Laser Pulse Of Relativistic Intensity Research Articles

Ultra-intense femtosecond laser interactions with aligned nanostructures

The interaction of ultrafast laser pulses of relativistic intensity with high aspect ratio nanostructures can efficiently and volumetrically heat matter to an ultra-high-energy-density regime encountered in the center of stars and within the core of fusion capsules compressed by the world’s largest lasers. It also generates gigantic quasi-static electromagnetic fields that accelerate particles to very high energy. Here, we present an overview of the physics and applications of these dense relativistic plasmas that can be created with pulses of relatively modest energy from lasers that can operate at a high repetition rate. Recent nanowire array experiments produced near-solid density plasmas with an extreme degree of ionization (e.g., Au+72), converted ultrafast pulses of laser light into intense x-ray flashes with record efficiency, and accelerated ions to MeV energies, efficiently driving micro-scale fusion reactions that generate flashes of quasi-monoenergetic neutrons. These plasmas also serve as a platform for advancing the understanding of atomic processes in extreme environments and open a new pathway to laser-driven fusion energy. The irradiation of nanostructures at intensities of >1×1022Wcm−2 is predicted to lead to an extreme ultra-high energy density plasma regime characterized by terabar pressures that is virtually unexplored.

Collimated hot electron generation from sub-wavelength grating target irradiated by a femtosecond laser pulse of relativistic intensity

We investigate the production of hot electrons from the interaction of relativistically intense (I>1018 W/cm2) ultrashort (25 fs) laser pulses with sub-wavelength grating target. We measure the hot electron angular distribution and energy spectra for grating target and compare them with those from a planar mirror target. We observe that hot electrons are emitted in a collimated beam along the specular direction of the grating target. From the measurements, we see fast electron temperature and flux for grating are higher than those for mirror due to a stronger coupling with the laser. We performed numerical simulations, which are in good agreement with experimental results, and offer insights into the acceleration mechanism by resulting electric and magnetic fields. Such collimated fast electron beams have a wide range of applications in applied and fundamental science.

Characterization of bright betatron radiation generated by direct laser acceleration of electrons in plasma of near critical density

Directed x-rays produced in the interaction of sub-picosecond laser pulses of moderate relativistic intensity with plasma of near-critical density are investigated. Synchrotron-like (betatron) radiation occurs in the process of direct laser acceleration (DLA) of electrons in a relativistic laser channel when the electrons undergo transverse betatron oscillations in self-generated quasi-static electric and magnetic fields. In an experiment at the PHELIX laser system, high-current directed beams of DLA electrons with a mean energy ten times higher than the ponderomotive potential and maximum energy up to 100 MeV were measured at 1019 W/cm2 laser intensity. The spectrum of directed x-rays in the range of 5–60 keV was evaluated using two sets of Ross filters placed at 0° and 10° to the laser pulse propagation axis. The differential x-ray absorption method allowed for absolute measurements of the angular-dependent photon fluence. We report 1013 photons/sr with energies >5 keV measured at 0° to the laser axis and a brilliance of 1021 photons s−1 mm−2 mrad−2 (0.1%BW)−1. The angular distribution of the emission has an FWHM of 14°–16°. Thanks to the ultra-high photon fluence, point-like radiation source, and ultra-short emission time, DLA-based keV backlighters are promising for various applications in high-energy-density research with kilojoule petawatt-class laser facilities.

Pulsed magnetic fields of over 100 T produced by relativistic intensity laser pulse irradiating no-hole capacitor-coil target

A relativistic intensity laser pulse with energy from 25 to 130 J was used to produce strong magnetic fields in interactions with the designed no-hole capacitor-coil target. The magnetic field was estimated by the proton deflectometry method ignoring the potential influences of electric field. The proton deflection profiles in experiments are in good agreement with that by particle-track simulation with only the effect of coil magnetic field. The maximum magnetic field obtained in the experiment in the center of the coil is 117 ± 4 T. The experimental results with different laser energies are consistent with the previously found magnetic field production model in magnetic field amplitude and time sequence. It shows that the model has good prediction ability for magnetic field results. The results are beneficial to establish the experimental platform for generating a controllable pulsed magnetic field by relativistic intensity laser interaction. It potentially opens new frontiers in basic physics which require strong magnetic field environments.

Laser-driven multi-MeV high-purity proton acceleration via anisotropic ambipolar expansion of micron-scale hydrogen clusters

Multi-MeV high-purity proton acceleration by using a hydrogen cluster target irradiated with repetitive, relativistic intensity laser pulses has been demonstrated. Statistical analysis of hundreds of data sets highlights the existence of markedly high energy protons produced from the laser-irradiated clusters with micron-scale diameters. The spatial distribution of the accelerated protons is found to be anisotropic, where the higher energy protons are preferentially accelerated along the laser propagation direction due to the relativistic effect. These features are supported by three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, which show that directional, higher energy protons are generated via the anisotropic ambipolar expansion of the micron-scale clusters. The number of protons accelerating along the laser propagation direction is found to be as high as 1.6 pm ,{0.3}times 10^9/MeV/sr/shot with an energy of 2.8 pm ,{1.9} MeV, indicating that laser-driven proton acceleration using the micron-scale hydrogen clusters is promising as a compact, repetitive, multi-MeV high-purity proton source for various applications.

Ultrafast time-resolved two-dimensional velocity mapping of the hot-dense plasmas generated by intense-laser pulses

Experimental measurements of spatially resolved ultrafast dynamics of the critical surface in ultra-intense laser–solid interactions are essential for a proper understanding of the physical mechanism of the interaction. Resolving ultrafast motion at both the relevant length scales (micrometers) and timescales (femtoseconds) simultaneously has been a challenging task. Here, we demonstrate a novel technique for mapping the spatiotemporal dynamics of hot and solid dense plasma created by high contrast (picosecond contrast ∼10−9) femtosecond relativistic intensity laser pulses. This pump–probe Doppler spectrometry technique offers hundreds of femtosecond temporal resolution, together with a few micrometer spatial resolution across the transverse profile of the plasma. We present the evolution of the plasma surface critical for the probe pulse at the target front as well as the rear. Early time measurements (< 5 ps) using this technique provide very important information about shock wave generation and propagation and the state of the target rear.

Enhanced coherent transition radiation from midinfrared-laser-driven microplasmas

We present a particle-in-cell (PIC) analysis of terahertz (THz) radiation by ultrafast plasma currents driven by relativistic-intensity laser pulses. We show that, while the I0{lambda }_{0}^{2} product of the laser intensity I0 and the laser wavelength λ0 plays the key role in the energy scaling of strong-field laser-plasma THz generation, the THz output energy, WTHz, does not follow the I0{lambda }_{0}^{2} scaling. Its behavior as a function of I0 and λ0 is instead much more complex. Our two- and three-dimensional PIC analysis shows that, for moderate, subrelativistic and weakly relativistic fields, WTHz(I0{lambda }_{0}^{2}) can be approximated as (I0λ02)α, with a suitable exponent α, as a clear signature of vacuum electron acceleration as a predominant physical mechanism whereby the energy of the laser driver is transferred to THz radiation. For strongly relativistic laser fields, on the other hand, WTHz(I0{lambda }_{0}^{2}) closely follows the scaling dictated by the relativistic electron laser ponderomotive potential {mathscr{F}}_{{text{e}}}, converging to WTHz ∝ {I}_{0}^{1/2}{lambda }_{0} for very high I0, thus indicating the decisive role of relativistic ponderomotive charge acceleration as a mechanism behind laser-to-THz energy conversion. Analysis of the electron distribution function shows that the temperature Te of hot laser-driven electrons bouncing back and forth between the plasma boundaries displays the same behavior as a function of I0 and λ0, altering its scaling from (I0λ02)α to that of {mathscr{F}}_{{text{e}}}, converging to WTHz ∝ {I}_{0}^{1/2}{lambda }_{0} for very high I0. These findings provide a clear physical picture of THz generation in relativistic and subrelativistic laser plasmas, suggesting the THz yield WTHz resolved as a function of I0 and λ0 as a meaningful measurable that can serve as a probe for the temperature Te of hot electrons in a vast class of laser–plasma interactions. Specifically, the α exponent of the best (I0λ02)α fit of the THz yield suggests a meaningful probe that can help identify the dominant physical mechanisms whereby the energy of the laser field is converted to the energy of plasma electrons.

Transient Relativistic Plasma Grating to Tailor High-Power Laser Fields, Wakefield Plasma Waves, and Electron Injection.

We show the first experiment of a transverse laser interference for electron injection into the laser plasma accelerators. Simulations show such an injection is different from previous methods, as electrons are trapped into later acceleration buckets other than the leading ones. With optimal plasma tapering, the dephasing limit of such unprecedented electron beams could be potentially increased by an order of magnitude. In simulations, the interference drives a relativistic plasma grating, which triggers the splitting of relativistic-intensity laser pulses and wakefield. Consequently, spatially dual electron beams are accelerated, as also confirmed by the experiment.

Broadband X-ray generation by large krypton clusters under the effect of relativistic femtosecond laser pulses

This paper presents a phenomenological analysis of thermodynamic parameters of a pulsed supersonic gas jet in a conical nozzle. Conditions have been found out for the condensation and formation of large krypton clusters resulting from phase transitions during adiabatic expansion of gas through the nozzle into vacuum. We have identified the phase state of the large clusters (submicron droplets consisting of ∼107 monomers) forming in the jet and obtained a high yield of X-rays from a cluster nanoplasma produced by femtosecond laser pulses of relativistic intensity I. It has been shown that, at I ≈ 3 × 1018 W cm−2, a nanoplasma consisting of large krypton clusters emits a broadband X-ray spectrum in the range 5 – 100 keV. The integrated laser to X-ray energy conversion efficiency achieved is ∼10−5 (400 nJ), and the efficiency of characteristic Kα line (12.6 keV) generation is ∼1.5 × 10−6 (68 nJ), which corresponds to a quantum yield of ∼3 × 108 photons s−1 (4π)−1, with a contrast of ∼25 relative to bremsstrahlung background.

Investigation of plasma states formed under the interaction of high-power laser pulses with wire-shape Al–Cu target

Study of warm dense matter remains a very important task for understanding of many unique phenomena observing as in astrophysical research as in inertial fusion and fast ignition. In this work, we studied the parameters of plasma created by 1.7 ps laser pulses of relativistic intensity of 7 × 1018 W/cm2 in a specially designed Al–Cu wire-shape target, in comparison with a flat Cu and Al foil targets. We observed the strong emission of neutral or virtually neutral Cu Kα line from both Cu foil and Cu wire part of targets, which indicates the creation of a dense state exposed to the intense flow of hot electrons. Parameters of the plasma were evaluated by comparison of experimental spectra with the results of modeling by collisional-radiative kinetic code PrismSpec under the plasma zone approach. The using of Al foil in front of Cu wire part of target allowed avoiding the direct heating of Cu-wire and acquiring spectra of Cu K-shell emission evidently belonging to emission of warm dense matter (WDM) state. The upper estimate for the electron temperature in WDM region was found to be below 80 eV.

Self-waveguiding of relativistic laser pulses in neutral gas channels

The authors show that an ultrashort, relativistic intensity laser pulse can propagate for hundreds of Rayleigh ranges in a prepared neutral hydrogen channel by generating its own plasma waveguide as it propagates.

Electron Acceleration in Direct Laser-Solid Interactions Far Beyond the Ponderomotive Limit

In laser-solid interactions, electrons may be generated and subsequently accelerated to energies of the order-of-magnitude of the ponderomotive limit, with the underlying process dominated by direct laser acceleration. Breaking this limit, realized here by a radially-polarized laser pulse incident upon a wire target, can be associated with several novel effects. Three-dimensional Particle-In-Cell simulations show a relativistic intense laser pulse can extract electrons from the wire and inject them into the accelerating field. Anti-dephasing, resulting from collective plasma effects, are shown here to enhance the accelerated electron energy by two orders of magnitude compared to the ponderomotive limit. It is demonstrated that ultra-short radially polarized pulses produce super-ponderomotive electrons more efficiently than pulses of the linear and circular polarization varieties.

A Soft X-Ray Radiation Source Formed in Supersonic Argon Gas Jets under the Action of High-Contrast Femtosecond Laser Pulses of Relativistic Intensity

The possibility of designing a compact source of soft X-ray radiation without the accompanying generation of fast electrons is under study. The source is formed by the interaction of high-contrast femtosecond laser pulses of relativistic intensity with supersonic argon gas jets. The optimal conditions are found under which the conversion coefficient to soft X-ray radiation in the range of 2.9–3.3 keV reaches 8.57 × 10–5.

Clean source of soft X-ray radiation formed in supersonic Ar gas jets by high-contrast femtosecond laser pulses of relativistic intensity

In this work, we optimized a clean, versatile, compact source of soft X-ray radiation $(E_{\text{x}\text{-}\text{ray}}\sim 3~\text{keV})$ with an yield per shot up to $7\times 10^{11}~\text{photons}/\text{shot}$ in a plasma generated by the interaction of high-contrast femtosecond laser pulses of relativistic intensity $(I_{\text{las}}\sim 10^{18}{-}10^{19}~\text{W}/\text{cm}^{2})$ with supersonic argon gas jets. Using high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy approaches, the dependence of main characteristics (temperature, density and ionization composition) and the emission efficiency of the X-ray source on laser pulse parameters and properties of the gas medium was studied. The optimal conditions, when the X-ray photon yield reached a maximum value, have been found when the argon plasma has an electron temperature of $T_{\text{e}}\sim 185~\text{eV}$ , an electron density of $N_{\text{e}}\sim 7\times 10^{20}~\text{cm}^{-3}$ and an average charge of $Z\sim 14$ . In such a plasma, a coefficient of conversion to soft X-ray radiation with energies $E_{\text{x}\text{-}\text{ray}}\sim 3.1\;(\pm 0.2)~\text{keV}$ reaches $8.57\times 10^{-5}$ , and no processes leading to the acceleration of electrons to MeV energies occur. It was found that the efficiency of the X-ray emission of this plasma source is mainly determined by the focusing geometry. We confirmed experimentally that the angular distribution of the X-ray radiation is isotropic, and its intensity linearly depends on the energy of the laser pulse, which was varied in the range of 50–280 mJ. We also found that the yield of X-ray photons can be notably increased by, for example, choosing the optimal laser pulse duration and the inlet pressure of the gas jet.

Accounting for the Edge Effects of Electric and Magnetic Fields in the Spectroscopy of Ion Flows from Relativistic Laser Plasma

Analytical formulas are obtained that describe stationary fields in magnetic and electric separators of charged particles of ion spectrometers of two types taking edge effects into account: a time-of-flight spectrometer with magnetic separation and a Thomson mass spectrometer. Based on a numerical solution of the equation of ion motion in magnetic and electric fields taking the edge effects into account, it is shown that calculation using the effective constant-field method without taking the edge effects into account leads to errors not only in determining the ion energy, but also in the estimation of the mass and charge compositions of the ion flow, which is formed under irradiation of solid targets with femtosecond laser pulses of relativistic intensity. On the basis of the developed approaches, experimental data that were obtained using spectrometers of both types at a laser radiation intensity of above 1018 W/cm2 on targets are interpreted and it is shown that the developed algorithms provide their fast and efficient analysis.

High-order harmonic generation from a solid-surface plasma by relativistic-intensity sub-100-fs mid-infrared pulses.

High-order harmonic generation (HHG) in plasmas induced by ultrashort, relativistic-intensity laser pulses on solid surfaces can provide an efficient source of attosecond pulses and opens routes toward new regimes of laser-matter interactions, x-ray generation, laser particle acceleration, and relativistic nonlinear optics. However, field intensities in the range of Irel∼1019 W/cm2 are typically needed to achieve the relativistic regime of HHG in experiments with near-infrared laser pulses. Here, we show that, in the mid-infrared range, due to the λ-2 scaling of Irel with the driver wavelength λ, relativistic HHG can be observed at much lower levels of laser field intensities. High-peak-power 80-fs, 3.9-μm pulses are focused in our experiments on a solid surface to provide field intensities in the range of 1017 W/cm2. Remarkably, this level of field intensities, considered as low by the standards of relativistic optics in the near infrared, is shown to be sufficient for generation of high-order harmonics with signature properties of relativistic HHG-beam directionality, spectra with extended plateaus, and a high HHG yield sustained for both p- and s-polarized driver fields.

Modeling of Laser Generation and Propagation of Electron Bunch Along Thin Irradiated Wire

Three-dimensional numerical PIC simulation allowed the detection and study of the formation of an electron bunch moving with relativistic velocity along a thin metal wire during its irradiation with a short laser pulse of relativistic intensity. The bunch motion is accompanied by electromagnetic surface-type pulses.

Accounting for the instrument function of crystal spectrometers operating in many reflection orders in the diagnostics of laser plasma from its continuum spectrum

By the example of an X-ray spectrometer with a spherically bent mica crystal we consider the diagnostic errors entailed when the observed bremsstrahlung spectrum is attributed to a single spectrum of reflection. As an illustration we choose the X-ray emission spectrum of the plasma produced at the surface of a steel foil by femtosecond laser pulses of relativistic intensity. It is shown that obtaining adequate results in the case of a high-temperature plasma calls for the consistent inclusion of all orders of reflection or diffraction with a dispersing device.

Electron heating by intense short-pulse lasers propagating through near-critical plasmas

We investigate the electron heating induced by a relativistic-intensity laser pulse propagating through a near-critical plasma. Using particle-in-cell simulations, we show that a specific interaction regime sets in when, due to the energy depletion caused by the plasma wakefield, the laser front profile has steepened to the point of having a length scale close to the laser wavelength. Wave breaking and phase mixing have then occurred, giving rise to a relativistically hot electron population following the laser pulse. This hot electron flow is dense enough to neutralize the cold bulk electrons during their backward acceleration by the wakefield. This neutralization mechanism delays, but does not prevent the breaking of the wakefield: the resulting phase mixing converts the large kinetic energy of the backward-flowing electrons into thermal energy greatly exceeding the conventional ponderomotive scaling at laser intensities and gas densities around 10% of the critical density. We develop a semi-numerical model, based on the Akhiezer–Polovin equations, which correctly reproduces the particle-in-cell-predicted electron thermal energies over a broad parameter range. Given this good agreement, we propose a criterion for full laser absorption that includes field-induced ionization. Finally, we show that our predictions still hold in a two-dimensional geometry using a realistic gas profile.

Efficient picosecond x-ray pulse generation from plasmas in the radiation dominated regime

The efficient conversion of optical laser light into bright ultrafast x-ray pulses in laser created plasmas is of high interest for dense plasma physics studies, material science, and other fields. However, the rapid hydrodynamic expansion that cools hot plasmas has limited the x-ray conversion efficiency (CE) to 1% or less. Here we demonstrate more than one order of magnitude increase in picosecond x-ray CE by tailoring near solid density plasmas to achieve a large radiative to hydrodynamic energy loss rate ratio, leading into a radiation loss dominated plasma regime. A record 20% CE into hν>1 keV photons was measured in arrays of large aspect ratio Au nanowires heated to keV temperatures with ultrahigh contrast femtosecond laser pulses of relativistic intensity. The potential of these bright ultrafast x-ray point sources for table-top imaging is illustrated with single shot flash radiographs obtained using low laser pulse energy. These results will enable the deployment of brighter laser driven x-ray sources at both compact and large laser facilities.