1
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Timmis RJL, Paddock RW, Ouatu I, Lee J, Howard S, Atonga E, Ruskov RT, Martin H, Wang RHW, Aboushelbaya R, Leyen MWVD, Gumbrell E, Norreys PA. Attosecond and nano-Coulomb electron bunches via the Zero Vector Potential mechanism. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10805. [PMID: 38734711 PMCID: PMC11088705 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61041-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The commissioning of multi-petawatt class laser facilities around the world is gathering pace. One of the primary motivations for these investments is the acceleration of high-quality, low-emittance electron bunches. Here we explore the interaction of a high-intensity femtosecond laser pulse with a mass-limited dense target to produce MeV attosecond electron bunches in transmission and confirm with three-dimensional simulation that such bunches have low emittance and nano-Coulomb charge. We then perform a large parameter scan from non-relativistic laser intensities to the laser-QED regime and from the critical plasma density to beyond solid density to demonstrate that the electron bunch energies and the laser pulse energy absorption into the plasma can be quantitatively described via the Zero Vector Potential mechanism. These results have wide-ranging implications for future particle accelerator science and associated technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J L Timmis
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK.
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RH, UK.
| | - R W Paddock
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - I Ouatu
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - J Lee
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - S Howard
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - E Atonga
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - R T Ruskov
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - H Martin
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - R H W Wang
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - R Aboushelbaya
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | | | - E Gumbrell
- Plasma Physics Department, AWE, Aldermaston, RG7 4PR, UK
| | - P A Norreys
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
- John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RH, UK
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2
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Li BY, Liu F, Chen M, Yuan XH, Sheng ZM, Zhang J. Spectral modulation of high-order harmonics in relativistic laser-solid interaction. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:025212. [PMID: 38491712 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.025212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Spectral modulation of high-order harmonics generated in relativistic laser-solid interaction is investigated. Numerical simulations show that the modulation depends on surface plasma density profile, resulting in spectral envelope modulation and regular and irregular harmonic splitting. The mathematical and physical connections between the spectral modulation of high-order harmonics and the temporal modification of attosecond pulse train are explained. Based on these understandings, we propose a possible method to produce isolated attosecond pulses by tailoring surface the plasma profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Y Li
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - F Liu
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - M Chen
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - X H Yuan
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Z M Sheng
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - J Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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3
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Lamač M, Mima K, Nejdl J, Chaulagain U, Bulanov SV. Anomalous Relativistic Emission from Self-Modulated Plasma Mirrors. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 131:205001. [PMID: 38039469 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.131.205001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of intense laser pulses with plasma mirrors has demonstrated the ability to generate high-order harmonics, producing a bright source of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation and attosecond pulses. Here, we report an unexpected transition in this process. We show that the loss of spatiotemporal coherence in the reflected high harmonics can lead to a new regime of highly efficient coherent XUV generation, with an extraordinary property where the radiation is directionally anomalous, propagating parallel to the mirror surface. With analytical calculations and numerical particle-in-cell simulations, we discover that the radiation emission is due to laser-driven oscillations of relativistic electron nanobunches that originate from a plasma surface instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Lamač
- ELI Beamlines Facility, The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC, Za Radnicí 835, Dolní Břežany 25241, Czechia
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 3, Prague 2, 12116, Czechia
| | - K Mima
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - J Nejdl
- ELI Beamlines Facility, The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC, Za Radnicí 835, Dolní Břežany 25241, Czechia
- Faculty of Nuclear Science and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Břehová 7, Prague 1, 11519, Czechia
| | - U Chaulagain
- ELI Beamlines Facility, The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC, Za Radnicí 835, Dolní Břežany 25241, Czechia
| | - S V Bulanov
- ELI Beamlines Facility, The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC, Za Radnicí 835, Dolní Břežany 25241, Czechia
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, 619-0215 Kyoto, Japan
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4
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Beier NF, Dollar F. Two-color high-harmonic generation from relativistic plasma mirrors. Phys Rev E 2023; 108:015201. [PMID: 37583210 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.108.015201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
High-intensity laser solid interactions are capable of generating attosecond light bursts via high-harmonic generation-most work focuses on single beam interactions. In this paper, we perform a numerical investigation on the role of wavelength and polarization in relativistic, high-harmonic generation from normal-incidence, two-beam interactions off plasma mirrors. We find that the two-beam harmonic-generation mechanism is a robust process described by a set of well-defined selection rules. We demonstrate that the emitted harmonics from normal-incidence interactions exhibit an intensity optimization when the incident fields are of equal intensity for two-color circularly polarized fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- N F Beier
- STROBE, NSF Science & Technology Center, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, USA
| | - F Dollar
- STROBE, NSF Science & Technology Center, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, USA
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5
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Bae LJ, Kang GB, Kim M, Lee GS, Sohn JH, Nam CH, Cho BI. Diagnosis of ultrafast surface dynamics of thin foil targets irradiated by intense laser pulses. OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 31:5767-5776. [PMID: 36823849 DOI: 10.1364/oe.474759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The temporal modulation of an electron bunch train accelerated from a foil target irradiated by an intense laser pulse is studied by measuring the coherent transition radiation (CTR) from the rear surface of a target. We experimentally obtained CTR spectra from a 1 µm thick foil target irradiated at a maximum intensity of 6.5 × 1019 W/cm2. Spectral redshifts of the emitted radiation corresponding to increases in laser intensity were observed. These measurements were compared with the theoretical calculation of CTR spectra considering ultrafast surface dynamics, such as plasma surface oscillation and relativistically induced transparency. Plasma surface oscillations induce a spectral redshift, while relativistic transparency causes a spectral blueshift. Both effects are required to find reasonable agreement with the experiment over the entire range of laser intensities.
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6
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Intense isolated attosecond pulses from two-color few-cycle laser driven relativistic surface plasma. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13668. [PMID: 35953509 PMCID: PMC9372060 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17762-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrafast plasma dynamics play a pivotal role in the relativistic high harmonic generation, a phenomenon that can give rise to intense light fields of attosecond duration. Controlling such plasma dynamics holds key to optimize the relevant sub-cycle processes in the high-intensity regime. Here, we demonstrate that the optimal coherent combination of two intense ultrashort pulses centered at two-colors (fundamental frequency, [Formula: see text] and second harmonic, [Formula: see text]) can lead to an optimal shape in relativistic intensity driver field that yields such an extraordinarily sensitive control. Conducting a series of two-dimensional (2D) relativistic particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations carried out for currently achievable laser parameters and realistic experimental conditions, we demonstrate that an appropriate combination of [Formula: see text] along with a precise delay control can lead to more than three times enhancement in the resulting high harmonic flux. Finally, the two-color multi-cycle field synthesized with appropriate delay and polarization can all-optically suppress several attosecond bursts while favourably allowing one burst to occur, leading to the generation of intense isolated attosecond pulses without the need of any sophisticated gating techniques.
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7
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Li BY, Liu F, Chen M, Wu FY, Wang JW, Lu L, Li JL, Ge XL, Yuan XH, Yan WC, Chen LM, Sheng ZM, Zhang J. Experimental Demonstration of Efficient Harmonic Generation via Surface Plasma Compression with Lasers. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 128:244801. [PMID: 35776476 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.128.244801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The efficiency of high-order harmonic generation from a relativistic laser interacting with solid targets depends greatly on surface plasma distribution. The usual method of enhancing efficiency involves tuning the plasma scale length carefully by improving the laser contrast. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that efficient harmonics can be achieved directly by compressing large-scale surface plasma via the radiation pressure of a circularly polarized normally incident prepulse. The harmonic generation efficiency obtained by this method is comparable to that obtained with optimized plasma scale length by high-contrast lasers. Our scheme does not rely on high-contrast lasers and is robust and easy to implement. Thus, it may pave a way for the development of intense extreme ultraviolet sources and future applications with high repetition rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Y Li
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - F Liu
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - M Chen
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - F Y Wu
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - J W Wang
- State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - L Lu
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - J L Li
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - X L Ge
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - X H Yuan
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - W C Yan
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - L M Chen
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Z M Sheng
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - J Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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8
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Divergence of High-Order Harmonic Generation by a Convex Plasma Surface. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12115745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The electron density profile on a plasma surface has a decisive influence on the mechanism and characteristics of the plasma high-order harmonic generation. When the pre-pulse has a similar spatial and temporal distribution as the main laser pulse, the plasma surface on the target will expand to form a convex profile of the similar size as the focal spot of the main pulse. We experimentally observed that the divergence of the harmonics generated by the relativistic laser light incident on a silica target has a saddle-shaped structure. The two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation with convex plasma surfaces explains the experimental results very well and infers a 0.12λL plasma scale length around the center of the convex profile. Further, we qualitatively explained that the asymmetry of the saddle-shaped harmonic divergence is caused by oblique incidence.
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9
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Wang S, Tan F, Yang Z, Wu Y, Zhang X, Yu M, Yang Y, Yan Y, Zhu B, Wei L, Fan Q, Su J, Gu Y, Zhou W. Selective generation of narrow-band harmonics by a relativistic laser pulse interaction with a detuned plasma grating. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:065207. [PMID: 35854521 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.065207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The spectral characteristics of high-order harmonics generated by the interaction of a linearly polarized relativistic laser pulse with a plasma grating target are investigated. Through particle-in-cell simulations and an analytical model, it is shown that a plasma grating target with periodic structure can select special harmonics with integer multiples of the grating frequency, and that low-order harmonics with frequencies being integer times of the laser frequency are generated nearly parallel to the target surface from a Fresnel zone plate target with an aperiodic structure. Spectral control of the harmonics can be achieved by introducing a correction factor β to the radius formula of the Fresnel zone plate, which can create a slightly detuned plasma grating, and then only the narrow-band harmonics can be selected nearly parallel to the target surface. The center order of the narrow-band harmonics can be tuned by adjusting the correction factor β, while the bandwidth of the harmonics can be selected by adjusting the other parameter λ_{f} of the detuned plasma grating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoyi Wang
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Fang Tan
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Zuhua Yang
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Yuchi Wu
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Minghai Yu
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Yue Yang
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Yonghong Yan
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Bin Zhu
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Lai Wei
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Quanping Fan
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Jingqin Su
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Yuqiu Gu
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
| | - Weimin Zhou
- Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, P. O. Box 919 986, Mianyang 621900, China
- The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, CAEP, Mianyang 621900, China
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10
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Bernert C, Assenbaum S, Brack FE, Cowan TE, Curry CB, Garten M, Gaus L, Gauthier M, Göde S, Goethel I, Glenzer SH, Kluge T, Kraft S, Kroll F, Kuntzsch M, Metzkes-Ng J, Loeser M, Obst-Huebl L, Rehwald M, Schlenvoigt HP, Schoenwaelder C, Schramm U, Siebold M, Treffert F, Ziegler T, Zeil K. Off-harmonic optical probing of high intensity laser plasma expansion dynamics in solid density hydrogen jets. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7287. [PMID: 35508489 PMCID: PMC9068928 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10797-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the non-linear nature of relativistic laser induced plasma processes, the development of laser-plasma accelerators requires precise numerical modeling. Especially high intensity laser-solid interactions are sensitive to the temporal laser rising edge and the predictive capability of simulations suffers from incomplete information on the plasma state at the onset of the relativistic interaction. Experimental diagnostics utilizing ultra-fast optical backlighters can help to ease this challenge by providing temporally resolved inside into the plasma density evolution. We present the successful implementation of an off-harmonic optical probe laser setup to investigate the interaction of a high-intensity laser at [Formula: see text] peak intensity with a solid-density cylindrical cryogenic hydrogen jet target of [Formula: see text] diameter as a target test bed. The temporal synchronization of pump and probe laser, spectral filtering and spectrally resolved data of the parasitic plasma self-emission are discussed. The probing technique mitigates detector saturation by self-emission and allowed to record a temporal scan of shadowgraphy data revealing details of the target ionization and expansion dynamics that were so far not accessible for the given laser intensity. Plasma expansion speeds of up to [Formula: see text] followed by full target transparency at [Formula: see text] after the high intensity laser peak are observed. A three dimensional particle-in-cell simulation initiated with the diagnosed target pre-expansion at [Formula: see text] and post processed by ray tracing simulations supports the experimental observations and demonstrates the capability of time resolved optical diagnostics to provide quantitative input and feedback to the numerical treatment within the time frame of the relativistic laser-plasma interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantin Bernert
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany.
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Stefan Assenbaum
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Florian-Emanuel Brack
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas E Cowan
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Chandra B Curry
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Marco Garten
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lennart Gaus
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Maxence Gauthier
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | | | - Ilja Goethel
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Kluge
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stephan Kraft
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - Florian Kroll
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | - Markus Loeser
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lieselotte Obst-Huebl
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Martin Rehwald
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Christopher Schoenwaelder
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
- Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schramm
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mathias Siebold
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska Treffert
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
- Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64289, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Tim Ziegler
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - Karl Zeil
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
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11
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Wilson R, King M, Butler NMH, Carroll DC, Frazer TP, Duff MJ, Higginson A, Dance RJ, Jarrett J, Davidson ZE, Armstrong CD, Liu H, Hawkes SJ, Clarke RJ, Neely D, Gray RJ, McKenna P. Influence of spatial-intensity contrast in ultraintense laser-plasma interactions. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1910. [PMID: 35115579 PMCID: PMC8814164 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05655-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing the intensity to which high power laser pulses are focused has opened up new research possibilities, including promising new approaches to particle acceleration and phenomena such as high field quantum electrodynamics. Whilst the intensity achievable with a laser pulse of a given power can be increased via tighter focusing, the focal spot profile also plays an important role in the interaction physics. Here we show that the spatial-intensity distribution, and specifically the ratio of the intensity in the peak of the laser focal spot to the halo surrounding it, is important in the interaction of ultraintense laser pulses with solid targets. By comparing proton acceleration measurements from foil targets irradiated with by a near-diffraction-limited wavelength scale focal spot and larger F-number focusing, we find that this spatial-intensity contrast parameter strongly influences laser energy coupling to fast electrons. We find that for multi-petawatt pulses, spatial-intensity contrast is potentially as important as temporal-intensity contrast.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Wilson
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - M King
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK.,The Cockcroft Institute, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD, UK
| | - N M H Butler
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - D C Carroll
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - T P Frazer
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - M J Duff
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - A Higginson
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - R J Dance
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - J Jarrett
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - Z E Davidson
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - C D Armstrong
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK.,Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - H Liu
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK.,Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - S J Hawkes
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - R J Clarke
- Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - D Neely
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK.,Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX, UK
| | - R J Gray
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
| | - P McKenna
- SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK. .,The Cockcroft Institute, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD, UK.
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12
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Fedeli L, Sainte-Marie A, Zaim N, Thévenet M, Vay JL, Myers A, Quéré F, Vincenti H. Probing Strong-Field QED with Doppler-Boosted Petawatt-Class Lasers. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 127:114801. [PMID: 34558937 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.127.114801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
We propose a scheme to explore regimes of strong-field quantum electrodynamics (SF QED) otherwise unattainable with the currently available laser technology. The scheme relies on relativistic plasma mirrors curved by radiation pressure to boost the intensity of petawatt-class laser pulses by Doppler effect and focus them to extreme field intensities. We show that very clear SF QED signatures could be observed by placing a secondary target where the boosted beam is focused.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Fedeli
- LIDYL, CEA-Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - A Sainte-Marie
- LIDYL, CEA-Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - N Zaim
- LIDYL, CEA-Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - M Thévenet
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - J L Vay
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - A Myers
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - F Quéré
- LIDYL, CEA-Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - H Vincenti
- LIDYL, CEA-Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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13
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Stanfield M, Beier NF, Hakimi S, Allison H, Farinella D, Hussein AE, Tajima T, Dollar F. Millijoule few-cycle pulses from staged compression for strong and high field science. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:9123-9136. [PMID: 33820346 DOI: 10.1364/oe.417404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Intense few-cycle laser pulses have a breadth of applications in high energy density science, including particle acceleration and x-ray generation. Multi-amplifier laser system pulses have durations of tens of femtoseconds or longer. To achieve high intensities at the single-cycle limit, a robust and efficient post-compression scheme is required. We demonstrate a staged compression technique using self-phase modulation in thin dielectric media, in which few-cycle pulses can be produced. The few-cycle pulse is then used to generate extreme ultravoilet light via high harmonic generation at strong field intensities and to generate MeV electron beams via laser solid interactions at relativistic intensities.
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14
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Jiang Y, Chen ZY, Liu Z, Cao L, Zheng C, Xie R, Chao Y, He X. Direct generation of relativistic isolated attosecond pulses in transmission from laser-driven plasmas. OPTICS LETTERS 2021; 46:1285-1288. [PMID: 33720168 DOI: 10.1364/ol.418144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Isolated attosecond pulses are useful to perform pump-probe experiments at a high temporal resolution, and provide a new tool for ultrafast metrology. However, it is still a challenging task to generate such pulses of high intensity, even for a few-cycle laser. Through particle-in-cell simulations, we show that it is possible to directly generate a giant isolated attosecond pulse in the transmission direction from relativistic laser-driven plasmas. Compared to attosecond pulse generation in the reflection direction, no further spectral filtering is needed. The underlying radiation mechanism is coherent synchrotron emission, and the transmitted isolated attosecond pulse can reach relativistic intensity. This provides a promising alternative to generate intense isolated attosecond pulses for ultrafast studies.
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15
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Lin J, Batson T, Nees J, Thomas AGR, Krushelnick K. Towards isolated attosecond electron bunches using ultrashort-pulse laser-solid interactions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18354. [PMID: 33110187 PMCID: PMC7591899 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75418-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigate MeV-level attosecond electron bunches from ultrashort-pulse laser-solid interactions through similarities between experimental and simulated electron energy spectra. We show measurements of the bunch duration and temporal structure from particle-in-cell simulations. The experimental observation of such bunches favors specular reflection direction when focusing the laser pulse onto a subwavelength boundary of thick overdense plasmas at grazing incidence. Particle-in-cell simulation further reveals that the attosecond duration is a result of ultra-thin ([Formula: see text]tenth of a micron) gaps of zero electromagnetic energy density in the modulated reflected radiation, while the bunching (locally peaked electron concentration) comes from the highly-directional electron angular distribution acquired by the electrons in a grazing incidence setup. To isolate a single electron bunch, we perform simulations using 1-cycle laser pulses and analyze the effect of carrier-envelop phase with particle tracking. The duration of the electron bunch can be further decreased by increasing the laser intensity and the focal spot size, while its direction can be changed by tuning the preplasma density gradient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinpu Lin
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Thomas Batson
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - John Nees
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Alexander G R Thomas
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Karl Krushelnick
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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16
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Edwards MR, Fasano NM, Mikhailova JM. Electron-Nanobunch-Width-Dominated Spectral Power Law for Relativistic Harmonic Generation from Ultrathin Foils. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 124:185004. [PMID: 32441983 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.124.185004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Relativistic high-order harmonic generation from solid-density plasma offers a compact source of coherent ultraviolet and x-ray light. For solid targets much thinner than the laser wavelength, the plasma thickness can be tuned to increase conversion efficiency; a reduction in total charge allows for balancing the laser and plasma driving forces, producing the most effective interaction. Unlike for semi-infinite plasma surfaces, we find that for ultrathin foil targets the dominant factor in the emission spectral shape is the finite width of the electron nanobunches, leading to a power-law exponent of approximately 10/3. Ultrathin foils produce higher-efficiency frequency conversion than solid targets for moderately relativistic (1<a_{0}<40) interactions and also provide unique insight into how the trajectories of individual electrons combine and interfere to generate reflected attosecond pulses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Edwards
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - Nicholas M Fasano
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Julia M Mikhailova
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
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17
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Edwards MR, Mikhailova JM. The X-Ray Emission Effectiveness of Plasma Mirrors: Reexamining Power-Law Scaling for Relativistic High-Order Harmonic Generation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5154. [PMID: 32198482 PMCID: PMC7083899 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61255-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrashort pulsed lasers provide uniquely detailed access to the ultrafast dynamics of physical, chemical, and biological systems, but only a handful of wavelengths are directly produced by solid-state lasers, necessitating efficient high-power frequency conversion. Relativistic plasma mirrors generate broadband power-law spectra, that may span the gap between petawatt-class infrared laser facilities and x-ray free-electron lasers; despite substantial theoretical work the ultimate efficiency of this relativistic high-order-harmonic generation remains unclear. We show that the coherent radiation emitted by plasma mirrors follows a power-law distribution of energy over frequency with an exponent that, even in the ultrarelativistic limit, strongly depends on the ratio of laser intensity to plasma density and exceeds the frequently quoted value of -8/3 over a wide range of parameters. The coherent synchrotron emission model, when adequately corrected for the finite width of emitting electron bunches, is not just valid for p-polarized light and thin foil targets, but generally describes relativistic harmonic generation, including at normal incidence and with finite-gradient plasmas. Our numerical results support the ω-4/3 scaling of the synchrotron emission model as a limiting efficiency of the process under most conditions. The highest frequencies that can be generated with this scaling are usually restricted by the width of the emitting electron bunch rather than the Lorentz factor of the fastest electrons. The theoretical scaling relations developed here suggest, for example, that with a 20-PW 800-nm driving laser, 1 TW/harmonic can be produced for 1-keV photons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Edwards
- Princeton University, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, USA.
| | - Julia M Mikhailova
- Princeton University, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, USA.
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18
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Li BY, Liu F, Chen M, Chen ZY, Yuan XH, Weng SM, Jin T, Rykovanov SG, Wang JW, Sheng ZM, Zhang J. High-quality high-order harmonic generation through preplasma truncation. Phys Rev E 2019; 100:053207. [PMID: 31869902 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.100.053207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
By introducing preplasma truncation to cases with an initial preplasma scale length larger than 0.2λ, the efficiency of high-order harmonics generated from relativistic laser-solid interactions can be enhanced by more than one order of magnitude and the angular spread can be confined into near-diffraction-limited divergence. Numerical simulations show that density truncation results in more compact oscillation of the surface electron sheet and the curvature of the reflection surface for the driving laser is greatly reduced. This leads to an overall improvement in the harmonic beam quality. More importantly, density truncation makes the harmonic generation weakly dependent on the preplasma scale length, which provides a way to relax the extremely high requirement on the temporal contrast of the driving laser pulse. A feasible scheme to realize the required preplasma truncation is also proposed and demonstrated by numerical simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Y Li
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - F Liu
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - M Chen
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Z Y Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Shock Wave and Detonation Physics, Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621999, China
| | - X H Yuan
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - S M Weng
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - T Jin
- Zhiyuan College, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - S G Rykovanov
- Center for Computational and Data-Intensive Science and Engineering, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia
| | - J W Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Z M Sheng
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom
| | - J Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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19
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Leshchenko VE, Kessel A, Jahn O, Krüger M, Münzer A, Trushin SA, Veisz L, Major Z, Karsch S. On-target temporal characterization of optical pulses at relativistic intensity. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2019; 8:96. [PMID: 31666950 PMCID: PMC6813334 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-019-0207-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
High-field experiments are very sensitive to the exact value of the peak intensity of an optical pulse due to the nonlinearity of the underlying processes. Therefore, precise knowledge of the pulse intensity, which is mainly limited by the accuracy of the temporal characterization, is a key prerequisite for the correct interpretation of experimental data. While the detection of energy and spatial profile is well established, the unambiguous temporal characterization of intense optical pulses, another important parameter required for intensity evaluation, remains a challenge, especially at relativistic intensities and a few-cycle pulse duration. Here, we report on the progress in the temporal characterization of intense laser pulses and present the relativistic surface second harmonic generation dispersion scan (RSSHG-D-scan)-a new approach allowing direct on-target temporal characterization of high-energy, few-cycle optical pulses at relativistic intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vyacheslav E. Leshchenko
- Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, 85748 Garching, Germany
- Department für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
- Present Address: Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Alexander Kessel
- Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, 85748 Garching, Germany
- Department für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Olga Jahn
- Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, 85748 Garching, Germany
- Department für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Mathias Krüger
- Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, 85748 Garching, Germany
- Department für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Andreas Münzer
- Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, 85748 Garching, Germany
- Department für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Sergei A. Trushin
- Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, 85748 Garching, Germany
- Department für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Laszlo Veisz
- Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, 85748 Garching, Germany
- Department of Physics, Umeå University, Umeå, SE-901 87 Sweden
| | - Zsuzsanna Major
- Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, 85748 Garching, Germany
- Department für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Planckstraße 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institut Jena, Fröbelstieg 3, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Karsch
- Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, 85748 Garching, Germany
- Department für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 85748 Garching, Germany
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20
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Spectral interferometry with waveform-dependent relativistic high-order harmonics from plasma surfaces. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4992. [PMID: 30478336 PMCID: PMC6255866 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07421-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction of ultra-intense laser pulses with matter opened the way to generate the shortest light pulses available nowadays in the attosecond regime. Ionized solid surfaces, also called plasma mirrors, are promising tools to enhance the potential of attosecond sources in terms of photon energy, photon number and duration especially at relativistic laser intensities. Although the production of isolated attosecond pulses and the understanding of the underlying interactions represent a fundamental step towards the realization of such sources, these are challenging and have not yet been demonstrated. Here, we present laser-waveform-dependent high-order harmonic radiation in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range supporting well-isolated attosecond pulses, and utilize spectral interferometry to understand its relativistic generation mechanism. This unique interpretation of the measured spectra provides access to unrevealed temporal and spatial properties such as spectral phase difference between attosecond pulses and field-driven plasma surface motion during the process. High-order harmonic generation is explored in gases, solids and plasmas with moderate to high intensity lasers. Here the authors show spectral interferometry of HHG from relativistic plasma and its potential as a source of intense isolated attosecond pulses.
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21
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Tan J, Forget N, Borot A, Kaplan D, Tournois P, Muschet A, Veisz L. Dispersion control for temporal contrast optimization. OPTICS EXPRESS 2018; 26:25003-25012. [PMID: 30469608 DOI: 10.1364/oe.26.025003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the temporal contrast of the Light Wave Synthesizer 20 (LWS-20): a powerful, few-cycle source based on the optical parametric synthesizer principle. Saturation effects in the RF amplifier driving the acousto-optic programmable dispersive filter (AOPDF) were found to degrade the coherent contrast for non-monotonic group delay corrections. We subsequently present a new dispersion scheme and design a novel transmission grism-based stretcher optimized for LWS-20. The resulting temporal contrast of the amplified, compressed output pulses is improved by 2-4 orders of magnitude compared to the former design.
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22
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Chen ZY. Isolated attosecond pulse in the water window from many-cycle laser-driven plasma mirrors without pulse engineering. OPTICS LETTERS 2018; 43:2114-2117. [PMID: 29714759 DOI: 10.1364/ol.43.002114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
High-order harmonic generation from relativistic laser-driven plasma mirrors is an attractive route to produce highly energetic attosecond pulses in the extreme ultraviolet to x-ray regime. To achieve an isolated attosecond pulse (IAP) driven by many-cycle intense laser pulses, pulse engineering techniques such as polarization modulation and wavefront rotation, are usually needed. Here we show that it is possible to generate an IAP without pulse engineering. Through particle-in-cell simulations, it is found that plasma mirrors can be rapidly heated and deformed in a relatively long preplasma regime. Intense IAP in the high-frequency spectral region is given rise once when the mirror parameters are suitable. The results may offer a new route to generate a bright IAP source for various applications such as bio-imaging and electronic dynamic studies.
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23
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Chen ZY. Spectral control of high harmonics from relativistic plasmas using bicircular fields. Phys Rev E 2018; 97:043202. [PMID: 29758676 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.97.043202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We introduce two-color counterrotating circularly polarized laser fields as a way to spectrally control high harmonic generation (HHG) from relativistic plasma mirrors. Through particle-in-cell simulations, we show that only a selected group of harmonic orders can appear owing to the symmetry of the laser fields and the related conservation laws. By adjusting the intensity ratio of the two driving field components, we demonstrate the overall HHG efficiency, the relative intensity of allowed neighboring harmonic orders, and that the polarization state of the harmonic source can be tuned. The HHG efficiency of this scheme can be as high as that driven by a linearly polarized laser field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Yu Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Shock Wave and Detonation Physics, Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621999, China
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24
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Chen ZY, Li XY, Li BY, Chen M, Liu F. Isolated elliptically polarized attosecond soft X-ray with high-brilliance using polarization gating of harmonics from relativistic plasmas at oblique incidence. OPTICS EXPRESS 2018; 26:4572-4580. [PMID: 29475306 DOI: 10.1364/oe.26.004572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The production of intense isolated attosecond pulse is a major goal in ultrafast research. Recent advances in high harmonic generation from relativistic plasma mirrors under oblique incidence interactions gave rise to photon-rich attosecond pulses with circular or elliptical polarization. However, to achieve an isolated elliptical attosecond pulse via polarization gating using currently available long driving pulses remains a challenge, because polarization gating of high harmonics from relativistic plasmas is assumed only possible at normal or near-normal incidence. Here we numerically demonstrate a scheme around this problem. We show that via control of plasma dynamics by managing laser polarization, it is possible to gate an intense single attosecond pulse with high ellipticity extending to the soft X-ray regime at oblique incidence. This approach thus paves the way towards a powerful tool enabling high-time-resolution probe of dynamics of chiral systems and magnetic materials with current laser technology.
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25
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Leblanc A, Monchocé S, Vincenti H, Kahaly S, Vay JL, Quéré F. Spatial Properties of High-Order Harmonic Beams from Plasma Mirrors: A Ptychographic Study. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2017; 119:155001. [PMID: 29077449 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.119.155001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Spatial properties of high-order harmonic beams produced by high-intensity laser-matter interactions carry rich information on the physics of the generation process, and their detailed understanding is essential for applications of these light beams. We present a thorough study of these properties in the case of harmonic generation from plasma mirrors, up to the relativistic interaction regime. In situ ptychographic measurements of the amplitude and phase spatial profiles of the different harmonic orders in the target plane are presented, as a function of the key interaction parameters. These measurements are used to validate analytical models of the harmonic spatial phase in different generation regimes, and to benchmark ultrahigh-order Maxwell solvers of particle-in-cell simulation codes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Leblanc
- LIDYL, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, 91 191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - S Monchocé
- LIDYL, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, 91 191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - H Vincenti
- LIDYL, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, 91 191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - S Kahaly
- LIDYL, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, 91 191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - J-L Vay
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - F Quéré
- LIDYL, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, 91 191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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26
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Tang S, Kumar N, Keitel CH. Plasma high-order-harmonic generation from ultraintense laser pulses. Phys Rev E 2017; 95:051201. [PMID: 28618496 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.95.051201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Plasma high-order-harmonic generation from an extremely intense short-pulse laser is explored by including the effects of ion motion, electron-ion collisions, and radiation reaction force in the plasma dynamics. The laser radiation pressure induces plasma ion motion through the hole-boring effect, resulting in frequency shifting and widening of the harmonic spectra. The classical radiation reaction force slightly mitigates the frequency broadening caused by the ion motion. Based on the results and physical considerations, parameter maps highlighting the optimum regions for generating a single intense attosecond pulse and coherent XUV radiation are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suo Tang
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Naveen Kumar
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph H Keitel
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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27
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Edwards MR, Mikhailova JM. Waveform-Controlled Relativistic High-Order-Harmonic Generation. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2016; 117:125001. [PMID: 27689281 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.117.125001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We consider the efficiency limit of relativistic high-order-harmonic emission from solid targets achievable with tailored light fields. Using one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, the maximum energy conversion efficiency is shown to reach as high as 10% for the harmonics in the range of 80-200 eV and is largely independent of laser intensity and plasma density. The waveforms most effective at driving harmonics have a broad spectrum with a lower-frequency limit set by the width of the incident pulse envelope and an upper limit set by the relativistic plasma frequency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Edwards
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
| | - Julia M Mikhailova
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
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28
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Chen ZY, Pukhov A. Bright high-order harmonic generation with controllable polarization from a relativistic plasma mirror. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12515. [PMID: 27531047 PMCID: PMC4992059 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrafast extreme ultraviolet (XUV) sources with a controllable polarization state are powerful tools for investigating the structural and electronic as well as the magnetic properties of materials. However, such light sources are still limited to only a few free-electron laser facilities and, very recently, to high-order harmonic generation from noble gases. Here we propose and numerically demonstrate a laser-plasma scheme to generate bright XUV pulses with fully controlled polarization. In this scheme, an elliptically polarized laser pulse is obliquely incident on a plasma surface, and the reflected radiation contains pulse trains and isolated circularly or highly elliptically polarized attosecond XUV pulses. The harmonic polarization state is fully controlled by the laser-plasma parameters. The mechanism can be explained within the relativistically oscillating mirror model. This scheme opens a practical and promising route to generate bright attosecond XUV pulses with desirable ellipticities in a straightforward and efficient way for a number of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Yu Chen
- Institut für Theoretische Physik I, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf D-40225, Germany
- National Key Laboratory of Shock Wave and Detonation Physics, Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621999, China
| | - Alexander Pukhov
- Institut für Theoretische Physik I, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf D-40225, Germany
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29
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Zhang X, Shen B, Shi Y, Wang X, Zhang L, Wang W, Xu J, Yi L, Xu Z. Generation of intense high-order vortex harmonics. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2015; 114:173901. [PMID: 25978234 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.114.173901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This Letter presents for the first time a scheme to generate intense high-order optical vortices that carry orbital angular momentum in the extreme ultraviolet region based on relativistic harmonics from the surface of a solid target. In the three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation, the high-order harmonics of the high-order vortex mode is generated in both reflected and transmitted light beams when a linearly polarized Laguerre-Gaussian laser pulse impinges on a solid foil. The azimuthal mode of the harmonics scales with its order. The intensity of the high-order vortex harmonics is close to the relativistic region, with the pulse duration down to attosecond scale. The obtained intense vortex beam possesses the combined properties of fine transversal structure due to the high-order mode and the fine longitudinal structure due to the short wavelength of the high-order harmonics. In addition to the application in high-resolution detection in both spatial and temporal scales, it also presents new opportunities in the intense vortex required fields, such as the inner shell ionization process and high energy twisted photons generation by Thomson scattering of such an intense vortex beam off relativistic electrons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Baifei Shen
- State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
- IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yin Shi
- State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Xiaofeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Lingang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Wenpeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Jiancai Xu
- State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Longqiong Yi
- State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Zhizhan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
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30
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Edwards MR, Platonenko VT, Mikhailova JM. Enhanced attosecond bursts of relativistic high-order harmonics driven by two-color fields. OPTICS LETTERS 2014; 39:6823-6826. [PMID: 25503006 DOI: 10.1364/ol.39.006823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We study the generation of attosecond x-ray and ultraviolet pulses from relativistically driven overdense plasma targets with two-color incident light. Particle-in-cell simulations show that significant improvement in pulse intensity and isolation is achievable with appropriate laser and plasma parameters. Conversion of 5% of incident laser energy to its second harmonic can enhance the intensity of generated attosecond pulses by an order of magnitude. This approach allows the generation of higher attosecond pulse intensities with existing experimental laser technology and offers a powerful tool for the analysis of the dynamics of relativistic laser-plasma interaction.
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31
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Feister S, Nees JA, Morrison JT, Frische KD, Orban C, Chowdhury EA, Roquemore WM. A novel femtosecond-gated, high-resolution, frequency-shifted shearing interferometry technique for probing pre-plasma expansion in ultra-intense laser experiments. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2014; 85:11D602. [PMID: 25430178 DOI: 10.1063/1.4886955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Ultra-intense laser-matter interaction experiments (>10(18) W/cm(2)) with dense targets are highly sensitive to the effect of laser "noise" (in the form of pre-pulses) preceding the main ultra-intense pulse. These system-dependent pre-pulses in the nanosecond and/or picosecond regimes are often intense enough to modify the target significantly by ionizing and forming a plasma layer in front of the target before the arrival of the main pulse. Time resolved interferometry offers a robust way to characterize the expanding plasma during this period. We have developed a novel pump-probe interferometry system for an ultra-intense laser experiment that uses two short-pulse amplifiers synchronized by one ultra-fast seed oscillator to achieve 40-fs time resolution over hundreds of nanoseconds, using a variable delay line and other techniques. The first of these amplifiers acts as the pump and delivers maximal energy to the interaction region. The second amplifier is frequency shifted and then frequency doubled to generate the femtosecond probe pulse. After passing through the laser-target interaction region, the probe pulse is split and recombined in a laterally sheared Michelson interferometer. Importantly, the frequency shift in the probe allows strong plasma self-emission at the second harmonic of the pump to be filtered out, allowing plasma expansion near the critical surface and elsewhere to be clearly visible in the interferograms. To aid in the reconstruction of phase dependent imagery from fringe shifts, three separate 120° phase-shifted (temporally sheared) interferograms are acquired for each probe delay. Three-phase reconstructions of the electron densities are then inferred by Abel inversion. This interferometric system delivers precise measurements of pre-plasma expansion that can identify the condition of the target at the moment that the ultra-intense pulse arrives. Such measurements are indispensable for correlating laser pre-pulse measurements with instantaneous plasma profiles and for enabling realistic Particle-in-Cell simulations of the ultra-intense laser-matter interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Feister
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - J A Nees
- Innovative Scientific Solutions, Inc., Dayton, Ohio 45459, USA
| | - J T Morrison
- Fellow, National Research Council, Washington, D.C. 20001, USA
| | - K D Frische
- Innovative Scientific Solutions, Inc., Dayton, Ohio 45459, USA
| | - C Orban
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - E A Chowdhury
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - W M Roquemore
- Air Force Research Laboratory, Dayton, Ohio 45433, USA
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32
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Levy MC, Wilks SC, Tabak M, Libby SB, Baring MG. Petawatt laser absorption bounded. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4149. [PMID: 24938656 PMCID: PMC4083416 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 05/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction of petawatt (10(15) W) lasers with solid matter forms the basis for advanced scientific applications such as table-top particle accelerators, ultrafast imaging systems and laser fusion. Key metrics for these applications relate to absorption, yet conditions in this regime are so nonlinear that it is often impossible to know the fraction of absorbed light f, and even the range of f is unknown. Here using a relativistic Rankine-Hugoniot-like analysis, we show for the first time that f exhibits a theoretical maximum and minimum. These bounds constrain nonlinear absorption mechanisms across the petawatt regime, forbidding high absorption values at low laser power and low absorption values at high laser power. For applications needing to circumvent the absorption bounds, these results will accelerate a shift from solid targets, towards structured and multilayer targets, and lead the development of new materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C. Levy
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - Scott C. Wilks
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - Max Tabak
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - Stephen B. Libby
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - Matthew G. Baring
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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33
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Sahai AA, Tsung FS, Tableman AR, Mori WB, Katsouleas TC. Relativistically induced transparency acceleration of light ions by an ultrashort laser pulse interacting with a heavy-ion-plasma density gradient. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2013; 88:043105. [PMID: 24229291 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.88.043105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2012] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The relativistically induced transparency acceleration (RITA) scheme of proton and ion acceleration using laser-plasma interactions is introduced, modeled, and compared to the existing schemes. Protons are accelerated with femtosecond relativistic pulses to produce quasimonoenergetic bunches with controllable peak energy. The RITA scheme works by a relativistic laser inducing transparency [Akhiezer and Polovin, Zh. Eksp. Teor. Fiz 30, 915 (1956); Kaw and Dawson, Phys. Fluids 13, 472 (1970); Max and Perkins, Phys. Rev. Lett. 27, 1342 (1971)] to densities higher than the cold-electron critical density, while the background heavy ions are stationary. The rising laser pulse creates a traveling acceleration structure at the relativistic critical density by ponderomotively [Lindl and Kaw, Phys. Fluids 14, 371 (1971); Silva et al., Phys. Rev. E 59, 2273 (1999)] driving a local electron density inflation, creating an electron snowplow and a co-propagating electrostatic potential. The snowplow advances with a velocity determined by the rate of the rise of the laser's intensity envelope and the heavy-ion-plasma density gradient scale length. The rising laser is incrementally rendered transparent to higher densities such that the relativistic-electron plasma frequency is resonant with the laser frequency. In the snowplow frame, trace density protons reflect off the electrostatic potential and get snowplowed, while the heavier background ions are relatively unperturbed. Quasimonoenergetic bunches of velocity equal to twice the snowplow velocity can be obtained and tuned by controlling the snowplow velocity using laser-plasma parameters. An analytical model for the proton energy as a function of laser intensity, rise time, and plasma density gradient is developed and compared to 1D and 2D PIC OSIRIS [Fonseca et al., Lect. Note Comput. Sci. 2331, 342 (2002)] simulations. We model the acceleration of protons to GeV energies with tens-of-femtoseconds laser pulses of a few petawatts. The scaling of proton energy with laser power compares favorably to other mechanisms for ultrashort pulses [Schreiber et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 045005 (2006); Esirkepov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 175003 (2004); Silva et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 015002 (2004); Fiuza et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 215001 (2012)].
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Affiliation(s)
- Aakash A Sahai
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
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