Intense Picosecond Laser Pulses Research Articles

Laser-to-proton conversion efficiency studies for proton fast ignition

We assess the conversion efficiency from intense picosecond laser pulses to multi-MeV ion beams for a wide range of laser and target parameters, using 2D kinetic particle-in-cell simulations. Scalings are addressed in a quasi-one-dimensional geometry, leaving out beam divergence. Then, we study the conversion efficiency into a narrow spatial band along the laser axis for flat and hemispherical targets in large-scale 2D simulations. Combining these findings allows us to calculate the energy requirements for ignition of a compressed ICF target with an intense proton beam in a fast-ignition scenario.

Experimental study of medical isotopes 62,64Cu and 68Ga production using intense picosecond laser pulse

Radioisotopes are indispensable agents in medical diagnosis and treatment, among which copper-62, 64 (62,64Cu) and gallium-68 (68Ga) are medical isotopes widely used in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Experiments that generate these radioisotopes via laser-induced photonuclear reactions were performed on the XingGuangIII laser facility of the Laser Fusion Research Center in Mianyang. High-charge ( ∼ 40 nC) MeV electron (e− ) beams were generated with 100 terawatts, picosecond laser pulses. The e− beams were then impinged on a metal stack composed of Ta foil and activation plates (natural Cu and Ga2O3), producing high-energy bremsstrahlung x-rays and medical isotopes 62,64Cu and 68Ga, respectively. The characteristic emissions of the produced 62,64Cu and 68Ga were detected off-line , and the production yields of 62,64Cu and 68Ga were obtained to be of the order of 106 per laser shot. For electrons with energy higher than 8 MeV, the dependence of isotope production efficiency (per e− ) on electron temperature () is investigated through Geant4 simulations. It is found that the production efficiency increases with the . At ∼ 10 MeV, the values are 10−4 for 62Cu and 2 × 10 − 5 for 68Ga, respectively. The prospect of producing the medical isotopes 62,64Cu and 68Ga are further evaluated using a table-top femtosecond laser system of high repetition. With a repetition rate of 100 Hz, their activity is expected to reach 0.2 GBq for 62Cu, 0.1 GBq for 64Cu and 0.05 GBq for 68Ga, respectively. Such activity would meet the required dose for clinical PET imaging, indicating the great potential to produce medical isotopes with an all-optical, high-repetition laser system.

Proton acceleration from picosecond-laser interaction with a hydrocarbon target

As an intense picosecond laser pulse irradiates a hydrocarbon target, the protons therein can be accelerated by the radiation pressure as well as the sheath field behind the target. We investigate the effect of the laser and hydrocarbon target parameters on proton acceleration with two/three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. It is found that the resulting two-ion species plasma can generate a multiple peaked charge-separation field that accelerates the protons. In particular, a smaller carbon-to-hydrogen ratio, as well as the thinner and/or lower density of the target, leads to a larger sheath field and thus proton beams with a larger cutoff energy and smoother energy spectrum. These results may be useful in achieving high-flux quasi-monoenergetic proton beams by properly designing the hydrocarbon target.

Kilotesla plasmoid formation by a trapped relativistic laser beam.

A strong quasistationary magnetic field is generated in hollow targets with curved internal surface under the action of a relativistically intense picosecond laser pulse. Experimental data evidence the formation of quasistationary strongly magnetized plasma structures decaying on a hundred picoseconds timescale, with the magnetic field strength of the kilotesla scale. Numerical simulations unravel the importance of transient processes during the magnetic field generation and suggest the existence of fast and slow regimes of plasmoid evolution depending on the interaction parameters. The proposed setup is suited for perspective highly magnetized plasma application and fundamental studies.

Acceleration of electrons in hollow glass capillaries under the action of intense picosecond laser pulses

The generation of relativistic electron beams in hollow glass capillaries is investigated using a picosecond laser system. A plasma is formed in a capillary due to the ablation of its inner walls by a specially formed pre-pulse. Electron beams with an opening angle of ∼40 mrad, exponential energy spectrum with maximum energy about 20 MeV, and a total charge of ∼0.2 nC are experimentally detected.

On the proton radiography of magnetic fields in targets irradiated by intense picosecond laser pulses

Proton radiography is a common diagnostic technique in laser-driven magnetic field generation studies. It is based on measuring proton beam deflection in electromagnetic fields induced around the target with the help of radiochromic film stacks. Unraveling information recorded in experimental radiographs and extracting the field profiles is not always a straightforward task. In this paper, some aspects of data analysis by reproducing experimental radiographs in numerical simulations are described. The approach allows determining the field strength and structure in the target area for various target geometries.

Electron beam and betatron x-ray generation in a hybrid electron accelerator driven by high intensity picosecond laser pulses

We experimentally studied electron beams and synchrotron x-ray radiation generated from the interaction of high-intensity picosecond laser pulses of 1–3 × 1019 W/cm2 with underdense plasmas of 1–8 × 1019 cm−3. Electron beams with maximum energy over 120 MeV, hundreds mrad divergence and tens of nC charge were generated in the experiments. The measured x-ray spectra were fit well with a synchrotron radiation spectrum combination with a bremsstrahlung spectrum. When laser pulses with intensity of 2.38 × 1019 W/cm2 interacting with pure Nitrogen gas with density of 2.35 × 1018 cm−3, we obtained betatron x-ray radiation with critical energy 3–4 keV and photon number up to 1013 photons/Sr per shot, the energy conversion efficiency is about 3 × 10−5. The high photon yield and large energy conversion efficiency are due to large amounts of electrons trapped by self-modulated laser wakefield and mainly accelerated by direct-laser-acceleration mechanism. Such high yield betatron x-ray sources have widely application prospect as backlight or probe in large scale of laser facilities used for high energy density or fusion sciences.

Manipulating laser-driven proton acceleration with tailored target density profile

Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that when an intense picosecond laser pulse irradiates a target with steep but smooth density profile, the target protons can be accelerated to high energies with small divergence by a combination of target normal sheath acceleration and radiation pressure acceleration. The effects of plasma density profile on proton acceleration and collimation are investigated. In general, smaller(larger) density gradients lead to larger(smaller) self-generated azimuthal magnetic fields and smaller(larger) target-back electrostatic sheath fields, and thus proton beams with smaller(larger) divergence angle as well as cutoff energy. Accordingly, within limits, proton beams with desired peaked spectrum, energy, and divergence angle can be obtained by tailoring the target density profiles. It is also demonstrated that target tailoring can be achieved by having two suitable nanosecond lasers separately irradiating the front and back sides of a uniform plane slab.

Bremsstrahlung spectrum and photon dose from short-pulse high-intensity laser interaction on various metal targets

During the interaction of an intense picosecond laser pulse with a plasma created by a plastic foil ablated by a nanosecond laser pulse, relativistic electrons are produced. A metal solid target placed behind the foil allows converting these high-energy electrons into hard X-rays. The use of an ablated CH foil allows maximizing the conversion efficiency and thus the X-ray emission. In this study, the photon energy spectrum and dose are measured for different thicknesses of various metal targets such as tantalum. Numerical simulations including hydrodynamical radiative, particle-in-cell, and Monte Carlo codes are made to give comparison with the experimental data. These are also compared with that of a bremsstrahlung emission and photon dose model in which the energy loss by Ohmic heating arising from the return current driven by the background electrons of the conductive target is taken into account [A. Compant La Fontaine, Phys. Plasmas 25, 043301 (2018)]. The results obtained allow for benchmarks to test the accuracy of this model and to check that the dose is maximized for high-Z solid targets and thickness in the mm range in the relativistic interaction regime at ultrahigh laser intensity (>1018 W/cm2).

Simulation of Characteristic Radiation of Highly Ionized Laser Plasma

An analytical model is presented, which calculates recombination radiation in He and Ly characteristic plasma lines formed as a result of irradiating a solid target with an intense picosecond laser pulse. For calibration, this model is compared with the computer FLYCHK code. According to the results of the comparison, the region of the model applicability lies in the temperature range of the main plasma volume of 200–2000 eV and the electron density of 1023–1024 cm–3. The advantage of this analytical model is its simplicity, which makes it possible to be used for quick estimates of the luminosity of the characteristic plasma lines at a given temperature and density, or, vice versa, to determine the density and temperature of a plasma source from the relative height and structure of the emitted lines.

Efficient and tunable spectral compression using frequency-domain nonlinear optics.

A key requirement in the field of ultrafast vibrational spectroscopy is to efficiently generate intense tunable narrowband picosecond laser pulses synchronized to a broadband femtosecond laser source. Current nonlinear methods for picosecond pulse generation suffer from complexities in both experimental implementation and pulse frequency tunability. We present here a straightforward method for spectral bandwidth compression that produces frequency tunable picosecond pulses with efficient power conversion. Broadband femtosecond laser pulses are compressed to narrowband picosecond pulses using frequency domain sum-frequency generation of spatially chirped pulses, achieving spectral bandwidths of <20 cm-1 and power conversion efficiency of ∼18%. The experimental design of the bandwidth compressor is presented and its application to stimulated Raman spectroscopy is demonstrated.

Proton acceleration from vacuum-gapped double-foil target with low-contrast picosecond intense laser

Proton emissions from vacuum-gapped cascaded-ultrathin-foil targets irradiated with low-contrast intense picosecond laser pulses were measured. The maximum energy of the proton beam and the laser-to-proton energy conversion efficiency were both increased in comparison with those from the single-layer reference targets. A transition from plateau to exponential profile in proton energy spectral shape was found for the target with a front-foil thickness of above 500 nm. The measured annular x-ray emissions from both target front and rear sides indicate that the proton enhancement could be attributed to the modified preplasma distribution. A simple model and hydrodynamic simulations further show that the optimal acceleration occurs when the front shutter foil is right swelled onto the front surface of the rear source foil by the prepulses at the arrival of the main laser pulse. This cascaded thin-foil target design can be popularized in improving laser-driven proton beams for wide applications.

Electron dynamics in high energy density plasma bunch generation driven by intense picosecond laser pulse

When an intense picosecond laser pulse is loaded upon a dense plasma, a high energy density plasma bunch, including electron bunch and ion bunch, can be generated in the target. We simulate this process through one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation and find that the electron bunch generation is mainly due to a local high energy density electron sphere originated in the plasma skin layer. Once generated the sphere rapidly expands to compress the surrounding electrons and induce high density electron layer, coupled with that, hot electrons are efficiently triggered in the local sphere and traveling in the whole target. Under the compressions of light pressure, forward-running and backward-running hot electrons, a high energy density electron bunch generates. The bunch energy density is as high as TJ/m3 order of magnitude in our conditions, which is significant in laser driven dynamic high pressure generation and may find applications in high energy density physics.

Interferometric analysis of laser-driven cylindrically focusing shock waves in a thin liquid layer.

Shock waves in condensed matter are of great importance for many areas of science and technology ranging from inertially confined fusion to planetary science and medicine. In laboratory studies of shock waves, there is a need in developing diagnostic techniques capable of measuring parameters of materials under shock with high spatial resolution. Here, time-resolved interferometric imaging is used to study laser-driven focusing shock waves in a thin liquid layer in an all-optical experiment. Shock waves are generated in a 10 µm-thick layer of water by focusing intense picosecond laser pulses into a ring of 95 µm radius. Using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and time-delayed femtosecond laser pulses, we obtain a series of images tracing the shock wave as it converges at the center of the ring before reemerging as a diverging shock, resulting in the formation of a cavitation bubble. Through quantitative analysis of the interferograms, density profiles of shocked samples are extracted. The experimental geometry used in our study opens prospects for spatially resolved spectroscopic studies of materials under shock compression.

Tracing dynamics of laser-induced fields on ultrathin foils using complementary imaging with streak deflectometry

We present a detailed study of the electric and magnetic fields, which are created on plasma vacuum interfaces as a result of highly intense laser-matter-interactions. For the field generation ultra-thin polymer foils were irradiated with high intensity femtosecond and picosecond laser pulses with ultra-high contrast. To determine the temporal evolution and the spatial distribution of these fields the proton streak deflectometry method has been developed further and applied in two different imaging configurations. It enabled us to gather complementary information about the investigated field structure, in particular about the influence of different field components (parallel and normal to the target surface) and the impact of a moving ion front. The applied ultra-high laser contrast significantly increased the reproducibility of the experiment and improved the accuracy of the imaging method. In order to explain the experimental observations, which were obtained by applying ultra-short laser pulses, two different analytical models have been studied in detail. Their ability to reproduce the streak deflectometry measurements was tested on the basis of three-dimensional particle simulations. A modification and combination of the two models allowed for an extensive and accurate reproduction of the experimental results in both imaging configurations. The controlled change of the laser pulse duration from 50 femtoseconds to 2.7 picoseconds led to a transition of the dominating force acting on the probing proton beam at the rear side of the polymer foil. The applied proton deflectometry method allowed for an unambiguous determination of the magnetic field polarity at the rear side of the ultra-thin foil.

Picosecond laser filamentation in air

The propagation of intense picosecond laser pulses in air in the presence of strong nonlinear self-action effects and air ionization is investigated experimentally and numerically. The model used for numerical analysis is based on the nonlinear propagator for the optical field coupled to the rate equations for the production of various ionic species and plasma temperature. Our results show that the phenomenon of plasma-driven intensity clamping, which has been paramount in femtosecond laser filamentation, holds for picosecond pulses. Furthermore, the temporal pulse distortions in the picosecond regime are limited and the pulse fluence is also clamped. In focused propagation geometry, a unique feature of picosecond filamentation is the production of a broad, fully ionized air channel, continuous both longitudinally and transversely, which may be instrumental for many applications including laser-guided electrical breakdown of air, channeling microwave beams and air lasing.

Thermonuclear fusion in a strong laser field

Thermonuclear fusion induced by the irradiation of solid deuterated cluster targets and foils with fields of strong femtosecond and picosecond laser pulses is discussed. The thermonuclear-fusion process D(d, n)3He in a collision of two deuterons at an energy of 50 to 100 keV in a deuterium cluster target irradiated with a strong laser pulse is discussed. A theory of thermonuclear fusion proceeding upon the irradiation of clusters formed by deuterium iodide (DI) molecules with the field of a superintense femtosecond laser pulse is developed. This theory is based on an above-barrier process in which the sequential multiple inner ionization of atomic ions within a cluster is accompanied by field-induced outer ionization. The yield of neutrons from thermonuclear fusion in a deuteron-deuteron collision after the completion of a laser pulse is calculated. The yield of neutrons is determined for the thermonuclear-fusion reaction proceeding in the interaction of an intense picosecond laser pulse with thin TiD2 foils. A multiple ionization of titanium atoms at the front edge of the laser pulse is considered. The heating of free electron occurs in induced inverse bremsstrahlung in the process of electron scattering on multiply charged titanium ions. The yield of alpha particles in the thermonuclear-fusion reaction involving protons and 11B nuclei that is induced in microdrops by a strong laser field is determined. Experimental data on laser-induced thermonuclear fusion are discussed.

Decoherence of Rabi oscillations in laser-generated microplasmas

Characteristic fringe patterns of spectral interference in dynamic Rabi sidebands are used as a means to investigate decoherence phenomena in a highly nonequilibrium underdense microplasma formed in atmosphericpressure oxygen gas in the wake of a strong-field (∼1013 W/cm2) femtosecond pump pulse. The same transient processes in the nonequilibrium plasma work both to create the effective two-level systems producing coherent sidebands and to destroy the coherence and smear the sideband spectral structure; the observed spectral fringe pattern is a result of the trade-off of these two effects. The sidebands generated on a moderately intense (∼1010 W/cm2) picosecond laser pulse reveal the decoherence rate as a function of the pump-pulse intensity and the pump-probe delay time. The rate increases with the pump laser intensity and decreases with the delay with corresponding decoherence times in the range of 750 fs to 3 ps, in good agreement with theory revealing that electron scattering dominates the dynamics for the subnanosecond relaxation processes.

Towards laboratory produced relativistic electron–positron pair plasmas

We review recent experimental results on the path to producing electron–positron pair plasmas using lasers. Relativistic pair-plasmas and jets are believed to exist in many astrophysical objects and are often invoked to explain energetic phenomena related to Gamma Ray Bursts and Black Holes. On earth, positrons from radioactive isotopes or accelerators are used extensively at low energies (sub-MeV) in areas related to surface science positron emission tomography and basic antimatter science. Experimental platforms capable of producing the high-temperature pair-plasma and high-flux jets required to simulate astrophysical positron conditions have so far been absent. In the past few years, we performed extensive experiments generating positrons with intense lasers where we found that relativistic electron and positron jets are produced by irradiating a solid gold target with an intense picosecond laser pulse. The positron temperatures in directions parallel and transverse to the beam both exceeded 0.5 MeV, and the density of electrons and positrons in these jets are of order 10 16 cm −3 and 10 13 cm −3, respectively. With the increasing performance of high-energy ultra-short laser pulses, we expect that a high-density, up to 10 18 cm −3, relativistic pair-plasma is achievable, a novel regime of laboratory-produced hot dense matter.

10.1007/s11454-008-2019-9

Coulomb explosion of a metal exposed to an intense picosecond laser pulse is numerically simulated using a plasma layer as an example. It is shown that plasma electrons leave the plasma layer under the action of the ponderomotive force opposing the laser radiation field gradient, whereas plasma ions fly away in the field of the self-space charge.