Multi-beam laser-plasma interactions: From ICF to “plasma photonics” applications

Abstract

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) have unveiled a wealth of new insights into the physics of laser-plasma interaction (LPI) in the presence of many laser beams. Besides their crucial impact on ICF experiments, these findings have also revealed new ways in which LPI processes can alter the fundamental optical properties of plasmas (optical anisotropy, refractive index modifications, dispersion etc.). These findings have led to the proposal of new ideas to manipulate light using plasmas, including conceptual designs for new plasma-based optical systems such as plasma polarizers, wave plates and dielectric mirrors. Compared to traditional (crystal-based) optics systems, such plasma-based photonics devices essentially alleviate the constraints of optics damage, and can manipulate laser beams at fluences millions of times above the damage threshold of solid-state optics. In this presentation, some of the main recent findings on multi-beams LPI in NIF experiments will be reviewed, as well as how their analysis has led us to pursue new research in “plasma photonics”. Recent and on-going experiments at the Jupiter Laser Facility (LLNL) to test and validate these new schemes will also be presented. A tunable plasma waveplate was recently demonstrated (D. Turnbull et al., submitted), and was used to produce near-ideal circular polarization of an intense laser beam. Follow-up experiments aimed at demonstrating a plasma-based polarizer and dielectric mirror are currently in preparation.