Near-critical Density Research Articles

Measurement of electromagnetic pulse in laser acceleration enhanced by near-critical density targets

High-power laser interactions with solid targets create an abundance of high-energy charged particles, resulting in the generation of intense electromagnetic pulses (EMPs), which are strongly pertinent to the target parameters. In this study, the characteristics of EMPs generated by relativistic femtosecond laser irradiation of double-layer targets composed of near-critical density carbon nanotube foams (CNFs) and an aluminum (Al) foil are investigated. The results demonstrate that the CNF double-layer targets accelerate proton energy by over 1.6 times compared to a single-layer Al plane target, thereby indirectly amplifying the EMP amplitude by over 3.6 times. The findings are beneficial to gaining insight into EMPs induced by femtosecond laser coupling with near-critical density targets and open a new avenue to achieve tunable EMPs by managing the material and structure of the target to optimize the coupling efficiency between the laser and solid targets.

High-brightness betatron emission from the interaction of a sub picosecond laser pulse with pre-ionized low-density polymer foam for ICF research

Direct laser acceleration (DLA) of electrons in plasmas of near-critical density (NCD) is a very advancing platform for high-energy PW-class lasers of moderate relativistic intensity supporting Inertial Confinement Fusion research. Experiments conducted at the PHELIX sub-PW Nd:glass laser demonstrated application-promising characteristics of DLA-based radiation and particle sources, such as ultra-high number, high directionality and high conversion efficiency. In this context, the bright synchrotron-like (betatron) radiation of DLA electrons, which arises from the interaction of a sub-ps PHELIX laser pulse with an intensity of 1019 W/cm2 with pre-ionized low-density polymer foam, was studied. The experimental results show that the betatron radiation produced by DLA electrons in NCD plasma is well directed with a half-angle of 100–200 mrad, yielding (3.4 ± 0.4)·1010 photons/keV/sr at 10 keV photon energy. The experimental photon fluence and the brilliance agree well with the particle-in-cell simulations. These results pave the way for innovative applications of the DLA regime using low-density pre-ionized foams in high energy density research.

Laser-driven ion and electron acceleration from near-critical density gas targets: Towards high-repetition rate operation in the 1 PW, sub-100 fs laser interaction regime

Ion acceleration from gaseous targets driven by relativistic-intensity lasers was demonstrated as early as the late 1990s, yet most of the experiments conducted to date have involved picosecond-duration, Nd:glass lasers operating at low repetition rate. Here, we present measurements on the interaction of ultraintense (≈1020Wcm−2, 1 PW), ultrashort (≈70fs) Ti:Sa laser pulses with near-critical (≈1020cm−3) helium gas jets, a debris-free targetry with the potential for future compatibility with high (≈1 Hz) repetition rate operation. We provide evidence of α particles being forward accelerated up to ≈2.7−MeV energy with a total flux of ≈1011sr−1 as integrated over >0.1−MeV energies and detected within a 0.5−mrad solid angle. We also report on on-axis emission of relativistic electrons with an exponentially decaying spectrum characterized by a ≈10−MeV slope, i.e., five times larger than the standard ponderomotive scaling. The total charge of these electrons with energy above 2 MeV is estimated to be of ≈1nC, corresponding to ≈0.1% of the laser drive energy. In addition, we observe the formation of a plasma channel, extending longitudinally across the gas density maximum and expanding radially with time. These results are well captured by large-scale particle-in-cell simulations, which reveal that the detected fast ions most likely originate from reflection off the rapidly expanding channel walls. The latter process is predicted to yield ion energies in the MeV range, which compare well with the measurements. Finally, direct laser acceleration is shown to be the dominant mechanism behind the observed electron energization. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Generation of attosecond electron bunches of tunable duration and density by relativistic vortex lasers in near-critical density plasma

Attosecond electron bunches have wide application prospects in free-electron laser injection, attosecond X/γ-ray generation, ultrafast physics, etc. Nowadays, there is one notable challenge in the generation of high-quality attosecond electron bunch, i.e., how to enhance the electron bunch density. Using theoretical analysis and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we discovered that a relativistic vortex laser pulse interacting with near-critical density plasma can not only effectively concentrate the attosecond electron bunches to over critical density, but also control the duration and density of the electron bunches by tuning the intensity and carrier-envelope phase of the drive laser. It is demonstrated that this method can efficiently produce attosecond electron bunches with a density up to 300 times of the original plasma density, peak divergence angle of less than 0.5∘, and duration of less than 67 attoseconds. Furthermore, by using near-critical density plasma instead of solid targets, our scheme is potential for the generation of high-repetition-frequency attosecond electron bunches, thus reducing the requirements for experiments, such as the beam alignment or target supporter.

Electron acceleration and x-ray generation from near-critical-density carbon nanotube foams driven by moderately relativistic lasers

Direct laser acceleration of electrons in near-critical-density (NCD) carbon nanotube foams (CNFs) has its advantages in the high-efficiency generation of relativistic electrons and broadband x-rays. Here, we report the first simultaneous measurement on the spectra of laser-driven electrons and x-rays from CNFs at moderately relativistic intensities of around 5×1019 W/cm2. The density and thickness of the CNFs were scanned in the experiments, indicating the optimized electron temperature of 5.5 MeV and x-ray critical energy of 5 keV. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations confirm that the electrons, with a temperature significantly higher than the pondermotive scale, are directly accelerated by the laser along the NCD plasma channel, while the bright x-rays are emitted by these electrons through betatron radiation or Thomson backscattering inside the channel. The simultaneously generated electrons and x-rays, automatically synchronized with the femtosecond laser driver, are suitable for applications such as bi-modal radiography.

Acceleration characteristics of hot electrons resulted from magnetic reconnection process driven by double-beam intense laser pulses in near critical density plasmas

In this work, we investigated the magnetic annihilation and reconnection and the resulted hot electron acceleration driven by double-beam intense laser pulses in two-layer near critical density (NCD) plasma target. The results are obtained by performing two-dimensional (2D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. It is found that a quasi-mono-energetic peak can be formed in the energy spectrum of electrons accelerated by the process of magnetic field annihilation (MA) at cutoff energy. Electron spectra feature depends on the length of the second low-density layer. This suggests that the process of relativistic magnetic annihilation may be controlled in experiments by target design.

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.

Investigation of γ-photon sources using near-critical density targets towards the optimization of the linear Breit–Wheeler process

In this paper we analyze the production of high energy synchrotron gamma photons in laser-plasma interaction for a laser intensity in 1022– 5⋅1023Wcm−2 and a near-critical density target using two dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. In the optimum configuration to maximize the conversion efficiency of the laser energy to γ-photons, we studied the production of electron–positron pairs by the linear Breit–Wheeler process in the collision of two identical γ-photon beams using a dedicated photon-photon collision simulation code. A maximum laser energy conversion coefficient of 33% in high energy photons was obtained and a photon beam intensity, with energies above 1MeV , of 2⋅1020Wcm−2 at 150μm distance from the initial position of the target (for the highest laser intensity considered). We show that the optimum case to detect the linear Breit–Wheeler pairs corresponds to a laser intensity of 1023Wcm−2 . Our results can be used for the preparation of experimental campaigns for the detection of linear Breit–Wheeler pairs at the Apollon and ELI laser facilities.

Emission of terahertz pulses from near-critical plasma slab under action of p-polarized laser radiation

The theory of the terahertz (THz) waves emission from a near-critical plasma slab under the action of the focused p-polarized laser pulse is developed. The spectral, angular and energy characteristics of the THz signal are studied as functions of the focusing degree and the incidence angle of laser radiation, as well as the density and thickness of the plasma slab. It is shown that the extremely strong increase in the energy of the THz signal (up to millijoule level) and conversion rate (up to 10 %) occurs at the almost normal incidence of the ultra-short, tightly focused p-polarized laser pulse on the thin plasma slab with the near-critical density and rare electron collisions.

THz transition radiation of electron bunches laser-accelerated in long-scale near-critical-density plasmas

Direct laser electron acceleration in near-critical density plasma produces collimated electron beams with high charge Q (up to µC). This regime could be of interest for high-energy THz radiation generation, as many of the mechanisms have a scaling ∝Q2 . In this work, we focus specifically on the challenges that arise during numerical investigations of transition radiation in such interactions. Detailed analytical calculations that include both the diffraction and decoherence effects of the characteristics of transition radiation in the THz range were conducted with the input parameters obtained from 3D particle-in-cell and hydrodynamic simulations. The calculated characteristics of THz radiation are in good agreement with the experimentally measured ones. Therefore, this approach can be used both to optimize the properties of THz radiation and to distinguish the transition radiation contribution if several mechanisms of THz radiation generation are considered.

Ion acceleration from the interaction of ultrahigh-intensity laser pulses with near-critical density, nonuniform gas targets

Using one-dimensional, long-timescale particle-in-cell simulations, we study the processes of ion acceleration from the interaction of ultraintense (1020 W cm−2), ultrashort (30 fs) laser pulses with near-critical, nonuniform gas targets. The considered initially neutral, nitrogen gas density profiles mimic those delivered by an already developed noncommercial supersonic gas shock nozzle: they have the generic shape of a narrow (20 μm wide) peak superimposed on broad (∼1 mm, ∼180 μm scale length), exponentially decreasing ramps. While keeping its shape constant, we vary its absolute density values to identify the interaction conditions leading to collisionless shock-induced ion acceleration in the gas density ramps. We find that collisionless electrostatic shocks (CES) form when the laser pulse is able to shine through the central density peak and deposit a few 10% of its energy into it. Under our conditions, this occurs for a peak electron density between 0.35 nc and 0.7 nc. Moreover, we show that the ability of the CES to reflect the upstream ions is highly sensitive to their charge state and that the laser-induced electron pressure gradients mainly account for shock generation, thus highlighting the benefit of using sharp gas profiles, such as those produced by shock nozzles.

Collisionless shock acceleration of protons in a plasma slab produced in a gas jet by the collision of two laser-driven hydrodynamic shockwaves

We have recently proposed a new technique of plasma tailoring by laser-driven hydrodynamic shockwaves generated on both sides of a gas jet [Marquès et al., Phys. Plasmas 28, 023103 (2021)]. In a continuation of this numerical work, we study experimentally the influence of the tailoring on proton acceleration driven by a high-intensity picosecond laser in three cases: without tailoring, by tailoring only the entrance side of the picosecond laser, and by tailoring both sides of the gas jet. Without tailoring, the acceleration is transverse to the laser axis, with a low-energy exponential spectrum, produced by Coulomb explosion. When the front side of the gas jet is tailored, a forward acceleration appears, which is significantly enhanced when both the front and back sides of the plasma are tailored. This forward acceleration produces higher-energy protons, with a peaked spectrum, and is in good agreement with the mechanism of collisionless shock acceleration (CSA). The spatiotemporal evolution of the plasma profile is characterized by optical shadowgraphy of a probe beam. The refraction and absorption of this beam are simulated by post-processing 3D hydrodynamic simulations of the plasma tailoring. Comparison with the experimental results allows estimation of the thickness and near-critical density of the plasma slab produced by tailoring both sides of the gas jet. These parameters are in good agreement with those required for CSA.

Proton and helium ions acceleration in near-critical density gas targets by short-pulse Ti:Sa PW-class laser

The ability to quickly refresh gas-jet targets without cycling the vacuum chamber makes them a promising candidate for laser-accelerated ion experiments at high repetition rate. Here we present results from the first high repetition rate ion acceleration experiment on the VEGA-3 PW-class laser at CLPU. A near-critical density gas-jet target was produced by forcing a 1000 bar H $_2$ and He gas mix through bespoke supersonic shock nozzles. Proton energies up to 2 MeV were measured in the laser forward direction and 2.2 MeV transversally. He $^{2+}$ ions up to 5.8 MeV were also measured in the transverse direction. To help maintain a consistent gas density profile over many shots, nozzles were designed to produce a high-density shock at distances larger than 1 mm from the nozzle exit. We outline a procedure for optimizing the laser–gas interaction by translating the nozzle along the laser axis and using different nozzle materials. Several tens of laser interactions were performed with the same nozzle which demonstrates the potential usefulness of gas-jet targets as high repetition rate particle source.

Transition acceleration of electrons and reconnection of magnetic fields driven by two-beam relativistic laser pulses traversing a NCD plasma slab target

The self-generation and reconnection of magnetic fields and accompanying electron acceleration were studied when two ultrafast intense laser beams propagate synchronously through a thin plasma slab target with homogeneous near-critical density (NCD). The results show that the magnetic reconnection occurs behind the target and the electrons undergo three important accelerating stages, ponderomotive force acceleration in the plasma channels, transition (or transboundary) acceleration from the plasma medium to the vacuum, and acceleration by the reconnecting fields. In the reconnection process the hot electrons are compelled to be reverse-accelerated (generating refluxes) and consequently the double annular magnetic tube fields in channels are collapsed into one large-scale annular magnetic tube structure, in which a significant pinching effect is revealed. Meanwhile, two peculiar enclosed “field-free” zones were shown, which is suggested to be a combined effect of magnetic annihilation (MA) and longitudinal quasi-static electric field generated by separation of positive and negative charges.

Efficient Doppler-Effect-Induced Generation of Mid-IR Radiation upon Reflection of Intense Laser Pulses from a Near-Critical Density Plasma

Efficient Doppler-Effect-Induced Generation of Mid-IR Radiation upon Reflection of Intense Laser Pulses from a Near-Critical Density Plasma

Improved energy spread in the radiation pressure acceleration of protons with a linearly polarized laser.

Degradation in the energy spread of accelerated protons due to the transverse instability induced transparency is one of the critical issues in the laser-driven radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) scheme. This issue is more severe for linearly polarized lasers due to enhanced heating of electrons. Therefore, in spite of being experimentally challenging, most of the numerical studies are performed with circularly polarized lasers. In this work, through particle-in-cell simulations, we demonstrate a significant improvement in the energy spread of the accelerated protons when a multilayered target is irradiated by a linearly polarized laser. This multilayered target consists of a near-critical-density (NCD) layer, sandwiched between a thick metallic foil and a thin RPA target. The role of the NCD target is to suppress the laser transparency to increase the coupling of laser momentum to the RPA protons. On the other hand, the metallic foil utilizes the kinetic energy of the escaping fast electrons to form an electrostatic sheath to filter the low-energy RPA protons. This results in significant improvement in the accelerated proton spectrum, even with a linearly polarized laser.

Ultra-short pulse laser acceleration of protons to 80 MeV from cryogenic hydrogen jets tailored to near-critical density

Laser plasma-based particle accelerators attract great interest in fields where conventional accelerators reach limits based on size, cost or beam parameters. Despite the fact that particle in cell simulations have predicted several advantageous ion acceleration schemes, laser accelerators have not yet reached their full potential in producing simultaneous high-radiation doses at high particle energies. The most stringent limitation is the lack of a suitable high-repetition rate target that also provides a high degree of control of the plasma conditions required to access these advanced regimes. Here, we demonstrate that the interaction of petawatt-class laser pulses with a pre-formed micrometer-sized cryogenic hydrogen jet plasma overcomes these limitations enabling tailored density scans from the solid to the underdense regime. Our proof-of-concept experiment demonstrates that the near-critical plasma density profile produces proton energies of up to 80 MeV. Based on hydrodynamic and three-dimensional particle in cell simulations, transition between different acceleration schemes are shown, suggesting enhanced proton acceleration at the relativistic transparency front for the optimal case.

Efficient ion acceleration driven by a Laguerre–Gaussian laser in near-critical-density plasma

Laser-driven ion accelerators have the advantages of compact size, high density, and short bunch duration over conventional accelerators. Nevertheless, it is still challenging to generate ion beams with quasi-monoenergetic peak and low divergence in experiments with the current ultrahigh intensity laser and thin target technologies. Here we propose a scheme that a Laguerre–Gaussian laser irradiates a near-critical-density (NCD) plasma to generate a quasi-monoenergetic and low-divergence proton beam. The Laguerre–Gaussian laser pulse in an NCD plasma excites a moving longitudinal electrostatic field with a large amplitude, and it maintains the inward bowl-shape for dozens of laser durations. This special distribution of the longitudinal electrostatic field can simultaneously accelerate and converge the protons. Our particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation shows that the efficient proton acceleration can be realized with the Laguerre–Gaussian laser intensity ranging from 3.9 × 1021 W⋅cm−2–1.6 × 1022 W⋅cm−2 available in the near future, e.g., a quasi-monoenergetic proton beam with peak energy ∼ 115 MeV and divergence angles less than 5° can be generated by a 5.3 × 1021 W⋅cm−2 pulse. This work could provide a reference for the high-quality ion beam generation with PWclass laser systems available recently.

Theoretical investigation of the interaction of ultra-high intensity laser pulses with near critical density plasmas

A theoretical model of energy transfer from laser to particles in the ultra-high intensity regime of laser plasma interaction is proposed, assuming that most of the laser energy will be transferred to hot electrons. Varying the target density and thickness, the optimal parameters for the maximum conversion efficiency of the laser energy to particles are studied. Through 2D particle-in-cell simulations, the model is validated for a near-critical density plasma between (where cm−3 is the critical density for a laser wavelength of m) irradiated by a laser pulse of intensity in the range 1020–1023 W cm−2 and the pulse duration in the range 6.5–100 fs. As an application to this model, laser ion acceleration is studied for a laser intensity of 1022 W cm−2 and a pulse duration of 20 fs. Based on the literature and new findings from our model, the optimum thickness for ion acceleration and the maximum ion energies for an expansion like mechanism are predicted. These results can be used for applications requiring high energy ions and for preparations of experiments at the Apollon and ELI laser facilities.

Generation of synchronized x-rays and mid-infrared pulses by Doppler-shifting of relativistically intense radiation from near-critical-density plasmas

It is shown that when relativistically intense ultrashort laser pulses are reflected from the boundary of a plasma with a near-critical density, the Doppler frequency shift leads to generation of intense radiation in both the high-frequency (up to the x-ray) and low-frequency (mid-infrared) ranges. The efficiency of energy conversion into the wavelength range above 3 µm can reach several percent, which makes it possible to obtain relativistically intense pulses in the mid-infrared range. These pulses are synchronized with high harmonics in the ultraviolet and x-ray ranges, which opens up opportunities for high-precision pump–probe measurements, in particular, laser-induced electron diffraction and transient absorption spectroscopy.