A 50 EW/cm;2 Ti:sapphire laser system for studying relativistic light-matter interactions

100% reliable algorithm for second-harmonic-generation frequency-resolved optical gating

We demonstrate a novel algorithmic approach for the second-harmonic-generation (SHG) frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) ultrashort-pulse-measurement technique that always converges and, for complex pulses, is also much faster. It takes advantage of the Paley-Wiener Theorem to retrieve the precise pulse spectrum-half the desired information-directly from the measured trace. It also uses a multi-grid approach, permitting the algorithm to operate on smaller arrays for early iterations and on the complete array for only the final few iterations. We tested this approach on more than 25,000 randomly generated complex pulses with time-bandwidth products up to 100, yielding SHG FROG traces to which noise was added, and have achieved convergence to the correct pulse in all cases. Moreover, convergence occurs in less than half the time for extremely large traces corresponding to extremely complex pulses.

Electron shell ionization of atoms with classical, relativistic scattering

We investigate forward scattering of ionization from neon, argon, and xenon in ultrahigh intensities of 2 × 10(19) W/cm(2). Comparisons between the gases reveal the energy of the outgoing photoelectron determines its momentum, which can be scattered as far forward as 45° from the laser wave vector k(laser) for energies greater than 1 MeV. The shell structure in the atom manifests itself as modulations in the photoelectron yield and the width of the angular distributions. We arrive at an agreement with theory by using an independent electron model for the atom, a dipole approximation for the bound state interaction, and a relativistic, three-dimensional, classical radiation field including the laser magnetic field. The studies provide the atomic physics within plasmas, radiation, and particle acceleration in ultrastrong fields.

Controlling the length of plasma waveguide up to 5 mm, produced by femtosecond laser pulses in atomic clustered gas

We report the observation of longitudinally uniform plasma waveguide with a controlled length of up to nearly 5 mm, in argon clustered gas jet. This self-channeling plasma is obtained using a 35 mJ, 30 fs FWHM pulse as a pump laser pulse to create the plasma channel. A 1 mJ pulse of the same laser is used for probing the plasma channels using interferometric diagnostics. The radial distribution of the electron density confirms the formation of a plasma waveguide. Clustered argon enhances the absorption efficiency of femtosecond pulses which enables the use of pump pulses of only 35 mJ, approximately 10 times less energy than required for heating conventional gas targets. The plasma channel length is controlled by the laser focus point (F), the laser intensity (I), the pump-probe delay time (t) and the laser height from a nozzle (z). The variation of the electron density for these parameters is also studied. We found that the highest density of 1.2 x 10(19) cm(-3) was obtained at I = 5.2 x 10(16) W/cm(2), z = 2 mm and t = 7.6 ns. It was demonstrated that by using a clustered jet, both the plasma waveguide length and the plasma density could be controlled.

In vivo modulation of morphogenetic movements in Drosophila embryos with femtosecond laser pulses

The complex biomechanical events associated with embryo development are investigated in vivo, by using femtosecond laser pulse-induced ablation combined with multimodal nonlinear microscopy. We demonstrate controlled intravital ablations preserving local cytoskeleton dynamics and resulting in the modulation of specific morphogenetic movements in nonmutant Drosophila embryos. A quantitative description of complex movements is obtained both in GFP-expressing systems by using whole-embryo two-photon microscopy and in unlabeled nontransgenic embryos by using third harmonic generation microscopy. This methodology provides insight into the issue of mechano-sensitive gene expression by revealing the correlation of in vivo tissue deformation patterns with Twist protein expression in stomodeal cells at gastrulation.

TEM00 terawatt amplification by use of micro-optic spatial mode conversion

Micro-optic technology is used in a terawatt multipass Ti:sapphire amplifier to convert high-multimode, 532-nm radiation from an unstable resonator Nd:YAG laser into a TEM00 amplified output without sacrificing the amplifier-to-pump energy conversion efficiency. Experimental measurements and Fourier analysis of the spatial mode show a 3.8-fold increase in the peak irradiance and an order-of-magnitude improvement in the spatial contrast.

Hybrid chirped-pulse amplification

Conversion efficiency in optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification is limited by spatiotemporal characteristics of the pump pulse. We have demonstrated a novel hybrid chirped-pulse amplification scheme that uses a single pump pulse and combines optical parametric amplification and laser amplification to achieve high gain, high conversion efficiency, and high prepulse contrast without utilization of electro-optic modulators. We achieved an overall conversion efficiency of 37% from the hybrid amplification system at a center wavelength of 820nm. Generation of multiterawatt pulses is possible by use of this simple method and commercial Q -switched pump lasers.