Efficient plasma production by intense laser irradiation of low density foam targets

Abstract

Experimental investigations conducted on low density structured materials, such as foams have been presented in this paper. These low density foam targets having a density greater than the critical density of the laser produced plasma (ρcr≈3 mg⋅cm−3 at laser wavelength 1.06 μm) have been envisaged to have enhanced laser absorption. Experiments were done with an indigenously developed, focused 15 Joule/500 ps Nd: Glass laser at λ = 1064 nm. The focused laser intensity on the target was in the range of I≈1013−2×1014 W/cm2. Laser absorption was determined by energy balance experiments. Laser energy absorption was observed to be higher than 85%. In another set of experiments, low density carbon foam targets of density 150 mg/cc were compared with the solid carbon targets. The x‐ray emission in the soft x‐ray region was observed to increase in foam target by about 1.8 times and 2.3 times in carbon foam and Pt doped foam as compared to solid carbon. Further, investigations were also carried out to measure the energy transmitted through the sub‐critical density TAC foam targets having a density less than 3 mg/cc. Such targets have been proposed to be used for smoothening of intensity ripples in a high power laser beam profile. Transmission exceeding 1.87% has been observed and consistent with results from other laboratories.