High absorption efficiency by high intensity laser irradiating carbon aerogel targets

Abstract

We have proposed a scheme to increase the ultra-intense femtosecond laser absorption efficiency by using carbon aerogel targets. Particle-in-cell simulations show that, compared to a homogeneous target of the same density, the carbon aerogel target can significantly enhance the laser absorption efficiency, and the maximum laser absorption efficiency can reach 88%. Such high absorption efficiency can be attributed to the porous structure and larger surface area of carbon aerogel than ordinary materials, which allows the laser to enter more of the target and interact more fully with the particles inside rather than being reflected off the surface. By studying the interaction between the laser and the carbon aerogel targets, we found that both the nanoparticle diameter and porosity have great effects on the laser absorption efficiency, which is enhanced significantly as the nanoparticle diameter and porosity increase. Such carbon aerogel targets should have significant applications in the fields of laser generation of x rays and high energy density physics.