 39 keV to 208 keV. No saturation phenomenon was observed, and the experimental results were consistent with the results obtained from Monte Carlo simulation. The charge collection efficiency was about 80%. Experimental measurements and simulations with this dose measurement device were carried out based on the "SG-II" laser device. The experimental and simulation results preliminarily verified the feasibility of using the diamond detector to measure the dose generated by ultra-short, ultra-intense laser devices. The results provided valuable information for the follow-up real-time dose measurement work of ultra-short, ultra-intense laser devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuoyang Wei
- Tsinghua University Department of Engineering Physics, Beijing, China
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14
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Maity S, Goswami LP, Vashistha A, Mandal D, Das A. Mode conversion and laser energy absorption by plasma under an inhomogeneous external magnetic field. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:055209. [PMID: 35706312 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.055209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of a high-frequency laser with plasma in the presence of an inhomogeneous external magnetic field has been studied here with the help of particle-in-cell simulations. It has been shown that the laser enters the plasma as an extraordinary wave (X-wave), where the electric field of the wave oscillates perpendicular to both the external magnetic field and propagation direction and as it travels through the plasma, its dispersion property changes due to the inhomogeneity of the externally applied magnetic field. Our study shows that the X-wave's electromagnetic energy is converted to an electrostatic mode as it encounters the upper-hybrid (UH) resonance layer. In the later stage of the evolution, this electrostatic wave breaks and converts its energy to electron kinetic energy. Our study reveals two additional processes involved in decay of the electrostatic mode at the UH resonance layer. We have shown that the energy of the electrostatic mode at the upper-hybrid resonance layer also converts to a low-frequency lower-hybrid mode and high-frequency electromagnetic harmonic radiations. The dependence of energy conversion processes on the gradient of the external magnetic field has also been studied and analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srimanta Maity
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Laxman Prasad Goswami
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Ayushi Vashistha
- Institute for Plasma Research, HBNI, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Devshree Mandal
- Institute for Plasma Research, HBNI, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382428, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Amita Das
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
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15
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Cai J, Shou YR, Han LQ, Huang RX, Wang YX, Song ZH, Geng YX, Yu JQ, Yan XQ. High efficiency and collimated terahertz pulse from ultra-short intense laser and cone target. OPTICS LETTERS 2022; 47:1658-1661. [PMID: 35363702 DOI: 10.1364/ol.454811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We propose a new, to the best of our knowledge, method to radiate a high-efficiency and collimated terahertz (THz) pulse from a relativistic femtosecond laser and cone target. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that a THz source of 40 mJ, pointing at an angle of ∼20 ∘, can be generated from a laser pulse of 1.9 J by using a cone target whose open angle is 10 ∘. The peak power of the THz pulse is 1011 W. This method, which manipulates the divergence angle and the energy conversion efficiency of the THz source, should promote THz science into the extra strong region with a compact laser system.
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16
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Effects of pulse chirp on laser-driven proton acceleration. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3031. [PMID: 35194105 PMCID: PMC8863795 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07019-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Optimisation and reproducibility of beams of protons accelerated from laser-solid interactions require accurate control of a wide set of variables, concerning both the laser pulse and the target. Among the former ones, the chirp and temporal shape of the pulse reaching the experimental area may vary because of spectral phase modulations acquired along the laser system and beam transport. Here, we present an experimental study where we investigate the influence of the laser pulse chirp on proton acceleration from ultrathin flat foils (10 and 100 nm thickness), while minimising any asymmetry in the pulse temporal shape. The results show a [Formula: see text] change in the maximum proton energy depending on the sign of the chirp. This effect is most noticeable from 10 nm-thick target foils, suggesting a chirp-dependent influence of relativistic transparency.
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17
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Chintalwad S, Krishnamurthy S, Ramakrishna B, Ridgers CP. Photon emission enhancement studies from the interaction of ultraintense laser pulses with shaped targets. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:025205. [PMID: 35291131 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.025205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We study the photon emission by bremsstrahlung and nonlinear Compton scattering from interaction of ultra-intense laser pulses with cone target and flat foil using particle-in-cell simulations. The simulations are performed for laser pulses interacting with Al and Au targets. The strength of the two mechanisms of photon emission from bremsstrahlung and nonlinear Compton scattering are compared. When an ultra-intense (I>10^{22}W/cm^{2}) laser interacts with a cone and a foil target, photon emission by bremsstrahlung is found to be comparable to that from nonlinear Compton scattering. The obtained electron energy as well as the energy and number of photons emitted were found to be higher in case of cone shaped target compared with that of a foil target. The enhanced photon emission from cone shaped target is attributed to the guiding or collimation of hot electrons towards the cone tip from the self-generated magnetic field and electrostatic field along the cone surface which pushes the hot electrons towards the tip.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Chintalwad
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy, 502284, India
| | - S Krishnamurthy
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy, 502284, India
| | - B Ramakrishna
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy, 502284, India
| | - C P Ridgers
- Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
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18
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Enhanced Proton Acceleration from Laser Interaction with a Tailored Nanowire Target. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12031153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Target normal sheath field acceleration via laser interaction with structured solid targets has been widely studied for its potential use in a wide range of applications. Here, a novel nanowire target with a corrugated front surface is proposed to improve the proton acceleration by a target normal sheath field. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrated that with the existence of the corrugated surface, the cut-off energy of accelerated protons nearly doubles compared to the planar nanowire target. When interacting with the corrugated surface, the incident laser pulse is reflected multiple times, focused and reinforced in each cavity near the front surface, which leads to suppression of the reflectivity and an improvement in the absorption rate. Electrons are heated more efficiently and the sheath field at the target rear side is naturally enhanced. To further investigate the performance of this novel target, a series of simulations with various laser intensities and target sizes were also carried out. This simple target design may provide insights for experiments in the future and should arouse interest because of its wide application.
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19
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Zymaková A, Albrecht M, Antipenkov R, Špaček A, Karatodorov S, Hort O, Andreasson J, Uhlig J. First experiments with a water-jet plasma X-ray source driven by the novel high-power-high-repetition rate L1 Allegra laser at ELI Beamlines. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2021; 28:1778-1785. [PMID: 34738931 PMCID: PMC8570212 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577521008729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
ELI Beamlines is a rapidly progressing pillar of the pan-European Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) project focusing on the development and deployment of science driven by high-power lasers for user operations. This work reports the results of a commissioning run of a water-jet plasma X-ray source driven by the L1 Allegra laser, outlining the current capabilities and future potential of the system. The L1 Allegra is one of the lasers developed in-house at ELI Beamlines, designed to be able to reach a pulse energy of 100 mJ at a 1 kHz repetition rate with excellent beam properties. The water-jet plasma X-ray source driven by this laser opens opportunities for new pump-probe experiments with sub-picosecond temporal resolution and inherent synchronization between pump and probe pulses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Zymaková
- Structural Dynamics, ELI Beamlines, Za Radnici 835, Dolni Brezany 25241, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Albrecht
- X-ray sources, ELI Beamlines, Za Radnici 835, Dolni Brezany 25241, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Antipenkov
- L1 Allegra Laser, ELI Beamlines, Za Radnici 835, Dolni Brezany 25241, Czech Republic
| | - Alexandr Špaček
- L1 Allegra Laser, ELI Beamlines, Za Radnici 835, Dolni Brezany 25241, Czech Republic
| | - Stefan Karatodorov
- X-ray sources, ELI Beamlines, Za Radnici 835, Dolni Brezany 25241, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Hort
- X-ray sources, ELI Beamlines, Za Radnici 835, Dolni Brezany 25241, Czech Republic
| | - Jakob Andreasson
- Structural Dynamics, ELI Beamlines, Za Radnici 835, Dolni Brezany 25241, Czech Republic
| | - Jens Uhlig
- Division of Chemical Physics, Lund University, Box 117, Lund 22100, Sweden
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20
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Abstract
We experimentally investigated the accelerated proton beam characteristics such as maximum energy and number by varying the incident laser parameters. For this purpose, we varied the laser energy, focal spot size, polarization, and pulse duration. The proton spectra were recorded using a single-shot Thomson parabola spectrometer equipped with a microchannel plate and a high-resolution charge-coupled device with a wide detection range from a few tens of keV to several MeV. The outcome of the experimental findings is discussed in detail and compared to other theoretical works.
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21
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Yehuda H, Porat E, Cohen I, Halifa Levi R, Levanon A, Pomerantz I. Annular coherent wake emission. OPTICS LETTERS 2021; 46:4674-4677. [PMID: 34525079 DOI: 10.1364/ol.434142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Coherent wake emission may be generated only by sufficiently high-contrast driving laser pulses. When the laser contrast is too low, the formed long-scale-length plasma cannot support its generation. In this Letter, we show how, by gently spoiling a pristine laser contrast in an engineered way, coherent wake emission becomes inhibited in the center of the irradiated substrate only, thus forming an annular-shaped source of coherent extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulses. We present an analytical model that describes the phenomenon and validation of its predictions in the experiment and the simulation. We also show how the ion-acoustic velocity dependency on the laser intensity may be obtained from the emission patterns and offer examples for future applications.
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22
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Laser-driven proton acceleration from ultrathin foils with nanoholes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5006. [PMID: 33658533 PMCID: PMC7930106 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84264-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Structured solid targets are widely investigated to increase the energy absorption of high-power laser pulses so as to achieve efficient ion acceleration. Here we report the first experimental study of the maximum energy of proton beams accelerated from sub-micrometric foils perforated with holes of nanometric size. By showing the lack of energy enhancement in comparison to standard flat foils, our results suggest that the high contrast routinely achieved with a double plasma mirror does not prevent damaging of the nanostructures prior to the main interaction. Particle-in-cell simulations support that even a short scale length plasma, formed in the last hundreds of femtoseconds before the peak of an ultrashort laser pulse, fills the holes and hinders enhanced electron heating. Our findings reinforce the need for improved laser contrast, as well as for accurate control and diagnostics of on-target plasma formation.
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23
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Zhang WL, Grismayer T, Schoeffler KM, Fonseca RA, Silva LO. High-order harmonic generation in an electron-positron-ion plasma. Phys Rev E 2021; 103:013206. [PMID: 33601592 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.103.013206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The laser interaction with an electron-positron-ion mixed plasma is studied from the perspective of the associated high-order harmonic generation. For an idealized mixed plasma which is assumed with a sharp plasma-vacuum interface and uniform density distribution, when it is irradiated by a weakly relativistic laser pulse, well-defined signals at harmonics of the plasma frequency in the harmonic spectrum are observed. These characteristic signals are attributed to the inverse two-plasmon decay of the counterpropagating monochromatic plasma waves which are excited by the energetic electrons and the positron beam accelerated by the laser. Particle-in-cell simulations show the signal at twice the plasma frequency can be observed for a pair density as low as ∼10^{-5} of the plasma density. In the self-consistent scenario of pair production by an ultraintense laser striking a solid target, particle-in-cell simulations, which account for quantum electrodynamic effects (photon emission and pair production), show that dense (greater than the relativistically corrected critical density) and hot pair plasmas can be created. The harmonic spectrum shows weak low-order harmonics, indicating a high laser absorption due to quantum electrodynamic effects. The characteristic signals at harmonics of the plasma frequency are absent, because broadband plasma waves are excited due to the high plasma inhomogeneity introduced by the interaction. However, the high-frequency harmonics are enhanced due to the high-frequency modulations from the direct laser coupling with created pair plasmas.
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Affiliation(s)
- W L Zhang
- GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - T Grismayer
- GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - K M Schoeffler
- GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - R A Fonseca
- GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,DCTI/ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - L O Silva
- GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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24
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Krupka M, Singh S, Pisarczyk T, Dostal J, Kalal M, Krasa J, Dudzak R, Burian T, Jelinek S, Chodukowski T, Rusiniak Z, Krus M, Juha L. Design of modular multi-channel electron spectrometers for application in laser matter interaction experiments at Prague Asterix Laser System. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2021; 92:023514. [PMID: 33648071 DOI: 10.1063/5.0029849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes design, development, and implementation of a multi-channel magnetic electron spectrometer for the application in laser-plasma interaction experiments carried out at the Prague Asterix Laser System. Modular design of the spectrometer allows the setup in variable configurations to evaluate the angular distribution of hot electron emission. The angular array configuration of the electron spectrometers consists of 16 channels mounted around the target. The modules incorporate a plastic electron collimator designed to suppress the secondary radiation by absorbing the wide angle scattered electrons and photons inside the collimator. The compact model of the spectrometer measures electron energies in the range from 50 keV to 1.5MeV using ferrite magnets and from 250 keV to 5MeV using stronger neodymium magnets. An extended model of the spectrometer increases the measured energy range up to 21MeV or 35MeV using ferrite or neodymium magnets, respectively. Position to energy calibration was obtained using the particle tracking simulations. The experimental results show the measured angularly resolved electron energy distribution functions from interaction with solid targets. The angular distribution of hot electron temperature, the total flux, and the maximum electron energy show a directional dependence. The measured values of these quantities increase toward the target normal. For a copper target, the average amount of measured electron flux is 1.36 × 1011, which corresponds to the total charge of about 21 nC.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Krupka
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - S Singh
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - T Pisarczyk
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, 01497 Warsaw, Poland
| | - J Dostal
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - M Kalal
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - J Krasa
- Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18221 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - R Dudzak
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - T Burian
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - S Jelinek
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - T Chodukowski
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, 01497 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Z Rusiniak
- Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, 01497 Warsaw, Poland
| | - M Krus
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - L Juha
- Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 18200 Prague 8, Czech Republic
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25
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Wang T, Khudik V, Shvets G. Laser-Ion Lens and Accelerator. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 126:024801. [PMID: 33512173 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.126.024801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Generation of highly collimated monoenergetic relativistic ion beams is one of the most challenging and promising areas in ultraintense laser-matter interactions because of the numerous scientific and technological applications that require such beams. We address this challenge by introducing the concept of laser-ion lensing and acceleration. Using a simple analogy with a gradient-index lens, we demonstrate that simultaneous focusing and acceleration of ions is accomplished by illuminating a shaped solid-density target by an intense laser pulse at ∼10^{22} W/cm^{2} intensity, and using the radiation pressure of the laser to deform or focus the target into a cubic micron spot. We show that the laser-ion lensing and acceleration process can be approximated using a simple deformable mirror model and then validate it using three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of a two-species plasma target composed of electrons and ions. Extensive scans of the laser and target parameters identify the stable propagation regime where the Rayleigh-Taylor-like instability is suppressed. Stable focusing is found at different laser powers (from a few to multiple petawatts). Focused ion beams with the focused density of order 10^{23} cm^{-3}, energies in access of 750 MeV, and energy density up to 2×10^{13} J/cm^{3} at the focal point are predicted for future multipetawatt laser systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianhong Wang
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
| | - Vladimir Khudik
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
- Department of Physics and Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Gennady Shvets
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
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26
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Koç A, Hauf C, Woerner M, von Grafensteın L, Ueberschaer D, Bock M, Griebner U, Elsaesser T. Compact high-flux hard X-ray source driven by femtosecond mid-infrared pulses at a 1 kHz repetition rate. OPTICS LETTERS 2021; 46:210-213. [PMID: 33448990 DOI: 10.1364/ol.409522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A novel, to the best of our knowledge, table-top hard X-ray source driven by femtosecond mid-infrared pulses provides 8 keV pulses at a 1 kHz repetition rate with an unprecedented flux of up to 1.5×1012 X-ray photons/s. Sub-100 fs pulses at a center wavelength of 5 µm and multi-millijoule energy are generated in a four-stage optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifier and focused onto a thin Cu tape target. Electrons are extracted from the target and accelerated in a vacuum up to 100 keV kinetic energy during the optical cycle; the electrons generate a highly stable K α photon flux from the target in a transmission geometry.
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27
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Inoue S, Sakabe S, Nakamiya Y, Hashida M. Jitter-free 40-fs 375-keV electron pulses directly accelerated by an intense laser beam and their application to direct observation of laser pulse propagation in a vacuum. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20387. [PMID: 33230177 PMCID: PMC7683604 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77236-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the generation of ultrashort bright electron pulses directly driven by irradiating a solid target with intense femtosecond laser pulses. The duration of electron pulses after compression by a phase rotator composed of permanent magnets was measured as 89 fs via the ponderomotive scattering of electron and laser pulses, which were almost at the compression limit due to the dispersion of the electron optics. The electron pulse compression system consisting of permanent magnets enabled extremely high timing stability between the laser pulse and electron pulse. The long-term RMS arrival time drift was below 14 fs in 4 h, which was limited by the resolution of the current setup. Because there was no time-varying field to generate jitter, the timing jitter was essentially reduced to zero. To demonstrate the capability of the ultrafast electron pulses, we used them to directly visualize laser pulse propagation in a vacuum and perform 2D mapping of the electric fields generated by low-density plasma in real time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Inoue
- Advanced Research Center for Beam Science, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan.
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, KitashirakawaKyoto, Sakyo, 606-8502, Japan.
| | - Shuji Sakabe
- Advanced Research Center for Beam Science, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, KitashirakawaKyoto, Sakyo, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yoshihide Nakamiya
- Advanced Research Center for Beam Science, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, KitashirakawaKyoto, Sakyo, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Masaki Hashida
- Advanced Research Center for Beam Science, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, KitashirakawaKyoto, Sakyo, 606-8502, Japan
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28
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Kovács Z, Bali K, Gilicze B, Szatmári S, Földes IB. Reflectivity and spectral shift from laser plasmas generated by high-contrast, high-intensity KrF laser pulses. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2020; 378:20200043. [PMID: 33040649 PMCID: PMC7658750 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The energy and spectrum of the reflected 248 nm radiation are studied from solid targets up to 1.15 × 1018 W cm-2 intensity. The experiments used the 700 fs directly amplified pulses of the KrF system which was cleaned from prepulses with the new Fourier-filtering method providing 12 orders of magnitude temporal contrast. Increasing the intensity from 1015 W cm-2 results in increasing absorption up to more than 90% above 1018 W cm-2. This is accompanied by increasing x-ray conversion exhibiting a less steep power law dependence for low-Z matter than for gold. Strong blue shift of the reflected radiation from the backward propagating plasma was observed. It is shown that in the case of KrF laser pulses of highest contrast, vacuum heating can be one of the dominant absorption mechanisms. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zs. Kovács
- Department of High Energy Experimental Particle and Heavy Ion Physics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, H-1121 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Experimental Physics, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - K. Bali
- Department of High Energy Experimental Particle and Heavy Ion Physics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, H-1121 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Experimental Physics, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - B. Gilicze
- Department of Experimental Physics, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Photonics and Laser Research, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - S. Szatmári
- Department of Experimental Physics, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Photonics and Laser Research, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - I. B. Földes
- Department of High Energy Experimental Particle and Heavy Ion Physics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, H-1121 Budapest, Hungary
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29
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Woodbury D, Goffin A, Schwartz RM, Isaacs J, Milchberg HM. Self-Guiding of Long-Wave Infrared Laser Pulses Mediated by Avalanche Ionization. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 125:133201. [PMID: 33034483 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.125.133201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Nonlinear self-guided propagation of intense long-wave infrared (LWIR) laser pulses is of significant recent interest, as it promises high power transmission without beam breakup and multifilamentation. Central to self-guiding is the mechanism for the arrest of self-focusing collapse. Here, we show that discrete avalanche sites centered on submicron aerosols can arrest self-focusing, providing a new mechanism for self-guided propagation of moderate intensity LWIR pulses in outdoor environments. Our conclusions are supported by simulations of LWIR pulse propagation using an effective index approach that incorporates the time-resolved plasma dynamics of discrete avalanche breakdown sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Woodbury
- Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - A Goffin
- Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - R M Schwartz
- Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - J Isaacs
- Plasma Physics Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375, USA
| | - H M Milchberg
- Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
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30
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Wan Y, Andriyash IA, Lu W, Mori WB, Malka V. Effects of the Transverse Instability and Wave Breaking on the Laser-Driven Thin Foil Acceleration. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 125:104801. [PMID: 32955303 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.125.104801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Acceleration of ultrathin foils by the laser radiation pressure promises a compact alternative to the conventional ion sources. Among the challenges on the way to practical realization, one fundamental is a strong transverse plasma instability, which develops density perturbations and breaks the acceleration. In this Letter, we develop a theoretical model supported by three-dimensional numerical simulations to explain the transverse instability growth from noise to wave breaking and its crucial effect on stopping the acceleration. The wave-broken nonlinear mode triggers rapid stochastic heating that finally explodes the target. Possible paths to mitigate this problem for getting efficient ion acceleration are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Wan
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - I A Andriyash
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - W Lu
- Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - W B Mori
- University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - V Malka
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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31
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Raynaud M, Héron A, Adam JC. Excitation of surface plasma waves and fast electron generation in relativistic laser-plasma interaction. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13450. [PMID: 32778767 PMCID: PMC7417593 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70221-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The excitation of surface plasma waves (SPW) by an intense short laser pulse is a useful tool to enhance the laser absorption and the electron heating in the target. In this work, the influence of the transverse laser profile and the pulse duration used to excited SPW is investigated from Fluid and 2D Particle-in-Cell simulations. We show the existence of a lobe of surface plasma wave modes. Our results highlight surface plasma waves excitation mechanism and define the laser parameters to optimise the SPW excitation and the kinetic energy of the associated electron trapped in the wave. It opens the door to monitor the spectral mode distribution and temporal shape of the excited surface waves in the high relativistic regime. The most important result of the study is that-at least in 2D-the charge and the energy of the electron bunches depend essentially on the laser energy rather than on temporal or spatial shape of the laser pulse.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Raynaud
- Laboratoire des Solides Irradiés, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, CNRS, CEA/DRF/IRAMIS, 91128, Palaiseau, France.
| | - A Héron
- Centre de Physique Théorique, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128, Palaiseau, France
| | - J-C Adam
- Centre de Physique Théorique, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128, Palaiseau, France
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32
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Cousens S, Yeung M, Zepf M, Dromey B. Electron trajectories associated with laser-driven coherent synchrotron emission at the front surface of overdense plasmas. Phys Rev E 2020; 101:053210. [PMID: 32575346 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.101.053210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We present an in-depth analysis of an ultrafast electron trajectory type that produces attosecond electromagnetic pulses in both the reflected and forward directions during normal incidence, relativistic laser-plasma interactions. Our particle-in-cell simulation results show that for a target which is opaque to the frequency of the driving laser pulse the emission trajectory is synchrotronlike but differs significantly from the previously identified figure-eight type which produces bright attosecond bursts exclusively in the reflected direction. The origin and characteristics of this trajectory type are explained in terms of the driving electromagnetic fields, the opacity of the plasma, and the conservation of canonical momentum.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Cousens
- Centre for Plasma Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - M Yeung
- Centre for Plasma Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
| | - M Zepf
- Institut für Optik und Quantenelektronik, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Max-Wien-Platz 1, 07743 Jena, Germany.,Helmholtz Institut Jena, Fröbelstieg 3, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - B Dromey
- Centre for Plasma Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
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33
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Mun JH, Jeon C, Ryu CM. Path integral formulation of light propagation in a static collisionless plasma, and its application to dynamic plasma. OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 28:6417-6432. [PMID: 32225890 DOI: 10.1364/oe.386404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In many studies on the laser impinging on a plasma surface, an assumption is made that the reflection of a laser pulse propagating to a plasma surface takes place only at the turning point, at which the plasma density exceeds the critical one. A general reflection amplitude of light R from an arbitrary inhomogeneous medium can be obtained by solving a Riccati-type integral equation, which can be solved analytically in low-reflection conditions, i.e., |R|2 ≪ 1. In this work, we derive an intuitive analytic solution for the reflection amplitude of light R from a plasma surface by integrating all possible reflection paths given by the Fresnel equation. In the low-reflection condition, reflection paths having only one reflection event can be used. By considering the higher-order reflection paths, our analytic expression can describe reflection in the high-reflection condition. We show the results of a one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation to support our discussions. Since our model derived for static plasmas is well corroborated by the simulation results, it can be a useful tool for analyzing light reflection from dynamically varying plasmas.
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34
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Afshari M, Krumey P, Menn D, Nicoul M, Brinks F, Tarasevitch A, Sokolowski-Tinten K. Time-resolved diffraction with an optimized short pulse laser plasma X-ray source. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS (MELVILLE, N.Y.) 2020; 7:014301. [PMID: 31934600 PMCID: PMC6941949 DOI: 10.1063/1.5126316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We present a setup for time-resolved X-ray diffraction based on a short pulse, laser-driven plasma X-ray source. The employed modular design provides high flexibility to adapt the setup to the specific requirements (e.g., X-ray optics and sample environment) of particular applications. The configuration discussed here has been optimized toward high angular/momentum resolution and uses K α -radiation (4.51 keV) from a Ti wire-target in combination with a toroidally bent crystal for collection, monochromatization, and focusing of the emitted radiation. 2 × 10 5 Ti-K α1 photons per pulse with10 - 4 relative bandwidth are delivered to the sample at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. This allows for the high dynamic range (104) measurements of transient changes in the rocking curves of materials as for example induced by laser-triggered strain waves.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Afshari
- Faculty of Physics and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstrasse 1, 47048 Duisburg, Germany
| | - P Krumey
- Faculty of Physics and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstrasse 1, 47048 Duisburg, Germany
| | - D Menn
- Faculty of Physics and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstrasse 1, 47048 Duisburg, Germany
| | - M Nicoul
- Faculty of Physics and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstrasse 1, 47048 Duisburg, Germany
| | - F Brinks
- Faculty of Physics and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstrasse 1, 47048 Duisburg, Germany
| | - A Tarasevitch
- Faculty of Physics and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstrasse 1, 47048 Duisburg, Germany
| | - K Sokolowski-Tinten
- Faculty of Physics and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstrasse 1, 47048 Duisburg, Germany
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35
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Li BY, Liu F, Chen M, Chen ZY, Yuan XH, Weng SM, Jin T, Rykovanov SG, Wang JW, Sheng ZM, Zhang J. High-quality high-order harmonic generation through preplasma truncation. Phys Rev E 2019; 100:053207. [PMID: 31869902 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.100.053207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
By introducing preplasma truncation to cases with an initial preplasma scale length larger than 0.2λ, the efficiency of high-order harmonics generated from relativistic laser-solid interactions can be enhanced by more than one order of magnitude and the angular spread can be confined into near-diffraction-limited divergence. Numerical simulations show that density truncation results in more compact oscillation of the surface electron sheet and the curvature of the reflection surface for the driving laser is greatly reduced. This leads to an overall improvement in the harmonic beam quality. More importantly, density truncation makes the harmonic generation weakly dependent on the preplasma scale length, which provides a way to relax the extremely high requirement on the temporal contrast of the driving laser pulse. A feasible scheme to realize the required preplasma truncation is also proposed and demonstrated by numerical simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Y Li
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - F Liu
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - M Chen
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Z Y Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Shock Wave and Detonation Physics, Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621999, China
| | - X H Yuan
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - S M Weng
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - T Jin
- Zhiyuan College, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - S G Rykovanov
- Center for Computational and Data-Intensive Science and Engineering, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia
| | - J W Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Z M Sheng
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - J Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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36
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Woldegeorgis A, Herzer S, Almassarani M, Marathapalli S, Gopal A. Modeling terahertz emission from the target rear side during intense laser-solid interactions. Phys Rev E 2019; 100:053204. [PMID: 31869893 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.100.053204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Relativistic laser-solid target interaction is a powerful source of terahertz radiation where broadband terahertz radiation is emitted from the front and rear surfaces of the target. Even though several experimental works have reported the generation of subpicosecond duration gigawatt peak power terahertz pulses from the target rear surface, the underlying physical process behind their origin is still an open question. Here we discuss a numerical model that can accurately reproduce several aspects of the experimental results. The model is based on the charged particle dynamics at the target rear surface and the evolution of the charge separation field. We identify the major contributors that are responsible for broadband terahertz emission from the rear surface of the target.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Woldegeorgis
- Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Max-Wien platz 1, 07743 Jena, Germany.,Helmholtz Institute Jena, Fröbelstieg 3, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - S Herzer
- Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Max-Wien platz 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - M Almassarani
- Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Max-Wien platz 1, 07743 Jena, Germany.,Helmholtz Institute Jena, Fröbelstieg 3, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - S Marathapalli
- Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Max-Wien platz 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - A Gopal
- Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics, Max-Wien platz 1, 07743 Jena, Germany.,Helmholtz Institute Jena, Fröbelstieg 3, 07743 Jena, Germany
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37
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Characterization of laser-driven proton acceleration from water microdroplets. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17169. [PMID: 31748554 PMCID: PMC6868211 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53587-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We report on a proton acceleration experiment in which high-intensity laser pulses with a wavelength of 0.4 μm and with varying temporal intensity contrast have been used to irradiate water droplets of 20 μm diameter. Such droplets are a reliable and easy-to-implement type of target for proton acceleration experiments with the potential to be used at very high repetition rates. We have investigated the influence of the laser’s angle of incidence by moving the droplet along the laser polarization axis. This position, which is coupled with the angle of incidence, has a crucial impact on the maximum proton energy. Central irradiation leads to an inefficient coupling of the laser energy into hot electrons, resulting in a low maximum proton energy. The introduction of a controlled pre-pulse produces an enhancement of hot electron generation in this geometry and therefore higher proton energies. However, two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations support our experimental results confirming, that even slightly higher proton energies are achieved under grazing laser incidence when no additional pre-plasma is present. Illuminating a droplet under grazing incidence generates a stream of hot electrons that flows along the droplet’s surface due to self-generated electric and magnetic fields and ultimately generates a strong electric field responsible for proton acceleration. The interaction conditions were monitored with the help of an ultra-short optical probe laser, with which the plasma expansion could be observed.
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38
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Amini K, Biegert J, Calegari F, Chacón A, Ciappina MF, Dauphin A, Efimov DK, Figueira de Morisson Faria C, Giergiel K, Gniewek P, Landsman AS, Lesiuk M, Mandrysz M, Maxwell AS, Moszyński R, Ortmann L, Antonio Pérez-Hernández J, Picón A, Pisanty E, Prauzner-Bechcicki J, Sacha K, Suárez N, Zaïr A, Zakrzewski J, Lewenstein M. Symphony on strong field approximation. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2019; 82:116001. [PMID: 31226696 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/ab2bb1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
This paper has been prepared by the Symphony collaboration (University of Warsaw, Uniwersytet Jagielloński, DESY/CNR and ICFO) on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the 'simple man's models' which underlie most of the phenomena that occur when intense ultrashort laser pulses interact with matter. The phenomena in question include high-harmonic generation (HHG), above-threshold ionization (ATI), and non-sequential multielectron ionization (NSMI). 'Simple man's models' provide both an intuitive basis for understanding the numerical solutions of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation and the motivation for the powerful analytic approximations generally known as the strong field approximation (SFA). In this paper we first review the SFA in the form developed by us in the last 25 years. In this approach the SFA is a method to solve the TDSE, in which the non-perturbative interactions are described by including continuum-continuum interactions in a systematic perturbation-like theory. In this review we focus on recent applications of the SFA to HHG, ATI and NSMI from multi-electron atoms and from multi-atom molecules. The main novel part of the presented theory concerns generalizations of the SFA to: (i) time-dependent treatment of two-electron atoms, allowing for studies of an interplay between electron impact ionization and resonant excitation with subsequent ionization; (ii) time-dependent treatment in the single active electron approximation of 'large' molecules and targets which are themselves undergoing dynamics during the HHG or ATI processes. In particular, we formulate the general expressions for the case of arbitrary molecules, combining input from quantum chemistry and quantum dynamics. We formulate also theory of time-dependent separable molecular potentials to model analytically the dynamics of realistic electronic wave packets for molecules in strong laser fields. We dedicate this work to the memory of Bertrand Carré, who passed away in March 2018 at the age of 60.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasra Amini
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland. ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain
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39
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Versolato OO. Physics of laser-driven tin plasma sources of EUV radiation for nanolithography. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1088/1361-6595/ab3302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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40
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Morace A, Iwata N, Sentoku Y, Mima K, Arikawa Y, Yogo A, Andreev A, Tosaki S, Vaisseau X, Abe Y, Kojima S, Sakata S, Hata M, Lee S, Matsuo K, Kamitsukasa N, Norimatsu T, Kawanaka J, Tokita S, Miyanaga N, Shiraga H, Sakawa Y, Nakai M, Nishimura H, Azechi H, Fujioka S, Kodama R. Enhancing laser beam performance by interfering intense laser beamlets. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2995. [PMID: 31278266 PMCID: PMC6611939 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10997-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing the laser energy absorption into energetic particle beams represents a longstanding quest in intense laser-plasma physics. During the interaction with matter, part of the laser energy is converted into relativistic electron beams, which are the origin of secondary sources of energetic ions, γ-rays and neutrons. Here we experimentally demonstrate that using multiple coherent laser beamlets spatially and temporally overlapped, thus producing an interference pattern in the laser focus, significantly improves the laser energy conversion efficiency into hot electrons, compared to one beam with the same energy and nominal intensity as the four beamlets combined. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations support the experimental results, suggesting that beamlet interference pattern induces a periodical shaping of the critical density, ultimately playing a key-role in enhancing the laser-to-electron energy conversion efficiency. This method is rather insensitive to laser pulse contrast and duration, making this approach robust and suitable to many existing facilities. Enhanced coupling of laser energy to the target particles is a fundamental issue in laser-plasma interactions. Here the authors demonstrate increased photon absorption leading into higher laser to electron and proton energy transfer through the interference of multiple coherent beamlets.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Morace
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - N Iwata
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Y Sentoku
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - K Mima
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Y Arikawa
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - A Yogo
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - A Andreev
- Max Born Institute for non-linear optics and short pulse spectroscopy, Berlin, 12489, Germany.,St. Petersburg State University, Sankt-Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - S Tosaki
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - X Vaisseau
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Y Abe
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - S Kojima
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - S Sakata
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - M Hata
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - S Lee
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - K Matsuo
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - N Kamitsukasa
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - T Norimatsu
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - J Kawanaka
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - S Tokita
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - N Miyanaga
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - H Shiraga
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Y Sakawa
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - M Nakai
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - H Nishimura
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - H Azechi
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - S Fujioka
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - R Kodama
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
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41
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Abstract
A theoretical and numerical investigation of non-ponderomotive absorption at laser intensities relevant to quantum electrodynamics is presented. It is predicted that there is a regime change in the dependence of fast electron energy on incident laser energy that coincides with the onset of pair production via the Breit-Wheeler process. This prediction is numerically verified via an extensive campaign of QED-inclusive particle-in-cell simulations. The dramatic nature of the power law shift leads to the conclusion that this process is a candidate for an unambiguous signature that future experiments on multi-petawatt laser facilities have truly entered the QED regime.
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42
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Schoenlein R, Elsaesser T, Holldack K, Huang Z, Kapteyn H, Murnane M, Woerner M. Recent advances in ultrafast X-ray sources. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2019; 377:20180384. [PMID: 30929633 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2018.0384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Over more than a century, X-rays have transformed our understanding of the fundamental structure of matter and have been an indispensable tool for chemistry, physics, biology, materials science and related fields. Recent advances in ultrafast X-ray sources operating in the femtosecond to attosecond regimes have opened an important new frontier in X-ray science. These advances now enable: (i) sensitive probing of structural dynamics in matter on the fundamental timescales of atomic motion, (ii) element-specific probing of electronic structure and charge dynamics on fundamental timescales of electronic motion, and (iii) powerful new approaches for unravelling the coupling between electronic and atomic structural dynamics that underpin the properties and function of matter. Most notable is the recent realization of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) with numerous new XFEL facilities in operation or under development worldwide. Advances in XFELs are complemented by advances in synchrotron-based and table-top laser-plasma X-ray sources now operating in the femtosecond regime, and laser-based high-order harmonic XUV sources operating in the attosecond regime. This article is part of the theme issue 'Measurement of ultrafast electronic and structural dynamics with X-rays'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Schoenlein
- 1 SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory , 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 , USA
| | - Thomas Elsaesser
- 2 Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie , 12489 Berlin , Germany
| | - Karsten Holldack
- 3 Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH , Albert-Einstein-Strasse 15, 12489 Berlin , Germany
| | - Zhirong Huang
- 1 SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory , 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 , USA
| | - Henry Kapteyn
- 4 Department of Physics and JILA, University of Colorado , Boulder, CO 80309-0440 , USA
| | - Margaret Murnane
- 4 Department of Physics and JILA, University of Colorado , Boulder, CO 80309-0440 , USA
| | - Michael Woerner
- 2 Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie , 12489 Berlin , Germany
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43
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Hard X-ray Generation from ZnO Nanowire Targets in a Non-Relativistic Regime of Laser-Solid Interactions. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/app8101728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We present a detailed investigation of X-ray emission from both flat and nanowire zinc oxide targets irradiated by 60 fs 5 × 1016 W/cm2 intensity laser pulses at a 0.8 µm wavelength. It is shown that the fluence of the emitted hard X-ray radiation in the spectral range 150–800 keV is enhanced by at least one order of magnitude for nanowire targets compared to the emission from a flat surface, whereas the characteristic Kα line emission (8.64 keV) is insensitive to the target morphology. Furthermore, we provide evidence for a dramatic increase of the fast electron flux from the front side of the nanostructured targets. We suggest that targets with nanowire morphology may advance development of compact ultrafast X-ray sources with an enhanced flux of hard X-ray emission that could find wide applications in highenergy density (HED) physics.
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44
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Mao JY, Rosmej O, Ma Y, Li MH, Aurand B, Gaertner F, Wang WM, Urbancic J, Schoenlein A, Zielbauer B, Eisenbarth U, Bagnoud V, Wagner F, Horst F, Syha M, Mathias S, Li YT, Aeschlimann M, Chen LM, Kuehl T. Energy enhancement of the target surface electron by using a 200 TW sub-picosecond laser. OPTICS LETTERS 2018; 43:3909-3912. [PMID: 30106914 DOI: 10.1364/ol.43.003909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
One order of magnitude energy enhancement of the target surface electron beams with central energy at 11.5 MeV is achieved by using a 200 TW, 500 fs laser at an incident angle of 72° with a prepulse intensity ratio of 5×10-6. The experimental results demonstrate the scalability of the acceleration process to high electron energy with a longer (sub-picosecond) laser pulse duration and a higher laser energy (120 J). The total charge of the beam is 400±20 pC(E>2.7 MeV). Such a high orientation and mono-energetic electron jet would be a good method to solve the problem of the large beam divergence in fast ignition schemes and to increase the laser energy deposition on the target core.
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45
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Liu H, Liao GQ, Zhang YH, Zhu BJ, Zhang Z, Li YT, Scott GG, Rusby DR, Armstrong C, Zemaityte E, Carroll DC, Astbury S, Bradford P, Woolsey NC, McKenna P, Neely D. Cherenkov radiation-based optical fibre diagnostics of fast electrons generated in intense laser-plasma interactions. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2018; 89:083302. [PMID: 30184626 DOI: 10.1063/1.5024872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Diagnosing fast electrons is important to understand the physics underpinning intense laser-produced plasmas. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that a Cherenkov radiation-based optical fibre can serve as a reliable diagnostic to characterize the fast electrons escaping from solid targets irradiated by ultra-intense laser pulses. Using optical fibre loops, the number and angular distributions of the escaping electrons are obtained. The data agree well with measurements made using image plate stacks. The optical fibre can be operated at high-repetition rates and is insensitive to x-rays and ion beams, which makes it advantageous over other routinely used fast electron diagnostics in some aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - G-Q Liao
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Y-H Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - B-J Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Z Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Y-T Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - G G Scott
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - D R Rusby
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - C Armstrong
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - E Zemaityte
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - D C Carroll
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - S Astbury
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - P Bradford
- Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, University of York, Heslington York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - N C Woolsey
- Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, University of York, Heslington York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - P McKenna
- Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - D Neely
- Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom
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46
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Azamoum Y, Clady R, Ferré A, Gambari M, Utéza O, Sentis M. High photon flux Kα Mo x-ray source driven by a multi-terawatt femtosecond laser at 100 Hz. OPTICS LETTERS 2018; 43:3574-3577. [PMID: 30067627 DOI: 10.1364/ol.43.003574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We develop a pulsed hard x-ray Kα source at 17.4 keV produced by the interaction of a multi-terawatt peak power infrared femtosecond laser pulse with a thick molybdenum (Mo) target at a 100 Hz repetition rate. We measure the highest Mo Kα photon production reported to date corresponding to a Kα photon flux of 1×1011 ph/(sr·s) and an estimated peak brightness of ∼2.5×1017 ph/(s·mm2·mrad2(0.1% bandwidth)) at ∼5×1018 W/cm2 driving laser intensity.
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47
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Gunst J, Wu Y, Keitel CH, Pálffy A. Nuclear excitation by electron capture in optical-laser-generated plasmas. Phys Rev E 2018; 97:063205. [PMID: 30011546 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.97.063205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The process of nuclear excitation by electron capture in plasma environments generated by the interaction of ultrastrong optical lasers with solid-state samples is investigated theoretically. With the help of a plasma model, we perform a comprehensive study of the optimal parameters for the most efficient nuclear excitation and determine the corresponding laser setup requirements. We discern between the low-density plasma regime, modeled by scaling laws, and the high-density regime, for which we perform particle-in-cell calculations. As a nuclear transition case study we consider the 4.85-keV nuclear excitation starting from the long-lived ^{93m}Mo isomer. Our results show that the optimal plasma and laser parameters are sensitive to the chosen observable and that measurable rates of nuclear excitation and isomer depletion of ^{93m}Mo should be already achievable at laser facilities existing today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Gunst
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yuanbin Wu
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph H Keitel
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Adriana Pálffy
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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48
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Abstract
Compact acceleration of a tightly collimated relativistic electron beam with high charge from a laser-plasma interaction has many unique applications. However, currently the well-known schemes, including laser wakefield acceleration from gases and vacuum laser acceleration from solids, often produce electron beams either with low charge or with large divergence angles. In this work, we report the generation of highly collimated electron beams with a divergence angle of a few degrees, nonthermal spectra peaked at the megaelectronvolt level, and extremely high charge (∼100 nC) via a powerful subpicosecond laser pulse interacting with a solid target in grazing incidence. Particle-in-cell simulations illustrate a direct laser acceleration scenario, in which the self-filamentation is triggered in a large-scale near-critical-density plasma and electron bunches are accelerated periodically and collimated by the ultraintense electromagnetic field. The energy density of such electron beams in high-Z materials reaches to [Formula: see text], making it a promising tool to drive warm or even hot dense matter states.
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49
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Azamoum Y, Tcheremiskine V, Clady R, Ferré A, Charmasson L, Utéza O, Sentis M. Impact of the pulse contrast ratio on molybdenum K α generation by ultrahigh intensity femtosecond laser solid interaction. Sci Rep 2018; 8:4119. [PMID: 29515179 PMCID: PMC5841281 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22487-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We present an extended experimental study of the absolute yield of Kα x-ray source (17.48 keV) produced by interaction of an ultrahigh intensity femtosecond laser with solid Mo target for temporal contrast ratios in the range of 1.7 × 107-3.3 × 109 and on three decades of intensity 1016-1019 W/cm². We demonstrate that for intensity I ≥ 2 × 1018 W/cm² Kα x-ray emission is independent of the value of contrast ratio. In addition, no saturation of the Kα photon number is measured and a value of ~2 × 1010 photons/sr/s is obtained at 10 Hz and I ~1019 W/cm². Furthermore, Kα energy conversion efficiency reaches the same high plateau equal to ~2 × 10-4 at I = 1019 W/cm² for all the studied contrast ratios. This original result suggests that relativistic J × B heating becomes dominant in these operating conditions which is supposed to be insensitive to the electron density gradient scale length L/λ. Finally, an additional experimental study performed by changing the angle of incidence of the laser beam onto the solid target highlights a clear signature of the interplay between collisionless absorption mechanisms depending on the contrast ratio and intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Azamoum
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LP3 UMR 7341, 13288, Marseille, France.
| | - V Tcheremiskine
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LP3 UMR 7341, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - R Clady
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LP3 UMR 7341, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - A Ferré
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LP3 UMR 7341, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - L Charmasson
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LP3 UMR 7341, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - O Utéza
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LP3 UMR 7341, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - M Sentis
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LP3 UMR 7341, 13288, Marseille, France
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50
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Wu Y, Gunst J, Keitel CH, Pálffy A. Tailoring Laser-Generated Plasmas for Efficient Nuclear Excitation by Electron Capture. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2018; 120:052504. [PMID: 29481161 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.120.052504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The optimal parameters for nuclear excitation by electron capture in plasma environments generated by the interaction of ultrastrong optical lasers with solid matter are investigated theoretically. As a case study we consider a 4.85 keV nuclear transition starting from the long-lived ^{93m}Mo isomer that can lead to the release of the stored 2.4 MeV excitation energy. We find that due to the complex plasma dynamics, the nuclear excitation rate and the actual number of excited nuclei do not reach their maximum at the same laser parameters. The nuclear excitation achievable with a high-power optical laser is up to twelve and up to six orders of magnitude larger than the values predicted for direct resonant and secondary plasma-mediated excitation at the x-ray free electron laser, respectively. Our results show that the experimental observation of the nuclear excitation of ^{93m}Mo and the subsequent release of stored energy should be possible at laser facilities available today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanbin Wu
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jonas Gunst
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph H Keitel
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Adriana Pálffy
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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