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Sample records for few-cycle laser-driven electron

Supersonic micro-jets and their application to few-cycle laser-driven electron acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmid, Karl

2009-01-01

This thesis covers the few-cycle laser-driven acceleration of electrons in a laser-generated plasma. The laser system employed in this work is a new development based on optical parametric chirped pulse amplification and is the only multi-TW few-cycle laser in the world. In the experiment, the laser beam is focused onto a supersonic helium gas jet which leads to the formation of a plasma channel. The laser pulse, having an intensity of 10 19 W/cm 2 propagates through the plasma with an electron density of 2 x 10 19 cm -3 and forms via a highly nonlinear interaction a strongly anharmonic plasma wave. The amplitude of the wave is so large that the wave breaks, thereby injecting electrons from the background plasma into the accelerating phase. The energy transfer from the laser pulse to the plasma is so strong that the maximum propagation distance is limited to the 100 m range. Therefore, gas jets specifically tuned to these requirements have to be employed. The properties of microscopic supersonic gas jets are thoroughly analyzed in this work. Based on numeric flow simulation, this study encompasses several extensive parameter studies that illuminate all relevant features of supersonic flows in microscopic gas nozzles. This allowed the optimized design of de Laval nozzles with exit diameters ranging from 150 μm to 3 mm. The employment of these nozzles in the experiment greatly improved the electron beam quality. After these optimizations, the laser-driven electron accelerator now yields monoenergetic electron pulses with energies up to 50 MeV and charges between one and ten pC. The electron beam has a typical divergence of 5 mrad and comprises an energy spectrum that is virtually free from low energetic background. The electron pulse duration could not yet be determined experimentally but simulations point towards values in the range of 1 fs. The acceleration gradient is estimated from simulation and experiment to be approximately 0.5 TV/m. The electron accelerator
Supersonic micro-jets and their application to few-cycle laser-driven electron acceleration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schmid, Karl

2009-07-23

This thesis covers the few-cycle laser-driven acceleration of electrons in a laser-generated plasma. The laser system employed in this work is a new development based on optical parametric chirped pulse amplification and is the only multi-TW few-cycle laser in the world. In the experiment, the laser beam is focused onto a supersonic helium gas jet which leads to the formation of a plasma channel. The laser pulse, having an intensity of 10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2} propagates through the plasma with an electron density of 2 x 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3} and forms via a highly nonlinear interaction a strongly anharmonic plasma wave. The amplitude of the wave is so large that the wave breaks, thereby injecting electrons from the background plasma into the accelerating phase. The energy transfer from the laser pulse to the plasma is so strong that the maximum propagation distance is limited to the 100 m range. Therefore, gas jets specifically tuned to these requirements have to be employed. The properties of microscopic supersonic gas jets are thoroughly analyzed in this work. Based on numeric flow simulation, this study encompasses several extensive parameter studies that illuminate all relevant features of supersonic flows in microscopic gas nozzles. This allowed the optimized design of de Laval nozzles with exit diameters ranging from 150 {mu}m to 3 mm. The employment of these nozzles in the experiment greatly improved the electron beam quality. After these optimizations, the laser-driven electron accelerator now yields monoenergetic electron pulses with energies up to 50 MeV and charges between one and ten pC. The electron beam has a typical divergence of 5 mrad and comprises an energy spectrum that is virtually free from low energetic background. The electron pulse duration could not yet be determined experimentally but simulations point towards values in the range of 1 fs. The acceleration gradient is estimated from simulation and experiment to be approximately 0.5 TV/m. The
Laser wakefield electron acceleration. A novel approach employing supersonic microjets and few-cycle laser pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmid, Karl

2011-01-01

This thesis covers the few-cycle laser-driven acceleration of electrons in a laser-generated plasma. This process, known as laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA), relies on strongly driven plasma waves for the generation of accelerating gradients in the vicinity of several 100 GV/m, a value four orders of magnitude larger than that attainable by conventional accelerators. This thesis demonstrates that laser pulses with an ultrashort duration of 8 fs and a peak power of 6 TW allow the production of electron energies up to 50 MeV via LWFA. The special properties of laser accelerated electron pulses, namely the ultrashort pulse duration, the high brilliance, and the high charge density, open up new possibilities in many applications of these electron beams. (orig.)
Laser wakefield acceleration with high-power, few-cycle mid-IR lasers

OpenAIRE

Papp, Daniel; Wood, Jonathan C.; Gruson, Vincent; Bionta, Mina; Gruse, Jan-Niclas; Cormier, Eric; Najmudin, Zulfikar; Légaré, François; Kamperidis, Christos

2018-01-01

The study of laser wakefield electron acceleration (LWFA) using mid-IR laser drivers is a promising path for future laser driven electronaccelerators, when compared to traditional near-IR laser drivers uperating at 0.8-1 {\\mu}m central wavelength ({\\lambda}laser), as the necessary vector potential a_0 for electron injection can be achieved with smaller laser powers due to the linear dependence on {\\lambda}laser. In this work, we perform 2D PIC simulations on LWFA using few-cycle high power (5...
Population dynamics of graphene driven by a few-cycle laser pulse

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Chunling; Yu, Rong; Hao, Xiangying; Zhang, Duo; Zu, Fengxia

2017-06-01

We study the time evolution of the populations in a two-dimensional (2D) graphene system by employing a few-cycle laser pulse with a linear polarization. Specifically, we present a comparative numerical analysis of the population dynamics of graphene in three different model configurations. Our results show that the Rabi-like oscillations and intraband population inversion can be observed in the population spectrum, which originated from the periodicity of a few-cycle laser pulse and the intraband Coulomb scattering. Also, coherent population oscillations are produced across the Dirac point when the Rabi frequency of the laser field which is used to couple the interband transition is much larger than that couples the intraband transition, and vice versa. These investigations may be helpful to enhance the performance of graphene-based ultrafast electronic and optoelectronic devices, including light-emitting devices, touch screens, photodetectors, and ultrafast lasers.
Near-field enhanced electron acceleration from dielectric nanospheres in intense few-cycle laser fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zherebtsov, S.; Znakovskaya, I.; Wirth, A.; Herrwerth, O.; Suessmann, F.; Ahmad, I.; Trushin, S.; Fennel, Th.; Plenge, J.; Antonsson, E.

2010-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The interaction of nanostructured materials with few-cycle laser light has attracted significant attention lately. This interest is driven by both the quest for fundamental insight into the real-time dynamics of many-electron systems and a wide range of far-reaching applications, such as, e.g. ultrafast computation and information storage on the nanoscale and the generation of XUV frequency combs. We investigated the above-threshold electron emission from isolated SiO 2 nanoparticles in waveform controlled few-cycle laser fields at intensities close to the tunneling regime. The enhancement of the electron acceleration from the silica nanoparticles was explored as a function of the particle size (ranging from 50 to 147 nm) and the laser peak intensity (1 - 4x10 13 W/cm 2 ). Obtained cut-off values in the kinetic energy spectra are displayed in Fig. 1. The cut-off values show a linear dependence with intensity within the studied intensity range, with the average cut-off energy being 53 U P , indicated by the black line. Quasi-classical simulations of the emission process reveal that electron rescattering in the locally enhanced near-field of the particle is responsible for the large energy gain. The observed near-field enhancement offers promising new routes for pushing the limits of strong-field phenomena relying on electron rescattering, such as, high-harmonic generation and molecular imaging.
Features of single and double ionization processes induced by few cycle laser pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starace, A.F.

2005-01-01

Full text: The advent of laser pulses with attosecond pulse lengths ushers in the regime of few cycle laser pulse interactions with atoms and ions, including the interesting cases of single and half cycle laser pulses. In this talk I will present results of recent studies of single electron ionization/detachment and double electron ionization/detachment produced by a few cycle laser pulse. For the former case, we shall demonstrate that the ionized/detached electron momentum distribution reflects the interference of electron probability wave packets produced by each half cycle of a single cycle pulse. Also, that the ionized/detached electron momentum distribution uniquely characterizes the phase of the single cycle laser pulse within the laser pulse envelope. Regarding double ionization/detachment, our numerical experiments have shown that single cycle and double half cycle pulses produce different electron angular distributions. Some double ionization features that are present only in the single cycle case can only have been produced by electron impact ionization during rescattering of an initially ionized electron and thus represent a sensitive measure of the rescattering process. Refs. 2 (author)
Few-cycle surface plasmon enhanced electron acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Racz, P.; Lenner, M.; Kroo, N.; Farkas, Gy.; Dombi, P.; Takao Fuji; Krausz, F.; Irvine, S.E.; Elezzabi, A.Y.

2010-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. It is possible to generate high-quality ultrafast electron beams with keV energy based on surface plasmon-enhanced electron acceleration. The beam generated this way can be also used to investigate ultrafast phenomena in the plasmon field. For the better understanding of the temporal behavior of these ultrafast surface processes we carried out time-resolved experiments with 5.5 fs laser pulses for the first time. In this experiment, we executed an autocorrelation measurement with an ultra-broadband interferometer. By generating surface plasmons at the output of the interferometer, we measured the plasmonic photocurrent as a function of the delay between the interferometer arms. Figure (a) shows a typical measured result, and figure (b) shows the fourth order calculated autocorrelation function of the 5.5 fs long laser pulse, corresponding to the fourth order nonlinearity of the electron emission process. According to the correspondence of these two curves, we can also state that the length of the generated surface plasmon pulse is only 2-3 optical cycles. As a further experiment, we executed spectrally resolved measurements of the electron beam at higher intensities. According to these results, it is possible to reach electron beams with keV energy in the few-cycle regime too. It was found that the field strength of the surface plasmons is x 7 to x 30 higher than that of the focused laser pulse.
Free-electron laser driven by the LBNL laser-plasma accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schroeder, C.B.; Fawley, W.M.; Gruner, F.; Bakeman, M.; Nakamura, K.; Robinson, K.E.; Toth, Cs.; Esarey, E.; Leemans, W.P.

2008-01-01

A design of a compact free-electron laser (FEL), generating ultra-fast, high-peak flux, XUV pulses is presented. The FEL is driven by ahigh-current, 0.5 GeV electron beam from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) laser-plasma accelerator, whose active acceleration length is only a few centimeters. The proposed ultra-fast source (∼10 fs) would be intrinsically temporally synchronized to the drive laser pulse, enabling pump-probe studies in ultra-fast science. Owing to the high current (>10 kA) of the laser-plasma-accelerated electron beams, saturated output fluxes are potentially greater than 10 13 photons/pulse. Devices based both on self-amplified spontaneous emission and high-harmonic generated input seeds, to reduce undulator length and fluctuations, are considered.
Shaping of few-cycle laser pulses via a subwavelength structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Liang; Xie Xiao-Tao; Zhan Zhi-Ming

2013-01-01

We theoretically investigate the propagation of few-cycle laser pulses in resonant two-level dense media with a subwavelength structure, which is described by the full Maxwell—Bloch equations without the frame of slowly varying envelope and rotating wave approximations. The input pulses can be shaped into shorter ones with a single or less than one optical cycle. The effect of the parameters of the subwavelength structure and laser pulses is studied. Our study shows that the media with a subwavelength structure can significantly shape the few-cycle pulses into a subcycle pulse, even for the case of chirp pulses as input fields. This suggests that such subwavelength structures have potential application in the shaping of few-cycle laser pulses. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)
Design of a free-electron laser driven by the LBNL laser-plasma-accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schroeder, C.B.; Fawley, W.M.; Montgomery, A.L.; Robinson, K.E.; Gruner, F.; Bakeman, M.; Leemans, W.P.

2007-01-01

We discuss the design and current status of a compact free-electron laser (FEL), generating ultra-fast, high-peak flux, VUV pulses driven by a high-current, GeV electron beam from the existing Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) laser-plasma accelerator, whose active acceleration length is only a few cm. The proposed ultra-fast source would be intrinsically temporally synchronized to the drive laser pulse, enabling pump-probe studies in ultra-fast science with pulse lengths of tens of fs. Owing to the high current ( and 10 kA) of the laser-plasma-accelerated electron beams, saturated output fluxes are potentially greater than 1013 photons/pulse. Devices based both on SASE and high-harmonic generated input seeds, to reduce undulator length and fluctuations, are considered
Relativistic attosecond electron bunch emission from few-cycle laser irradiated nanoscale droplets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Di Lucchio

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Attosecond electron bunches produced at the surface of nanometer-scale droplets illuminated by a two-cycle laser pulse are investigated for the purpose of determining their optimal emission characteristics. Significant departures from Mie theory are found for electron bunch emission from droplets whose radii satisfy the condition δ_{r}laser field in vacuum, depending on the initial droplet parameters. Final emission angles are estimated, together with the energy spectrum of the bunches.
Signatures of tunneling and multiphoton ionization in the electron-momentum distributions of atoms by intense few-cycle laser pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wickenhauser, M.; Tong, X. M.; Arbo, D. G.; Burgdoerfer, J.; Lin, C. D.

2006-01-01

Electron-momentum distributions for above-threshold ionization of argon in a few-cycle, linearly polarized laser pulse are investigated. Spectral features characteristic of multiphoton as well as tunneling ionization coexist over a range of the Keldysh parameter γ in the transition regime γ∼1. Surprisingly, the simple strong-field approximation (SFA) is capable of reproducing the key features of the two-dimensional momentum distributions found in the full solution of the time-dependent Schroedinger equation, despite the fact that SFA is known to severely underestimate the total ionization probability
Ultrafast population transfer in a Λ-configuration level system driven by few-cycle laser pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Wen-Jing; Xie Xiao-Tao; Jin Lu-Ling; Bai Jin-Tao

2013-01-01

The feasibility of population transfer from a populated level via an intermediate state to the target level driven by few-cycle pulses is theoretically discussed. The processes of on- or far-resonance stimulated Raman scattering with sequential or simultaneous ultrashort pulses are investigated respectively. We find that the ultrashort pulses with about two optical cycles can be used to realize the population operation. This suggests that the population transfer can be completed in the femtosecond time scale. At the same time, our simulation shows that the signal of the carrier-envelope-phase-dependent effect can be enlarged due to quantum interference in some conditions. Our theoretic study may promote the research on the coherent control via ultrashort pulses in the related fields
Precise calibration of few-cycle laser pulses with atomic hydrogen

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, W. C.; Kielpinski, D.; Litvinyuk, I. V.; Sang, R. T.

2017-12-01

Interaction of atoms and molecules with strong electric fields is a fundamental process in many fields of research, particularly in the emerging field of attosecond science. Therefore, understanding the physics underpinning those interactions is of significant interest to the scientific community. One crucial step in this understanding is accurate knowledge of the few-cycle laser field driving the process. Atomic hydrogen (H), the simplest of all atomic species, plays a key role in benchmarking strong-field processes. Its wide-spread use as a testbed for theoretical calculations allows the comparison of approximate theoretical models against nearly-perfect numerical solutions of the three-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger equation. Until recently, relatively little experimental data in atomic H was available for comparison to these models, and was due mostly due to the difficulty in the construction and use of atomic H sources. Here, we review our most recent experimental results from atomic H interaction with few-cycle laser pulses and how they have been used to calibrate important laser pulse parameters such as peak intensity and the carrier-envelope phase (CEP). Quantitative agreement between experimental data and theoretical predictions for atomic H has been obtained at the 10% uncertainty level, allowing for accurate laser calibration intensity at the 1% level. Using this calibration in atomic H, both accurate CEP data and an intensity calibration standard have been obtained Ar, Kr, and Xe; such gases are in common use for strong-field experiments. This calibration standard can be used by any laboratory using few-cycle pulses in the 1014 W cm-2 intensity regime centered at 800 nm wavelength to accurately calibrate their peak laser intensity to within few-percent precision.
Few-cycle high energy mid-infrared pulse from Ho:YLF laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murari, Krishna

2017-04-01

Over the past decade, development of high-energy ultrafast laser sources has led to important breakthroughs in attoscience and strong-field physics study in atoms and molecules. Coherent pulse synthesis of few-cycle high-energy laser pulse is a promising tool to generate isolated attosecond pulses via high harmonics generation (HHG). An effective way to extend the HHG cut-off energy to higher values is making use of long mid-infrared (MIR) driver wavelength, as the ponderomotive potential scales quadratically with wavelength. If properly scaled in energy to multi-mJ level and few-cycle duration, such pulses provide a direct path to intriguing attoscience experiments in gases and solids, which even permit the realization of bright coherent table-top HHG sources in the water-window and keV X-ray region. However, the generation of high-intensity long-wavelength MIR pulses has always remained challenging, in particular starting from high-energy picosecond 2-μm laser driver, that is suitable for further energy scaling of the MIR pulses to multi-mJ energies by utilizing optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs). In this thesis, a front-end source for such MIR OPA is presented. In particular, a novel and robust strong-field few-cycle 2-μm laser driver directly from picosecond Ho:YLF laser and utilizing Kagome fiber based compression is presented. We achieved: a 70-fold compression of 140-μJ, 3.3-ps pulses from Ho:YLF amplifier to 48 fs with 11 μJ energy. The work presented in this thesis demonstrates a straightforward path towards generation of few-cycle MIR pulses and we believe that in the future the ultrafast community will benefit from this enabling technology. The results are summarized in mainly four parts: The first part is focused on the development of a 2-μm, high-energy laser source as the front-end. Comparison of available technology in general and promising gain media at MIR wavelength are discussed. Starting from the basics of an OPA, the design criteria
Few-cycle high energy mid-infrared pulse from Ho:YLF laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murari, Krishna

2017-04-15

Over the past decade, development of high-energy ultrafast laser sources has led to important breakthroughs in attoscience and strong-field physics study in atoms and molecules. Coherent pulse synthesis of few-cycle high-energy laser pulse is a promising tool to generate isolated attosecond pulses via high harmonics generation (HHG). An effective way to extend the HHG cut-off energy to higher values is making use of long mid-infrared (MIR) driver wavelength, as the ponderomotive potential scales quadratically with wavelength. If properly scaled in energy to multi-mJ level and few-cycle duration, such pulses provide a direct path to intriguing attoscience experiments in gases and solids, which even permit the realization of bright coherent table-top HHG sources in the water-window and keV X-ray region. However, the generation of high-intensity long-wavelength MIR pulses has always remained challenging, in particular starting from high-energy picosecond 2-μm laser driver, that is suitable for further energy scaling of the MIR pulses to multi-mJ energies by utilizing optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs). In this thesis, a front-end source for such MIR OPA is presented. In particular, a novel and robust strong-field few-cycle 2-μm laser driver directly from picosecond Ho:YLF laser and utilizing Kagome fiber based compression is presented. We achieved: a 70-fold compression of 140-μJ, 3.3-ps pulses from Ho:YLF amplifier to 48 fs with 11 μJ energy. The work presented in this thesis demonstrates a straightforward path towards generation of few-cycle MIR pulses and we believe that in the future the ultrafast community will benefit from this enabling technology. The results are summarized in mainly four parts: The first part is focused on the development of a 2-μm, high-energy laser source as the front-end. Comparison of available technology in general and promising gain media at MIR wavelength are discussed. Starting from the basics of an OPA, the design criteria
Femtosecond few-cycle mid-infrared laser pulses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Xing

The few-cycle pulses of mid-infrared (mid-IR, wavelength 2-10 microns) have attracted increasing attention owing to their great potentials for high order harmonic generation, time-resolved spectroscopy, precision of cutting and biomedical science.In this thesis, mid-IR frequency conversion.......2 - 5.5 μm with only one fixed pump wavelength, a feature absent in Kerr media. Finally, we experimentally observe supercontinuum generation spanning 1.5 octaves, generated in a 10 mm long silicon-rich nitride waveguide pumped by 100 pJ femtosecond pulses from an erbium fiber laser. The waveguide has...
Intense isolated attosecond pulse generation from relativistic laser plasmas using few-cycle laser pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Guangjin; Dallari, William; Borot, Antonin; Tsakiris, George D.; Veisz, Laszlo; Krausz, Ferenc; Yu, Wei

2015-01-01

We have performed a systematic study through particle-in-cell simulations to investigate the generation of attosecond pulse from relativistic laser plasmas when laser pulse duration approaches the few-cycle regime. A significant enhancement of attosecond pulse energy has been found to depend on laser pulse duration, carrier envelope phase, and plasma scale length. Based on the results obtained in this work, the potential of attaining isolated attosecond pulses with ∼100 μJ energy for photons >16 eV using state-of-the-art laser technology appears to be within reach
Few femtosecond, few kilo-ampere electron bunch produced by a laser-plasma accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundh, O.; Lim, J.; Rechatin, C.; Ammoura, L.; Goddet, J.P.; Malka, V.; Faure, J.; Ben-Ismail, A.; Davoine, X.; Lefebvre, E.; Gallot, G.

2011-01-01

Particle accelerators driven by the interaction of ultra-intense and ultrashort laser pulses with a plasma can generate accelerating electric fields of several hundred giga-volts per meter and deliver high-quality electron beams with low energy spread, low emittance and up to 1 GeV peak energy. Moreover, it is expected they may soon be able to produce bursts of electrons shorter than those produced by conventional particle accelerators, down to femtosecond durations and less. Here we present wide-band spectral measurements of coherent transition radiation which we use for temporal characterization. Our analysis shows that the electron beam, produced using controlled optical injection, contains a temporal feature that can be identified as a 15 pC, 1.4-1.8 fs electron bunch (root mean square) leading to a peak current of 3-4 kA depending on the bunch shape. We anticipate that these results will have a strong impact on emerging applications such as short-pulse and short-wavelength radiation sources, and will benefit the realization of laboratory-scale free-electron lasers. (authors)

Optical modeling of induction-linac driven free-electron lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scharlemann, E.T.; Fawley, W.M.

1986-01-01

The free-electron laser (FEL) simulation code FRED, developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) primarily to model single-pass FEL amplifiers driven by induction linear accelerators, is described. The main emphasis is on the modeling of optical propagation in the laser and on the differences between the requirements for modeling rf-linac-driven vs. induction-linac-driven FELs. Examples of optical guiding and mode cleanup are presented for a 50 μm FEL
Direct longitudinal laser acceleration of electrons in free space

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Carbajo

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Compact laser-driven accelerators are pursued heavily worldwide because they make novel methods and tools invented at national laboratories widely accessible in science, health, security, and technology [V. Malka et al., Principles and applications of compact laser-plasma accelerators, Nat. Phys. 4, 447 (2008]. Current leading laser-based accelerator technologies [S. P. D. Mangles et al., Monoenergetic beams of relativistic electrons from intense laser-plasma interactions, Nature (London 431, 535 (2004; T. Toncian et al., Ultrafast laser-driven microlens to focus and energy-select mega-electron volt protons, Science 312, 410 (2006; S. Tokita et al. Single-shot ultrafast electron diffraction with a laser-accelerated sub-MeV electron pulse, Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 111911 (2009] rely on a medium to assist the light to particle energy transfer. The medium imposes material limitations or may introduce inhomogeneous fields [J. R. Dwyer et al., Femtosecond electron diffraction: “Making the molecular movie,”, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 364, 741 (2006]. The advent of few cycle ultraintense radially polarized lasers [S. Carbajo et al., Efficient generation of ultraintense few-cycle radially polarized laser pulses, Opt. Lett. 39, 2487 (2014] has ushered in a novel accelerator concept [L. J. Wong and F. X. Kärtner, Direct acceleration of an electron in infinite vacuum by a pulsed radially polarized laser beam, Opt. Express 18, 25035 (2010; F. Pierre-Louis et al. Direct-field electron acceleration with ultrafast radially polarized laser beams: Scaling laws and optimization, J. Phys. B 43, 025401 (2010; Y. I. Salamin, Electron acceleration from rest in vacuum by an axicon Gaussian laser beam, Phys. Rev. A 73, 043402 (2006; C. Varin and M. Piché, Relativistic attosecond electron pulses from a free-space laser-acceleration scheme, Phys. Rev. E 74, 045602 (2006; A. Sell and F. X. Kärtner, Attosecond electron bunches accelerated and
Time-dependent quantum chemistry of laser driven many-electron molecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen-Dang, Thanh-Tung; Couture-Bienvenue, Étienne; Viau-Trudel, Jérémy; Sainjon, Amaury

2014-01-01

A Time-Dependent Configuration Interaction approach using multiple Feshbach partitionings, corresponding to multiple ionization stages of a laser-driven molecule, has recently been proposed [T.-T. Nguyen-Dang and J. Viau-Trudel, J. Chem. Phys. 139, 244102 (2013)]. To complete this development toward a fully ab-initio method for the calculation of time-dependent electronic wavefunctions of an N-electron molecule, we describe how tools of multiconfiguration quantum chemistry such as the management of the configuration expansion space using Graphical Unitary Group Approach concepts can be profitably adapted to the new context, that of time-resolved electronic dynamics, as opposed to stationary electronic structure. The method is applied to calculate the detailed, sub-cycle electronic dynamics of BeH 2 , treated in a 3–21G bound-orbital basis augmented by a set of orthogonalized plane-waves representing continuum-type orbitals, including its ionization under an intense λ = 800 nm or λ = 80 nm continuous-wave laser field. The dynamics is strongly non-linear at the field-intensity considered (I ≃ 10 15 W/cm 2 ), featuring important ionization of an inner-shell electron and strong post-ionization bound-electron dynamics
Bunch decompression for laser-plasma driven free-electron laser demonstration schemes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Seggebrock

2013-07-01

Full Text Available X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs require a very high electron beam quality in terms of emittance and energy spread. Since 2004 high quality electrons produced by laser-wakefield accelerators have been demonstrated, but the electron quality up to now did not allow the operation of a compact x-ray FEL using these electrons. Maier et al. [Phys. Rev. X 2, 031019 (2012PRXHAE2160-330810.1103/PhysRevX.2.031019] suggested a concept for a proof-of-principle experiment allowing FEL operation in the vacuum ultraviolet range based on an optimized undulator and bunch decompression using electron bunches from a laser-plasma accelerator as currently available. In this paper we discuss in more detail how a chicane can be used as a bunch stretcher instead of a bunch compressor to allow the operation of a laser-wakefield accelerator driven FEL using currently available electrons. A scaling characterizing the impact of bunch decompression on the gain length is derived and the feasibility of the concept is tested numerically in a demanding scenario.
Method to generate a pulse train of few-cycle coherent radiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bryant Garcia

2016-09-01

Full Text Available We develop a method to generate a long pulse train of few-cycle coherent radiation by modulating an electron beam with a high power laser. The large energy modulation disperses the beam in a radiating undulator and leads to the production of phase-locked few-cycle coherent radiation pulses. These pulses are produced at a high harmonic of the modulating laser, and are longitudinally separated by the modulating laser wavelength. We discuss an analytical model for this scheme and investigate the temporal and spectral properties of this radiation. This model is compared with numerical simulation results using the unaveraged code Puffin. We examine various harmful effects and how they might be avoided, as well as a possible experimental realization of this scheme.
Characterization and optimization of laser-driven electron and photon sources in keV and MeV energy ranges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonnet, Thomas

2013-01-01

This work takes place in the framework of the characterization and the optimization of laser-driven electron and photon sources. With the goal of using these sources for nuclear physics experiments, we focused on 2 energy ranges: one around a few MeV and the other around a few tens of keV. The first part of this work is thus dedicated to the study of detectors routinely used for the characterization of laser-driven particle sources: Imaging Plates. A model has been developed and is fitted to experimental data. Response functions to electrons, photons, protons and alpha particles are established for SR, MS and TR Fuji Imaging Plates for energies ranging from a few keV to several MeV. The second part of this work present a study of ultrashort and intense electron and photon sources produced in the interaction of a laser with a solid or liquid target. An experiment was conducted at the ELFIE facility at LULI where beams of electrons and photons were accelerated up to several MeV. Energy and angular distributions of the electron and photons beams were characterized. The sources were optimized by varying the spatial extension of the plasma at both the front and the back end of the initial target position. In the optimal configuration of the laser-plasma coupling, more than 1011 electrons were accelerated. In the case of liquid target, a photon source was produced at a high repetition rate on an energy range of tens of keV by the interaction of the AURORE Laser at CELIA (10 16 W.cm -2 ) and a melted gallium target. It was shown that both the mean energy and the photon number can be increased by creating gallium jets at the surface of the liquid target with a pre-pulse. A physical interpretation supported by numerical simulations is proposed. (author)
Laser-driven electron beam and radiation sources for basic, medical and industrial sciences

Science.gov (United States)

NAKAJIMA, Kazuhisa

2015-01-01

To date active research on laser-driven plasma-based accelerators have achieved great progress on production of high-energy, high-quality electron and photon beams in a compact scale. Such laser plasma accelerators have been envisaged bringing a wide range of applications in basic, medical and industrial sciences. Here inheriting the groundbreaker’s review article on “Laser Acceleration and its future” [Toshiki Tajima, (2010)],1) we would like to review recent progress of producing such electron beams due to relativistic laser-plasma interactions followed by laser wakefield acceleration and lead to the scaling formulas that are useful to design laser plasma accelerators with controllability of beam energy and charge. Lastly specific examples of such laser-driven electron/photon beam sources are illustrated. PMID:26062737
Emittance Measurements from a Laser Driven Electron Injector

CERN Document Server

Reis, D

2003-01-01

The Gun Test Facility (GTF) at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center was constructed to develop an appropriate electron beam suitable for driving a short wavelength free electron laser (FEL) such as the proposed Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). For operation at a wavelength of 1.5 (angstrom), the LCLS requires an electron injector that can produce an electron beam with approximately 1 pi mm-mrad normalized rms emittance with at least 1 nC of charge in a 10 ps or shorter bunch. The GTF consists of a photocathode rf gun, emittance-compensation solenoid, 3 m linear accelerator (linac), drive laser, and diagnostics to measure the beam. The rf gun is a symmetrized 1.6 cell, s-band high gradient, room temperature, photocathode structure. Simulations show that this gun when driven by a temporally and spatially shaped drive laser, appropriately focused with the solenoid, and further accelerated in linac can produce a beam that meets the LCLS requirements. This thesis describes the initial characterization of the ...
Propagation of a laser-driven relativistic electron beam inside a solid dielectric.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkisov, G S; Ivanov, V V; Leblanc, P; Sentoku, Y; Yates, K; Wiewior, P; Chalyy, O; Astanovitskiy, A; Bychenkov, V Yu; Jobe, D; Spielman, R B

2012-09-01

Laser probe diagnostics: shadowgraphy, interferometry, and polarimetry were used for a comprehensive characterization of ionization wave dynamics inside a glass target induced by a laser-driven, relativistic electron beam. Experiments were done using the 50-TW Leopard laser at the University of Nevada, Reno. We show that for a laser flux of ∼2 × 10(18) W/cm2 a hemispherical ionization wave propagates at c/3 for 10 ps and has a smooth electron-density distribution. The maximum free-electron density inside the glass target is ∼2 × 10(19) cm-3, which corresponds to an ionization level of ∼0.1%. Magnetic fields and electric fields do not exceed ∼15 kG and ∼1 MV/cm, respectively. The electron temperature has a hot, ringlike structure with a maximum of ∼0.7 eV. The topology of the interference phase shift shows the signature of the "fountain effect", a narrow electron beam that fans out from the propagation axis and heads back to the target surface. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) computer simulations demonstrate radial spreading of fast electrons by self-consistent electrostatic fields driven by laser. The very low ionization observed after the laser heating pulse suggests a fast recombination on the sub-ps time scale.
Modeling laser-driven electron acceleration using WARP with Fourier decomposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, P., E-mail: patrick.lee@u-psud.fr [LPGP, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay (France); Audet, T.L. [LPGP, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay (France); Lehe, R.; Vay, J.-L. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Maynard, G.; Cros, B. [LPGP, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay (France)

2016-09-01

WARP is used with the recent implementation of the Fourier decomposition algorithm to model laser-driven electron acceleration in plasmas. Simulations were carried out to analyze the experimental results obtained on ionization-induced injection in a gas cell. The simulated results are in good agreement with the experimental ones, confirming the ability of the code to take into account the physics of electron injection and reduce calculation time. We present a detailed analysis of the laser propagation, the plasma wave generation and the electron beam dynamics.
Magnus expansion for laser-matter interaction: Application to generic few-cycle laser pulses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klaiber, Michael; Dimitrovski, Darko; Briggs, John S.

2009-01-01

We treat the interaction of an atom with a short intense few-cycle laser pulse by the use of the Magnus expansion of the time-evolution operator. Terms of the Magnus expansion up to the third order in the pulse duration are evaluated explicitly, and expressions for the transition probability...... of the Magnus approximation are in excellent agreement with time-dependent transition probabilities obtained from accurate ab initio numerical calculations. However, the limitation of the Magnus expansion for pulses having both vanishing momentum and position shifts is demonstrated also....
Studies on a laser driven photoemissive high-brightness electron source and novel photocathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geng Rongli; Song Jinhu; Yu Jin

1997-01-01

A laser driven photoemissive high-brightness electron source at Beijing University is reported. Through a DC accelerating gap of 100 kV voltage, the device is capable of delivering high-brightness electron beam of 35-100 ps pulse duration when irradiated with a mode-locked YAG laser. The geometry of the gun is optimized with the aid of simulation codes EGUN and POISSON. The results of experimental studies on ion implanted photocathode and cesium telluride photocathode are given. The proposed laser driven superconducting RF gun is also discussed
Investigation of attosecond ionization dynamics in gases and solids with intense few-cycle laser pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitrofanov, A. V.

2011-01-01

Interaction of intense light fields with dielectric materials has fascinated scientists since the invention of pulsed lasers in the early sixties. Despite the many decades of research, the interest in the field keeps growing because of the potential technological applications of optical (meta-) materials and the prospects of light-controlled peta-Hertz electronics as well as the improving understanding of the fundamental processes behind light-matter interactions. The progress in the short-pulse laser technology that delivered ever-shorter light pulses was echoed by the discoveries of different progressively shorter time scales in the cycle of excitation and energy/charge relaxation in transparent solids, many parts of which are now well understood. The ultimate challenge lies in recovering the earliest stages of the dynamics which are linked to optical-field-ionization that proceeds within a fraction of an optical cycle. One of the complications of advancing the attosecond science to the bulk media is the problem of inducing and detecting a synchronized attosecond response. The charged particles spectroscopy, well developed in gaseous media during last decade and capable of reaching an attosecond temporal resolution cannot be used as an experimental tool for investigation since direct detection of charged particles is impossible in the volume of a solid material. However, solids are the natural place where electronic processes on the sub-femtosecond or attosecond time scale are expected. Very recently several methods for measuring attosecond dynamics in condensed media have been proposed utilizing optical fields in the transparency range of the material. In this thesis a method, suggested in our scientific group is presented. It is an all-optical method based on the detection of optical harmonics originating from ultrafast modulation of a free electron current due to ionization in the field of intense few-cycle laser pulses. This technique will allow retrieving
Frequency-chirp rates of harmonics driven by a few-cycle pulse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, M.; Mauritsson, J.; Gaarde, M.B.

2005-01-01

We present numerical calculations of the time-frequency characteristics of cutoff harmonics generated by few-cycle laser pulses. We find that for driving pulses as short as three optical cycles, the adiabatic prediction for the harmonic chirp rate is very accurate. This negative chirp is so large that the resulting bandwidth causes substantial overlap between neighboring harmonics, and the harmonic phase therefore appears to not vary in time or frequency. By adding a compensating positive chirp to the driving pulse, which reduces the harmonic bandwidth and allows for the appearance of the negative chirp, we can measure the harmonic chirp rates. We also find that the positive chirp on the driving pulse causes the harmonics to shift down in frequency. We show that this counterintuitive result is caused by the change in the strong field continuum dynamics introduced by the variation of the driving frequency with time
Emittance growth in laser-driven RF electron guns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, K.J.

1989-01-01

A simple analysis for the evolution of the electron-beam phase space distribution in laser-driven rf guns is presented. In particular, formulas are derived for the transverse and longitudinal emittances at the exit of the gun. The results are compared and found to agree well with those from simulation. (Author). 9 refs.; 4 figs
High-brightness electron source driven by laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Kui; Geng Rongli; Wang Lifang

1996-01-01

A DC high-brightness laser driven by photo emissive electron gun is being developed at Beijing University, in order to produce 50∼100 ps electron bunches of high quality. The gun consists of a photocathode preparation chamber and a DC acceleration cavity. Different ways of fabricating photocathode, such as chemical vapor deposition, ion beam implantation and ion beam enhanced deposition, can be adopted. The acceleration gap is designed with the aid of simulation codes EGUN and POISSON. 100 kV DC high voltage is fed to the anode through a careful designed ceramic insulator. The laser system is a mode locked Nd-YAG oscillator proceeded by an amplifier at 10 Hz repetition rate, which can deliver three different wavelength (1064/532/266 nm). The combination of a superconducting cavity with the photocathode preparation chamber is discussed
Laser-driven injector of electrons for IOTA

Science.gov (United States)

Romanov, Aleksandr

2017-03-01

Fermilab is developing the Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) ring for experiments on nonlinear integrable optics. The machine will operate with either electron beams of 150 MeV or proton beams of 2.5 MeV energies, respectively. The stability of integrable optics depends critically on the precision of the magnetic lattice, which demands the use of beam-based lattice measurements for optics correction. In the proton mode, the low-energy proton beam does not represent a good probe for this application; hence we consider the use of a low-intensity reverse-injected electron beam of matched momentum (70 MeV). Such an injector could be implemented with the use of laser-driven acceleration techniques. This report presents the consideration for a laser-plasma injector for IOTA and discusses the requirements determined by the ring design.
Enhanced laser-energy coupling to dense plasmas driven by recirculating electron currents

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, R. J.; Wilson, R.; King, M.; Williamson, S. D. R.; Dance, R. J.; Armstrong, C.; Brabetz, C.; Wagner, F.; Zielbauer, B.; Bagnoud, V.; Neely, D.; McKenna, P.

2018-03-01

The absorption of laser energy and dynamics of energetic electrons in dense plasma is fundamental to a range of intense laser-driven particle and radiation generation mechanisms. We measure the total reflected and scattered laser energy as a function of intensity, distinguishing between the influence of pulse energy and focal spot size on total energy absorption, in the interaction with thin foils. We confirm a previously published scaling of absorption with intensity by variation of laser pulse energy, but find a slower scaling when changing the focal spot size. 2D particle-in-cell simulations show that the measured differences arise due to energetic electrons recirculating within the target and undergoing multiple interactions with the laser pulse, which enhances absorption in the case of large focal spots. This effect is also shown to be dependent on the laser pulse duration, the target thickness and the electron beam divergence. The parameter space over which this absorption enhancement occurs is explored via an analytical model. The results impact our understanding of the fundamental physics of laser energy absorption in solids and thus the development of particle and radiation sources driven by intense laser–solid interactions.
Stable electron beams from laser wakefield acceleration with few-terawatt driver using a supersonic air jet

Science.gov (United States)

Boháček, K.; Kozlová, M.; Nejdl, J.; Chaulagain, U.; Horný, V.; Krůs, M.; Ta Phuoc, K.

2018-03-01

The generation of stable electron beams produced by the laser wakefield acceleration mechanism with a few-terawatt laser system (600 mJ, 50 fs) in a supersonic synthetic air jet is reported and the requirements necessary to build such a stable electron source are experimentally investigated in conditions near the bubble regime threshold. The resulting electron beams have stable energies of (17.4 ± 1.1) MeV and an energy spread of (13.5 ± 1.5) MeV (FWHM), which has been achieved by optimizing the properties of the supersonic gas jet target for the given laser system. Due to the availability of few-terawatt laser systems in many laboratories around the world these stable electron beams open possibilities for applications of this type of particle source.
Emittance Measurements from a Laser Driven Electron Injector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reis, David A

2003-07-28

The Gun Test Facility (GTF) at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center was constructed to develop an appropriate electron beam suitable for driving a short wavelength free electron laser (FEL) such as the proposed Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). For operation at a wavelength of 1.5 {angstrom}, the LCLS requires an electron injector that can produce an electron beam with approximately 1 {pi} mm-mrad normalized rms emittance with at least 1 nC of charge in a 10 ps or shorter bunch. The GTF consists of a photocathode rf gun, emittance-compensation solenoid, 3 m linear accelerator (linac), drive laser, and diagnostics to measure the beam. The rf gun is a symmetrized 1.6 cell, s-band high gradient, room temperature, photocathode structure. Simulations show that this gun when driven by a temporally and spatially shaped drive laser, appropriately focused with the solenoid, and further accelerated in linac can produce a beam that meets the LCLS requirements. This thesis describes the initial characterization of the laser and electron beam at the GTF. A convolved measurement of the relative timing between the laser and the rf phase in the gun shows that the jitter is less than 2.5 ps rms. Emittance measurements of the electron beam at 35 MeV are reported as a function of the (Gaussian) pulse length and transverse profile of the laser as well as the charge of the electron beam at constant phase and gradient in both the gun and linac. At 1 nC the emittance was found to be {approx} 13 {pi} mm-mrad for 5 ps and 8 ps long laser pulses. At 0.5 nC the measured emittance decreased approximately 20% in the 5 ps case and 40% in the 8 ps case. These measurements are between 40-80% higher than simulations for similar experimental conditions. In addition, the thermal emittance of the electron beam was measured to be 0.5 {pi} mm-mrad.

On the way to stabilized laser-driven GeV electrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chou, Shao-wei; Weineisen, Tobias; Fuchs, Matthias; Popp, Antonia; Major, Zsuzsanna; Weingartner, Raphael; Ahmad, Izhar; Schmid, Karl; Marx, Benjamin; Krausz, Ferenc; Gruener, Florian; Karsch, Stefan [Max-Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Munich (Germany); Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich (Germany); Osterhoff, Jens [LOASIS Program, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore (United States); Schroeder, Hartmut; Haas, Harald [Max-Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Munich (Germany); Rowlands-Rees, Tom; Hooker, Simon [University of Oxford, Oxford (United Kingdom)

2010-07-01

Laser-driven-wakefield electron accelerators have shown electron beams with energies of up to 1 GeV from a centimeter-scale plasma accelerator. In order to achieve higher electron energies, these acceleration distances need to be increased. This can be realized with a discharge capillary. However, a discharge typically introduces instabilities on both pointing and energy of the generated electrons. In order to improve the stability, we demonstrate a preliminary test of a modified discharge which includes a pre-pulse circuit before the firing of the main pulse. We also show gas density shaping by a laser- machined nozzle which should be able to make a more precise injection in the capillary accelerator thus reducing the energy instability.
Measuring the electric field of few-cycle laser pulses by attosecond cross correlation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bandrauk, Andre D.; Chelkowski, Szczepan; Shon, Nguyen Hong

2002-01-01

A new technique for directly measuring the electric field of linearly polarized few-cycle laser pulses is proposed. Based on the solution of the time-dependent Schroedinger equation (TDSE) for an H atom in the combined field of infrared (IR) femtosecond (fs) and ultraviolet (UV) attosecond (as) laser pulses we show that, as a function of the time delay between two pulses, the difference (or equivalently, asymmetry) of photoelectron signals in opposite directions (along the polarization vector of laser pulses) reproduces very well the profile of the electric field (or vector potential) in the IR pulse. Such ionization asymmetry can be used for directly measuring the carrier-envelope phase difference (i.e., the relative phase of the carrier frequency with respect to the pulse envelope) of the IR fs laser pulse
Achieving few-femtosecond time-sorting at hard X-ray free-electron lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Harmand, M.; Coffee, R.; Bionta, M. R.; Chollet, M.; French, D.; Zhu, D.; Fritz, D. M.; Lemke, H. T.; Medvedev, N.; Ziaja, B.; Toleikis, S.; Cammarata, M.

2013-03-01

Recently, few-femtosecond pulses have become available at hard X-ray free-electron lasers. Coupled with the available sub-10 fs optical pulses, investigations into few-femtosecond dynamics are not far off. However, achieving sufficient synchronization between optical lasers and X-ray pulses continues to be challenging. We report a `measure-and-sort' approach, which achieves sub-10 fs root-mean-squared (r.m.s.) error measurement at hard X-ray FELs, far beyond the 100-200 fs r.m.s. jitter limitations. This timing diagnostic, now routinely available at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), is based on ultrafast free-carrier generation in optically transparent materials. Correlation between two independent measurements enables unambiguous demonstration of ~6 fs r.m.s. error in reporting the optical/X-ray delay, with single shot error suggesting the possibility of reaching few-femtosecond resolution.
SIMULATION OF FORWARD AND BACKWARD WAVES EVOLUTION OF FEW-CYCLE PULSES PROPAGATING IN AN OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE WITH DISPERSION AND CUBIC NONLINEARITY OF ELECTRONIC AND ELECTRONIC-VIBRATION NATURE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. S. Konev

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Numerical method for calculation of forward and backward waves of intense few-cycle laser pulses propagating in an optical waveguide with dispersion and cubic nonlinearity of electronic and electronic-vibration nature is described. Simulations made with the implemented algorithm show that accounting for Raman nonlinearity does not lead to qualitative changes in behavior of the backward wave. Speaking about quantitative changes, the increase of efficiency of energy transfer from the forward wave to the backward wave is observed. Presented method can be also used to simulate interaction of counterpropagating pulses.
Few-Photon Multiple Ionization of Ne and Ar by Strong Free-Electron-Laser Pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moshammer, R.; Jiang, Y. H.; Rudenko, A.; Ergler, Th.; Schroeter, C. D.; Luedemann, S.; Zrost, K.; Dorn, A.; Ferger, T.; Kuehnel, K. U.; Ullrich, J.; Foucar, L.; Titze, J.; Jahnke, T.; Schoeffler, M.; Doerner, R.; Fischer, D.; Weber, T.; Zouros, T. J. M.; Duesterer, S.

2007-01-01

Few-photon multiple ionization of Ne and Ar atoms by strong vacuum ultraviolet laser pulses from the free-electron laser at Hamburg was investigated differentially with the Heidelberg reaction microscope. The light-intensity dependence of Ne 2+ production reveals the dominance of nonsequential two-photon double ionization at intensities of I 12 W/cm 2 and significant contributions of three-photon ionization as I increases. Ne 2+ recoil-ion-momentum distributions suggest that two electrons absorbing ''instantaneously'' two photons are ejected most likely into opposite hemispheres with similar energies
53 W average power few-cycle fiber laser system generating soft x rays up to the water window.

Science.gov (United States)

Rothhardt, Jan; Hädrich, Steffen; Klenke, Arno; Demmler, Stefan; Hoffmann, Armin; Gotschall, Thomas; Eidam, Tino; Krebs, Manuel; Limpert, Jens; Tünnermann, Andreas

2014-09-01

We report on a few-cycle laser system delivering sub-8-fs pulses with 353 μJ pulse energy and 25 GW of peak power at up to 150 kHz repetition rate. The corresponding average output power is as high as 53 W, which represents the highest average power obtained from any few-cycle laser architecture so far. The combination of both high average and high peak power provides unique opportunities for applications. We demonstrate high harmonic generation up to the water window and record-high photon flux in the soft x-ray spectral region. This tabletop source of high-photon flux soft x rays will, for example, enable coherent diffractive imaging with sub-10-nm resolution in the near future.
THz cavities and injectors for compact electron acceleration using laser-driven THz sources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moein Fakhari

2017-04-01

Full Text Available We present a design methodology for developing ultrasmall electron injectors and accelerators based on cascaded cavities excited by short multicycle THz pulses obtained from laser-driven THz generation schemes. Based on the developed concept for optimal coupling of the THz pulse, a THz electron injector and two accelerating stages are designed. The designed electron gun consists of a four cell cavity operating at 300 GHz and a door-knob waveguide to coaxial coupler. Moreover, special designs are proposed to mitigate the problem of thermal heat flow and induced mechanical stress to achieve a stable device. We demonstrated a gun based on cascaded cavities that is powered by only 1.1 mJ of THz energy in 300 cycles to accelerate electron bunches up to 250 keV. An additional two linac sections can be added with five and four cell cavities both operating at 300 GHz boosting the bunch energy up to 1.2 MeV using a 4-mJ THz pulse.
Laser-plasma accelerator-based single-cycle attosecond undulator source

Science.gov (United States)

Tibai, Z.; Tóth, Gy.; Nagyváradi, A.; Sharma, A.; Mechler, M. I.; Fülöp, J. A.; Almási, G.; Hebling, J.

2018-06-01

Laser-plasma accelerators (LPAs), producing high-quality electron beams, provide an opportunity to reduce the size of free-electron lasers (FELs) to only a few meters. A complete system is proposed here, which is based on FEL technology and consists of an LPA, two undulators, and other magnetic devices. The system is capable to generate carrier-envelope phase stable attosecond pulses with engineered waveform. Pulses with up to 60 nJ energy and 90-400 attosecond duration in the 30-120 nm wavelength range are predicted by numerical simulation. These pulses can be used to investigate ultrafast field-driven electron dynamics in matter.
Opportunities for sub-laser-cycle spectroscopy in condensed phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, Misha; Smirnova, Olga

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We discuss how sub-cycle attosecond spectroscopy can be extended from gas to condensed phase. ► We show that attosecond streaking measurements can be applied to bound electrons. ► We discuss time-resolving the formation of band structure in laser fields. - Abstract: To a large extent, progress of attosecond spectroscopy in the gas phase has been driven by designing approaches where time-resolution is not limited by the pulse duration. Instead, the time resolution comes from exploiting the sensitivity of electronic response to the oscillations of the electric field in the laser pulse and attosecond control over these oscillations. This paper discusses perspectives and opportunities for transporting the ideas of sub-cycle spectroscopy from gas to condensed phase
Interaction of few-cycle laser pulses in an isotropic nonlinear medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oganesyan, D L; Vardanyan, A O

2007-01-01

The interaction of few-cycle laser pulses propagating in an isotropic nonlinear medium is studied theoretically. A system of nonlinear Maxwell's equations is integrated numerically with respect to time by the finite difference method. The interaction of mutually orthogonal linearly polarised 0.81-μm, 10-fs pulses is considered. Both the instant Kerr polarisation response and Raman inertial response of the medium in the nonlinear part of the medium are taken into account. The spectral shift of the probe pulse caused by the cross-action of the reference pulse is studied. The spectra of the interacting pulses are studied for different time delays between them and the shifts of these spectra are obtained as a function of the time delay. (nonlinear optical phenomena)
Acceleration of laser-injected electron beams in an electron-beam driven plasma wakefield accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knetsch, Alexander

2018-03-01

Plasma wakefields deliver accelerating fields that are approximately a 100 times higher than those in conventional radiofrequency or even superconducting radiofrequency cavities. This opens a transformative path towards novel, compact and potentially ubiquitous accelerators. These prospects, and the increasing demand for electron accelerator beamtime for various applications in natural, material and life sciences, motivate the research and development on novel plasma-based accelerator concepts. However, these electron beam sources need to be understood and controlled. The focus of this thesis is on electron beam-driven plasma wakefield acceleration (PWFA) and the controlled injection and acceleration of secondary electron bunches in the accelerating wake fields by means of a short-pulse near-infrared laser. Two laser-triggered injection methods are explored. The first one is the Trojan Horse Injection, which relies on very good alignment and timing control between electron beam and laser pulse and then promises electron bunches with hitherto unprecedented quality as regards emittance and brightness. The physics of electron injection in the Trojan Horse case is explored with a focus on the final longitudinal bunch length. Then a theoretical and numerical study is presented that examines the physics of Trojan Horse injection when performed in an expanding wake generated by a smooth density down-ramp. The benefits are radically decreased drive-electron bunch requirements and a unique bunch-length control that enables longitudinal electron-bunch shaping. The second laser-triggered injection method is the Plasma Torch Injection, which is a versatile, all-optical laser-plasma-based method capable to realize tunable density downramp injection. At the SLAC National Laboratory, the first proof-of-principle was achieved both for Trojan Horse and Plasma Torch injection. Setup details and results are reported in the experimental part of the thesis along with the commissioning
Compact 200 kHz HHG source driven by a few-cycle OPCPA

Science.gov (United States)

Harth, Anne; Guo, Chen; Cheng, Yu-Chen; Losquin, Arthur; Miranda, Miguel; Mikaelsson, Sara; Heyl, Christoph M.; Prochnow, Oliver; Ahrens, Jan; Morgner, Uwe; L'Huillier, Anne; Arnold, Cord L.

2018-01-01

We present efficient high-order harmonic generation (HHG) based on a high-repetition rate, few-cycle, near infrared (NIR), carrier-envelope phase stable, optical parametric chirped pulse amplifier (OPCPA), emitting 6 fs pulses with 9 μJ pulse energy. In krypton, we reach conversion efficiencies from the NIR to the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation pulse energy on the order of ˜10-6 with less than 3 μJ driving pulse energy. This is achieved by optimizing the OPCPA for a spatially and temporally clean pulse and by a specially designed high-pressure gas target. In the future, the high efficiency of the HHG source will be beneficial for high-repetition rate two-colour (NIR-XUV) pump-probe experiments, where the available pulse energy from the laser has to be distributed economically between pump and probe pulses.
First Observation of Laser-Driven Acceleration of Relativistic Electrons in a Semi-Infinite Vacuum Space

CERN Document Server

Plettner, Tomas; Colby, Eric R; Cowan, Benjamin; Sears, Chris M S; Siemann, Robert; Smith, Todd I; Spencer, James

2005-01-01

We have observed acceleration of relativistic electrons in vacuum driven by a linearly polarized laser beam incident on a thin gold-coated reflective boundary. The observed energy modulation effect follows all the characteristics expected for linear acceleration caused by a longitudinal electric field. As predicted by the Lawson-Woodward theorem the laser driven modulation only appears in the presence of the boundary. It shows a linear dependence with the strength of the electric field of the laser beam and also it is critically dependent on the laser polarization. Finally, it appears to follow the expected angular dependence of the inverse transition radiation process.
A multi-frequency approach to free electron lasers driven by short electron bunches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piovella, Nicola

1997-01-01

A multi-frequency model for free electron lasers (FELs), based on the Fourier decomposition of the radiation field coupled with the beam electrons, is discussed. We show that the multi-frequency approach allows for an accurate description of the evolution of the radiation spectrum, also when the FEL is driven by short electron bunches, of arbitrary longitudinal profile. We derive from the multi-frequency model, by averaging over one radiation period, the usual FEL equations modelling the slippage between radiation and particles and describing the super-radiant regime in high-gain FELs. As an example of application of the multi-frequency model, we discuss the coherent spontaneous emission (CSE) from short electron bunches
Selection of high-brightness, laser-driven cathodes for electron accelerators and FELS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oettinger, P.E.

1987-01-01

Very intense, low emittance pulsed beams of electrons can be generated from laser-driven cathodes either by thermionic- or photo-emission. Several hundreds of amperes of electrons per square centimeter were observed for pulse lengths up to 50 ns. A normalized beam brightness of 10 7 A/cm 2 /rad 2 has been measured. These beams can be emission-gated at the cathode surface by modulating the laser-beam. Such beam bunching will generate picosecond-to-microsecond-long pulses at the source. A variety of cathodes are described, and a method of selection for specific applications is presented
Electron acceleration by femtosecond laser interaction with micro-structured plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Goers, Andy James

Laser-driven accelerators are a promising and compact alternative to RF accelerator technology for generating relativistic electron bunches for medical, scientific, and security applications. This dissertation presents three experiments using structured plasmas designed to advance the state of the art in laser-based electron accelerators, with the goal of reducing the energy of the drive laser pulse and enabling higher repetition rate operation with current laser technology. First, electron acceleration by intense femtosecond laser pulses in He-like nitrogen plasma waveguides is demonstrated. Second, significant progress toward a proof of concept realization of quasi-phasematched direct acceleration (QPM-DLA) is presented. Finally, a laser wakefield accelerator at very high plasma density is studied, enabling relativistic electron beam generation with ˜10 mJ pulse energies. Major results from these experiments include: • Acceleration of electrons up to 120 MeV from an ionization injected wakefield accelerator driven in a 1.5 mm long He-like nitrogen plasma waveguide • Guiding of an intense, quasi-radially polarized femtosecond laser pulse in a 1 cm plasma waveguide. This pulse provides a strong drive field for the QPM-DLA concept. • Wakefield acceleration of electrons up to ˜10 MeV with sub-terawatt, ˜10 mJ pulses interacting with a thin (˜200 mum), high density (>1020 cm-3) plasma. • Observation of an intense, coherent, broadband wave breaking radiation flash from a high plasma density laser wakefield accelerator. The flash radiates > 1% of the drive laser pulse energy in a bandwidth consistent with half-cycle (˜1 fs) emission from violent unidirectional acceleration of electron bunches from rest. These results open the way to high repetition rate (>˜kHz) laser-driven generation of relativistic electron beams with existing laser technology.
Laser-driven wakefield electron acceleration and associated radiation sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davoine, X.

2009-10-01

The first part of this research thesis introduces the basic concepts needed for the understanding of the laser-driven wakefield acceleration. It describes the properties of the used laser beams and plasmas, presents some notions about laser-plasma interactions for a better understanding of the physics of laser-driven acceleration. The second part deals with the numerical modelling and the presentation of simulation tools needed for the investigation of laser-induced wakefield acceleration. The last part deals with the optical control of the injection, a technique analogous to the impulsion collision scheme
Laser-driven electron accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmer, R.B.

1981-01-01

The following possibilities are discussed: inverse free electron laser (wiggler accelerator); inverse Cerenkov effect; plasma accelerator; dielectric tube; and grating linac. Of these, the grating acceleraton is considered the most attractive alternative
Gain physics of rf-linac-driven xuv free-electron lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldstein, J.C.; McVey, B.D.; Newnam, B.E.

1986-01-01

In an rf-linac-driven xuv free-electron laser oscillator, the gain depends on the details of the shape of the electron beam's phase-space distribution, particularly the distribution of electrons in the transverse (to the direction of propagation) position and velocity coordinates. This strong dependence occurs because the gain in this device is inhomogeneously broadened. Our previous theoretical studies have assumed that the transverse phase space distribution is a product of uncorrelated Gaussian functions. In the present work, we shall present the results of a theoretical study of the gain for non-Gaussian phase-space distributions. Such distributions arise either from a better representation of the electron beam from an rf-linac or from an emittance filter applied to the beam after the linac
Recent advances in laser-driven neutron sources

Science.gov (United States)

Alejo, A.; Ahmed, H.; Green, A.; Mirfayzi, S. R.; Borghesi, M.; Kar, S.

2016-11-01

Due to the limited number and high cost of large-scale neutron facilities, there has been a growing interest in compact accelerator-driven sources. In this context, several potential schemes of laser-driven neutron sources are being intensively studied employing laser-accelerated electron and ion beams. In addition to the potential of delivering neutron beams with high brilliance, directionality and ultra-short burst duration, a laser-driven neutron source would offer further advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness, compactness and radiation confinement by closed-coupled experiments. Some of the recent advances in this field are discussed, showing improvements in the directionality and flux of the laser-driven neutron beams.

Basic design considerations for free-electron lasers driven by electron beams from RF accelerators

Science.gov (United States)

Gover, A.; Freund, H.; Granatstein, V. L.; McAdoo, J. H.; Tang, C.-M.

A design procedure and design criteria are derived for free-electron lasers driven by electron beams from RF accelerators. The procedure and criteria permit an estimate of the oscillation-buildup time and the laser output power of various FEL schemes: with waveguide resonator or open resonator, with initial seed-radiation injection or with spontaneous-emission radiation source, with a linear wiggler or with a helical wiggler. Expressions are derived for computing the various FEL parameters, allowing for the design and optimization of the FEL operational characteristics under ideal conditions or with nonideal design parameters that may be limited by technological or practical constraints. The design procedure enables one to derive engineering curves and scaling laws for the FEL operating parameters. This can be done most conveniently with a computer program based on flowcharts given in the appendices.
Red Shift and Broadening of Backward Harmonic Radiation from Electron Oscillations Driven by Femtosecond Laser Pulse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Youwei; Yu Wei; Lu Peixiang; Senecha, Vinod K; Han, Xu; Deng Degang; Li Ruxin; Xu Zhizhan

2006-01-01

The characteristics of backward harmonic radiation due to electron oscillations driven by a linearly polarized fs laser pulse are analysed considering a single electron model. The spectral distributions of the electron's backward harmonic radiation are investigated in detail for different parameters of the driver laser pulse. Higher order harmonic radiations are possible for a sufficiently intense driving laser pulse. We have shown that for a realistic pulsed photon beam, the spectrum of the radiation is red shifted as well as broadened because of changes in the longitudinal velocity of the electrons during the laser pulse. These effects are more pronounced at higher laser intensities giving rise to higher order harmonics that eventually leads to a continuous spectrum. Numerical simulations have further shown that by increasing the laser pulse width the broadening of the high harmonic radiations can be controlled
Free-electron laser multiplex driven by a superconducting linear accelerator.

Science.gov (United States)

Plath, Tim; Amstutz, Philipp; Bödewadt, Jörn; Brenner, Günter; Ekanayake, Nagitha; Faatz, Bart; Hacker, Kirsten; Honkavaara, Katja; Lazzarino, Leslie Lamberto; Lechner, Christoph; Maltezopoulos, Theophilos; Scholz, Matthias; Schreiber, Siegfried; Vogt, Mathias; Zemella, Johann; Laarmann, Tim

2016-09-01

Free-electron lasers (FELs) generate femtosecond XUV and X-ray pulses at peak powers in the gigawatt range. The FEL user facility FLASH at DESY (Hamburg, Germany) is driven by a superconducting linear accelerator with up to 8000 pulses per second. Since 2014, two parallel undulator beamlines, FLASH1 and FLASH2, have been in operation. In addition to the main undulator, the FLASH1 beamline is equipped with an undulator section, sFLASH, dedicated to research and development of fully coherent extreme ultraviolet photon pulses using external seed lasers. In this contribution, the first simultaneous lasing of the three FELs at 13.4 nm, 20 nm and 38.8 nm is presented.
Attosecond-controlled photoemission from metal nanowire tips in the few-electron regime

KAUST Repository

Ahn, B.

2017-02-07

Metal nanotip photoemitters have proven to be versatile in fundamental nanoplasmonics research and applications, including, e.g., the generation of ultrafast electron pulses, the adiabatic focusing of plasmons, and as light-triggered electron sources for microscopy. Here, we report the generation of high energy photoelectrons (up to 160 eV) in photoemission from single-crystalline nanowire tips in few-cycle, 750-nm laser fields at peak intensities of (2-7.3) × 1012 W/cm2. Recording the carrier-envelope phase (CEP)-dependent photoemission from the nanowire tips allows us to identify rescattering contributions and also permits us to determine the high-energy cutoff of the electron spectra as a function of laser intensity. So far these types of experiments from metal nanotips have been limited to an emission regime with less than one electron per pulse. We detect up to 13 e/shot and given the limited detection efficiency, we expect up to a few ten times more electrons being emitted from the nanowire. Within the investigated intensity range, we find linear scaling of cutoff energies. The nonlinear scaling of electron count rates is consistent with tunneling photoemission occurring in the absence of significant charge interaction. The high electron energy gain is attributed to field-induced rescattering in the enhanced nanolocalized fields at the wires apex, where a strong CEP-modulation is indicative of the attosecond control of photoemission.
Design and construction of a DC high-brightness laser driven electron gun

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, K.; Geng, R. L.; Wang, L. F.; Zhang, B. C.; Yu, J.; Wang, T.; Wu, G. F.; Song, J. H.; Chen, J. E.

1996-02-01

A DC high-brightness laser driven photoemissive electron gun is being developed at Peking University, in order to produce 50-100 ps electron bunches of high quality. The gun consists of a photocathode preparation chamber and a DC acceleration cavity. Different ways of fabricating photocathodes, such as chemical vapor deposition, ion beam implantation and ion beam enhanced deposition, can be adopted. The acceleration gap is designed with the aid of simulation codes EGUN and POISSON. The laser system is a mode-locked Nd-YAG oscillator proceeded by an amplifier at 10 Hz repetition rate, which can deliver three different wavelengths (1064/532/266 nm). The combination of a superconducting cavity with the photocathode preparation chamber is also discussed in this paper.
Comparison study of in vivo dose response to laser-driven versus conventional electron beam.

Science.gov (United States)

Oppelt, Melanie; Baumann, Michael; Bergmann, Ralf; Beyreuther, Elke; Brüchner, Kerstin; Hartmann, Josefin; Karsch, Leonhard; Krause, Mechthild; Laschinsky, Lydia; Leßmann, Elisabeth; Nicolai, Maria; Reuter, Maria; Richter, Christian; Sävert, Alexander; Schnell, Michael; Schürer, Michael; Woithe, Julia; Kaluza, Malte; Pawelke, Jörg

2015-05-01

The long-term goal to integrate laser-based particle accelerators into radiotherapy clinics not only requires technological development of high-intensity lasers and new techniques for beam detection and dose delivery, but also characterization of the biological consequences of this new particle beam quality, i.e. ultra-short, ultra-intense pulses. In the present work, we describe successful in vivo experiments with laser-driven electron pulses by utilization of a small tumour model on the mouse ear for the human squamous cell carcinoma model FaDu. The already established in vitro irradiation technology at the laser system JETI was further enhanced for 3D tumour irradiation in vivo in terms of beam transport, beam monitoring, dose delivery and dosimetry in order to precisely apply a prescribed dose to each tumour in full-scale radiobiological experiments. Tumour growth delay was determined after irradiation with doses of 3 and 6 Gy by laser-accelerated electrons. Reference irradiation was performed with continuous electron beams at a clinical linear accelerator in order to both validate the dedicated dosimetry employed for laser-accelerated JETI electrons and above all review the biological results. No significant difference in radiation-induced tumour growth delay was revealed for the two investigated electron beams. These data provide evidence that the ultra-high dose rate generated by laser acceleration does not impact the biological effectiveness of the particles.
Spatial and temporal interference during the ionization of H by few-cycle XUV laser pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toth, A.; Borbely, S.; Nagy, L.; Toekesi, K.

2012-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. We have studied the ionization of H atoms by two-cycle XUV laser pulses in the tunneling and over-the-barrier regimes, by following the time evolution of our system. Beside the dominant ionization processes, secondary processes may occure. These are interferences between different electronic wave packets. From the numerous possible scenarios two have a significant impact on the final momentum distribution of the free electrons. In the first case, the interference between wave packets emitted at different time moments during the action of the laser pulse leads to circular interference minima and maxima in the final momentum distribution. In the second scenario, electronic wave packets emitted at the same time follow different paths, accumulating different final phases, leading to a radial fringe structure in the electron spectra. This process can be viewed as the interference between a direct and a scattered wave, so its pattern in the momentum distribution can be interpreted as the holographic mapping (HM) of the target system's state [1]. In our work we have used the time dependent close-coupling method to solve numerically the time dependent Schroedinger equation. For the investigation of the temporal interference we used also the strong field approximation, and we showed that the concentric extremas are the result of the interference between wave packets emitted at opposite halfcycles of the same laser field cycle. In case of the spatial interference, first, we have confirmed the existence of the two types of electron trajectories using classical trajectory Monte Carlo calculations. According to the simple two-path model of [1], the spatial interference pattern is mainly influenced by only one parameter, z0, which is the maximum distance reached by the free wave packet before it is redirected towards the parent ion by the laser field. By performing TDCC calculations for different laser pulse parameters (implicit modification
Laser driven particle acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faure, J.

2009-06-01

This dissertation summarizes the last ten years of research at the Laboratory of Applied Optics on laser-plasma based electron acceleration. The main result consists of the development and study of a relativistic electron source with unique properties: high energy (100-300 MeV) in short distances (few millimeters), mono-energetic, ultra-short (few fs), stable and tunable. The manuscript describes the steps that led to understanding the physics, and then mastering it in order to produce this new electron source. Non linear propagation of the laser pulse in the plasma is first presented, with phenomena such as non linear wakefield excitation, relativistic and ponderomotive self-focusing in the short pulse regime, self-compression. Acceleration and injection of electrons are then reviewed from a theoretical perspective. Experimental demonstrations of self-injection in the bubble regime and then colliding pulse injection are then presented. These experiments were among the first to produce monoenergetic, high quality, stable and tunable electron beams from a laser-plasma accelerator. The last two chapters are dedicated to the characterization of the electron beam using transition radiation and to its applications to gamma radiography and radiotherapy. Finally, the perspectives of this research are presented in the conclusion. Scaling laws are used to determine the parameters that the electron beams will reach using peta-watt laser systems currently under construction. (author)
Front-End Light Source for aWaveform-Controlled High-Contrast Few-Cycle Laser System for High-Repetition Rate Relativistic Optics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Lopez-Martens

2013-03-01

Full Text Available We present the current development of an injector for a high-contrast, ultrashort laser system devoted to relativistic laser-plasma interaction in the few-cycle regime. The front-end is based on CEP-stabilized Ti:Sa CPA followed by XPW filter designed at the mJ level for temporal cleaning and shortening. Accurate characterization highlights the fidelity of the proposed injector. Measured CEP drift is 170 mrad rms.
Conceptual design of a bright electron injector based on a laser-driven photocathode rf electron gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chattopadhyay, S.; Chen, Y.J.; Hopkins, D.; Kim, K.J.; Kung, A.; Miller, R.; Sessler, A.; Young, T.

1988-09-01

Conceptual design of a bright electron injector for the 1 GeV high gradient test experiment, envisaged by the LLNL-SLAC-LBL collaboration on the Relativistic Klystron is presented. The design utilizes a high-brightness laser-driven rf photocathode electron gun, similar to the pioneering LANL early studies in concept (different parametrically however), together with achromatic magnetic bunching and transport systems and diagnostics. The design is performed with attention to possible use in an FEL as well. A simple but realistic analytic model including longitudinal and transverse space-charge and rf effects and extensive computer simulation form the basis of the parametric choice for the source. These parameters are used as guides for the design of the picosecond laser system and magnetic bunching section. 4 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs
Laser driven electron-positron pair creation-kinetic theory versus analytical approximations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smolyansky, S.A.; Prozorkevich, A.V.; Bonitz, M.

2013-01-01

The dynamical Schwinger effect of vacuum pair creation driven by an intense external laser pulse is studied on the basis of quantum kinetic theory. The numerical solutions of these kinetic equations exhibit a complex time dependence which makes an analysis of the physical processes difficult. In particular, the question of secondary effects, such as creation of secondary annihilation photons from the focus spot of the colliding laser beams, remains an important open problem. In the present work we, therefore, develop a perturbation theory which is able to capture the dominant time dependence of the produced electron-positron pair density. The theory shows excellent agreement with the exact kinetic results during the laser pulse, but fails to reproduce the residual pair density remaining in the system after termination of the pulse. (copyright 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)
Observation of 690 MV m^-1 Electron Accelerating Gradient with a Laser-Driven Dielectric Microstructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wootton, K.P.; Wu, Z.; /SLAC; Cowan, B.M.; /Tech-X, Boulder; Hanuka, A.; /SLAC /Technion; Makasyuk, I.V.; /SLAC; Peralta, E.A.; Soong, K.; Byer, R.L.; /Stanford U.; England, R.J.; /SLAC

2016-06-27

Acceleration of electrons using laser-driven dielectric microstructures is a promising technology for the miniaturization of particle accelerators. In this work, experimental results are presented of relativistic electron acceleration with 690±100 MVm^-1 gradient. This is a record-high accelerating gradient for a dielectric microstructure accelerator, nearly doubling the previous record gradient. To reach higher acceleration gradients the present experiment employs 90 fs duration laser pulses.
Electron dynamics and optical properties modulation of monolayer MoS{sub 2} by femtosecond laser pulse: a simulation using time-dependent density functional theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Su, Xiaoxing; Jiang, Lan [Beijing Institute of Technology, Laser Micro/Nano Fabrication Laboratory, School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing (China); Wang, Feng [Beijing Institute of Technology, School of Physics, Beijing (China); Su, Gaoshi [Beijing Institute of Technology, School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing (China); Qu, Liangti [Beijing Institute of Technology, Key Laboratory of Cluster Science, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beijing (China); Lu, Yongfeng [University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Electrical Engineering, Lincoln, NE (United States)

2017-07-15

In this study, we adopted time-dependent density functional theory to investigate the optical properties of monolayer MoS{sub 2} and the effect of intense few-cycle femtosecond laser pulses on these properties. The electron dynamics of monolayer MoS{sub 2} under few-cycle and multi-cycle laser irradiation were described. The polarization direction of the laser had a marked effect on the energy absorption and electronic excitation of monolayer MoS{sub 2} because of anisotropy. Change in the polarization direction of few-cycle pulse changed the absorbed energy by a factor over 4000. Few-cycle pulse showed a higher sensitivity to the electronic property of material than multi-cycle pulse. The modulation of the dielectric properties of the material was observed on the femtosecond time scale. The negative divergence appeared in the real part of the function at low frequencies and photoinduced blue shift occurred due to Burstein-Moss effect. The irradiation of femtosecond laser caused the dielectric response within the infrared region and introduced anisotropy to the in-plane optical properties. Laser-based engineering of optical properties through controlling transient electron dynamics expands the functionality of MoS{sub 2} and has potential applications in direction-dependent optoelectronic devices. (orig.)
Extreme localization of electrons in space and time.

Science.gov (United States)

Hommelhoff, Peter; Kealhofer, Catherine; Aghajani-Talesh, Anoush; Sortais, Yvan R P; Foreman, Seth M; Kasevich, Mark A

2009-04-01

Electron emission from sharp metal tips can take place on sub-femtosecond time scales if the emission is driven by few cycle femtosecond laser pulses. Here we outline the experimental prerequisites in detail, discuss emission regimes and relate them to recent experiments in the gas phase (attosecond physics). We present a process that leads to single atom tip emitters that are stable under laser illumination and conclude with a discussion of how to achieve short electron pulses at a target.
The chirped-pulse inverse free-electron laser: A high-gradient vacuum laser accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartemann, F.V.; Landahl, E.C.; Troha, A.L.; Van Meter, J.R.; Baldis, H.A.; Freeman, R.R.; Luhmann, N.C. Jr.; Song, L.; Kerman, A.K.; Yu, D.U.

1999-01-01

The inverse free-electron laser (IFEL) interaction is studied theoretically and computationally in the case where the drive laser intensity approaches the relativistic regime, and the pulse duration is only a few optical cycles long. The IFEL concept has been demonstrated as a viable vacuum laser acceleration process; it is shown here that by using an ultrashort, ultrahigh-intensity drive laser pulse, the IFEL interaction bandwidth and accelerating gradient are increased considerably, thus yielding large energy gains. Using a chirped pulse and negative dispersion focusing optics allows one to take further advantage of the laser optical bandwidth and produce a chromatic line focus maximizing the gradient. The combination of these novel ideas results in a compact vacuum laser accelerator capable of accelerating picosecond electron bunches with a high gradient (GeV/m) and very low energy spread. copyright 1999 American Institute of Physics
Tracking nuclear wave-packet dynamics in molecular oxygen ions with few-cycle infrared laser pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De, S.; Bocharova, I. A.; Magrakvelidze, M.; Ray, D.; Cao, W.; Thumm, U.; Cocke, C. L.; Bergues, B.; Kling, M. F.; Litvinyuk, I. V.

2010-01-01

We have tracked nuclear wave-packet dynamics in doubly charged states of molecular oxygen using few-cycle infrared laser pulses. Bound and dissociating wave packets were launched and subsequently probed via a pair of 8-fs pulses of 790 nm radiation. Ionic fragments from the dissociating molecules were monitored by velocity-map imaging. Pronounced oscillations in the delay-dependent kinetic energy release spectra were observed. The occurrence of vibrational revivals permits us to identify the potential curves of the O 2 dication which are most relevant to the molecular dynamics. These studies show the accessibility to the dynamics of such higher-charged molecules.
Engineering design of the interaction waveguide for high-power accelerator-driven microwave free-electron lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopkins, D.B.; Clay, H.W.; Stallard, B.W.; Throop, A.L.; Listvinsky, G.; Makowski, M.A.

1989-01-01

Linear induction accelerators (LIAs) operating at beam energies of a few million electron volts and currents of a few thousand amperes are suitable drivers for free-electron lasers (FELs). Such lasers are capable of producing gigawatts of peak power and megawatts of average power at microwave frequencies. Such devices are being studied as possible power sources for future high-gradient accelerators and are being constructed for plasma heating applications. At high power levels, the engineering design of the interaction waveguide presents a challenge. This paper discusses several concerns, including electrical breakdown and metal fatigue limits, choice of material, and choice of operating propagation mode. 13 refs., 3 figs
Progress of Laser-Driven Plasma Accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakajima, Kazuhisa

2007-01-01

There is a great interest worldwide in plasma accelerators driven by ultra-intense lasers which make it possible to generate ultra-high gradient acceleration and high quality particle beams in a much more compact size compared with conventional accelerators. A frontier research on laser and plasma accelerators is focused on high energy electron acceleration and ultra-short X-ray and Tera Hertz radiations as their applications. These achievements will provide not only a wide range of sciences with benefits of a table-top accelerator but also a basic science with a tool of ultrahigh energy accelerators probing an unknown extremely microscopic world.Harnessing the recent advance of ultra-intense ultra-short pulse lasers, the worldwide research has made a tremendous breakthrough in demonstrating high-energy high-quality particle beams in a compact scale, so called ''dream beams on a table top'', which represents monoenergetic electron beams from laser wakefield accelerators and GeV acceleration by capillary plasma-channel laser wakefield accelerators. This lecture reviews recent progress of results on laser-driven plasma based accelerator experiments to quest for particle acceleration physics in intense laser-plasma interactions and to present new outlook for the GeV-range high-energy laser plasma accelerators
Electron Parametric Instabilities Driven by Relativistically Intense Laser Light in Plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Barr, H. C.; Mason, P.; Parr, D. M.

1999-08-01

A unified treatment of electron parametric instabilities driven by ultraintense laser light in plasma is described. It is valid for any intensity, polarization, plasma density, and scattering geometry. The method is applied to linearly polarized light in both underdense plasma and overdense plasma accessible by self-induced transparency. New options arise which are hybrids of stimulated Raman scattering, the two plasmon decay, the relativistic modulational and filamentation instabilities, and stimulated harmonic generation. There is vigorous growth over a wide range of wave numbers and harmonics.
Characterisation of electron beams from laser-driven particle accelerators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunetti, E.; Manahan, G. G.; Shanks, R. P.; Islam, M. R.; Ersfeld, B.; Anania, M. P.; Cipiccia, S.; Issac, R. C.; Vieux, G.; Welsh, G. H.; Wiggins, S. M.; Jaroszynski, D. A. [Physics Department, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG (United Kingdom)

2012-12-21

The development, understanding and application of laser-driven particle accelerators require accurate measurements of the beam properties, in particular emittance, energy spread and bunch length. Here we report measurements and simulations showing that laser wakefield accelerators can produce beams of quality comparable to conventional linear accelerators.

Novel target design for enhanced laser driven proton acceleration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malay Dalui

2017-09-01

Full Text Available We demonstrate a simple method of preparing structured target for enhanced laser-driven proton acceleration under target-normal-sheath-acceleration scheme. A few layers of genetically modified, clinically grown micron sized E. Coli bacteria cell coated on a thin metal foil has resulted in an increase in the maximum proton energy by about 1.5 times and the total proton yield is enhanced by approximately 25 times compared to an unstructured reference foil at a laser intensity of 1019 W/cm2. Particle-in-cell simulations on the system shows that the structures on the target-foil facilitates anharmonic resonance, contributing to enhanced hot electron production which leads to stronger accelerating field. The effect is observed to grow as the number of structures is increased in the focal area of the laser pulse.
Computational efficiency improvement with Wigner rotation technique in studying atoms in intense few-cycle circularly polarized pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Minghu; Feng, Liqiang; Lü, Rui; Chu, Tianshu

2014-01-01

We show that by introducing Wigner rotation technique into the solution of time-dependent Schrödinger equation in length gauge, computational efficiency can be greatly improved in describing atoms in intense few-cycle circularly polarized laser pulses. The methodology with Wigner rotation technique underlying our openMP parallel computational code for circularly polarized laser pulses is described. Results of test calculations to investigate the scaling property of the computational code with the number of the electronic angular basis function l as well as the strong field phenomena are presented and discussed for the hydrogen atom
Linac-driven XUV free-electron laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newnam, B.E.; Goldstein, J.C.; Fraser, J.S.; Cooper, R.K.

1983-01-01

Use of an rf linear accelerator as the electron source for a free-electron laser operating in the extreme ultraviolet wavelength range from 100 nm to at least as low as 50 nm appears feasible. Peak and average power outputs of greater than 100 kW and 50W, respectively, are predicted
Extremely short relativistic-electron-bunch generation in the laser wakefield via novel bunch injection scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. G. Khachatryan

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Recently a new electron-bunch injection scheme for the laser wakefield accelerator has been proposed [JETP Lett. 74, 371 (2001JTPLA20021-364010.1134/1.1427124; Phys. Rev. E 65, 046504 (2002PLEEE81063-651X10.1103/PhysRevE.65.046504]. In this scheme, a low energy electron bunch, sent in a plasma channel just before a high-intensity laser pulse, is trapped in the laser wakefield, considerably compressed and accelerated to an ultrarelativistic energy. In this paper we show the possibility of the generation of an extremely short (on the order of 1 μm long or a few femtoseconds in duration relativistic-electron-bunch by this mechanism. The initial electron bunch, which can be generated, for example, by a laser-driven photocathode rf gun, should have an energy of a few hundred keVs to a few MeVs, a duration in the picosecond range or less and a relatively low concentration. The trapping conditions and parameters of an accelerated bunch are investigated. The laser pulse dynamics as well as a possible experimental setup for the demonstration of the injection scheme are also considered.
A search for the sulphur hexafluoride cation with intense, few cycle laser pulses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dota, Krithika; Mathur, Deepak, E-mail: atmol1@tifr.res.in [Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005 (India); Centre for Atomic and Molecular Physics, Manipal University, Manipal 576 104 (India); Dharmadhikari, Aditya K. [Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005 (India); Dharmadhikari, Jayashree A. [Centre for Atomic and Molecular Physics, Manipal University, Manipal 576 104 (India); Patra, Kaustuv; Tiwari, Ashwani K. [Indian Institute of Science Education and Research - Kolkata, Mohanpur 741 252 (India)

2013-11-21

It is well established that upon ionization of sulphur hexafluoride, the SF{sub 6}{sup +} ion is never observed in mass spectra. Recent work with ultrashort intense laser pulses has offered indications that when strong optical field are used, the resulting “bond hardening” can induce changes in the potential energy surfaces of molecular cations such that molecular ions that are normally unstable may, indeed, become metastable enough to enable their detection by mass spectrometry. Do intense, ultrashort laser pulses permit formation of SF{sub 6}{sup +}? We have utilized intense pulses of 5 fs, 11 fs, and 22 fs to explore this possibility. Our results are negative: no evidence is discovered for SF{sub 6}{sup +}. However, multiply charged sulphur and fluorine ions from highly charged SF{sub 6}{sup q+} ions are observed that enable us to resolve the controversy regarding the kinetic energy release accompanying formation of F{sup +} fragment ions. Quantum chemical computations of field-distorted potential energy curves of SF{sub 6} and its molecular ion enable us to rationalize our non-observation of SF{sub 6}{sup +}. Our findings have implications for high harmonic generation from SF{sub 6} in the few-cycle regime.
Ultrafast molecular imaging by laser-induced electron diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peters, M.; Nguyen-Dang, T. T.; Cornaggia, C.; Saugout, S.; Charron, E.; Keller, A.; Atabek, O.

2011-01-01

We address the feasibility of imaging geometric and orbital structures of a polyatomic molecule on an attosecond time scale using the laser-induced electron diffraction (LIED) technique. We present numerical results for the highest molecular orbitals of the CO 2 molecule excited by a near-infrared few-cycle laser pulse. The molecular geometry (bond lengths) is determined within 3% of accuracy from a diffraction pattern which also reflects the nodal properties of the initial molecular orbital. Robustness of the structure determination is discussed with respect to vibrational and rotational motions with a complete interpretation of the laser-induced mechanisms.
Electron plasma waves in CO/sub 2/ laser plasma interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldis, H.A.; Villeneuve, D.M.; Walsh, C.J.

1984-01-01

During the past few years, the use of Thomson scattering in CO/sub 2/ laser produced plasmas has permitted the identification and study of electron plasma waves and ion waves, driven by various instabilities in the plasma corona, such as Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS), two plasmon decay, and Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS). Since these instabilities may coexist in the plasma, the density fluctuations associated with one wave may influence the behaviour of one or more of the other instabilities. The authors discuss the experimental evidence of such effects and, in particular, the consequences of a recent experiment in which the ion waves driven by SBS were observed to adversely affect the production of the electron plasma waves driven by SRS. In that experiment, a strong correlation was observed between the onset of SBS and the disappearance of the electron plasma waves driven by SRS at low densities (n/sub e/ n/sub e/ > 0.05 n/sub c/)
Generation and subsequent amplification of few-cycle femtosecond pulses from a picosecond pump laser

Science.gov (United States)

Mukhin, I. B.; Kuznetsov, I. I.; Palashov, O. V.

2018-04-01

Using a new approach, in which generation of femtosecond pulses as short as a few field cycles is implemented directly from the radiation of a picosecond pump laser, pulses with the microjoule energy, the repetition rate 10 kHz, and the duration less than 26 fs are generated in the spectral range 1.3 ‑ 1.4 μm. In the process of generating this radiation, use was made of a method providing passive phase stabilisation of the carrier oscillation of the electromagnetic field and its slow envelope. The radiation spectrum was converted into the range of parametric amplification in the BBO crystal by the broadband second harmonic generation; the pulse was parametrically amplified up to the microjoule level and compressed by chirped mirrors to a duration of 28 fs.
Quasistationary magnetic field generation with a laser-driven capacitor-coil assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Tikhonchuk, V T; Bailly-Grandvaux, M; Santos, J J; Poyé, A

2017-08-01

Recent experiments are showing possibilities to generate strong magnetic fields on the excess of 500 T with high-energy nanosecond laser pulses in a compact setup of a capacitor connected to a single turn coil. Hot electrons ejected from the capacitor plate (cathode) are collected at the other plate (anode), thus providing the source of a current in the coil. However, the physical processes leading to generation of currents exceeding hundreds of kiloamperes in such a laser-driven diode are not sufficiently understood. Here we present a critical analysis of previous results and propose a self-consistent model for the high current generation in a laser-driven capacitor-coil assembly. It accounts for three major effects controlling the diode current: the space charge neutralization, the plasma magnetization between the capacitor plates, and the Ohmic heating of the external circuit-the coil-shaped connecting wire. The model provides the conditions necessary for transporting strongly super-Alfvenic currents through the diode on the time scale of a few nanoseconds. The model validity is confirmed by a comparison with the available experimental data.
Improved performances of CIBER-X: a new tabletop laser-driven electron and x-ray source

Science.gov (United States)

Girardeau-Montaut, Jean-Pierre; Kiraly, Bela; Girardeau-Montaut, Claire

2000-11-01

We present the most recent data concerning the performances of the table-top laser driven electron and x-ray source developed in our laboratory. X-ray pulses are produced by a three-step process which consists of the photoelectron emission from a thin metallic photocathode illuminated by 16 ps duration laser pulse at 213 nm. The e-gun is a standard pierce diode electrode type, in which electrons are accelerated by a cw electric fields of 12 MV/m. The photoinjector produced a train of 90 - 100 keV electron pulses of approximately 1 nC and 40 A peak current at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. The electrons, transported outside the diode, are focused onto a target of thulium by magnetic fields produced by two electromagnetic coils to produce x-rays. Applications to low dose imagery of inert and living materials are also presented.
Laser-Driven Very High Energy Electron/Photon Beam Radiation Therapy in Conjunction with a Robotic System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kazuhisa Nakajima

2014-12-01

Full Text Available We present a new external-beam radiation therapy system using very-high-energy (VHE electron/photon beams generated by a centimeter-scale laser plasma accelerator built in a robotic system. Most types of external-beam radiation therapy are delivered using a machine called a medical linear accelerator driven by radio frequency (RF power amplifiers, producing electron beams with an energy range of 6–20 MeV, in conjunction with modern radiation therapy technologies for effective shaping of three-dimensional dose distributions and spatially accurate dose delivery with imaging verification. However, the limited penetration depth and low quality of the transverse penumbra at such electron beams delivered from the present RF linear accelerators prevent the implementation of advanced modalities in current cancer treatments. These drawbacks can be overcome if the electron energy is increased to above 50 MeV. To overcome the disadvantages of the present RF-based medical accelerators, harnessing recent advancement of laser-driven plasma accelerators capable of producing 1-GeV electron beams in a 1-cm gas cell, we propose a new embodiment of the external-beam radiation therapy robotic system delivering very high-energy electron/photon beams with an energy of 50–250 MeV; it is more compact, less expensive, and has a simpler operation and higher performance in comparison with the current radiation therapy system.
Pulsed radiobiology with laser-driven plasma accelerators

Science.gov (United States)

Giulietti, Antonio; Grazia Andreassi, Maria; Greco, Carlo

2011-05-01

Recently, a high efficiency regime of acceleration in laser plasmas has been discovered, allowing table top equipment to deliver doses of interest for radiotherapy with electron bunches of suitable kinetic energy. In view of an R&D program aimed to the realization of an innovative class of accelerators for medical uses, a radiobiological validation is needed. At the present time, the biological effects of electron bunches from the laser-driven electron accelerator are largely unknown. In radiobiology and radiotherapy, it is known that the early spatial distribution of energy deposition following ionizing radiation interactions with DNA molecule is crucial for the prediction of damages at cellular or tissue levels and during the clinical responses to this irradiation. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the radio-biological effects obtained with electron bunches from a laser-driven electron accelerator compared with bunches coming from a IORT-dedicated medical Radio-frequency based linac's on human cells by the cytokinesis block micronucleus assay (CBMN). To this purpose a multidisciplinary team including radiotherapists, biologists, medical physicists, laser and plasma physicists is working at CNR Campus and University of Pisa. Dose on samples is delivered alternatively by the "laser-linac" operating at ILIL lab of Istituto Nazionale di Ottica and an RF-linac operating for IORT at Pisa S. Chiara Hospital. Experimental data are analyzed on the basis of suitable radiobiological models as well as with numerical simulation based on Monte Carlo codes. Possible collective effects are also considered in the case of ultrashort, ultradense bunches of ionizing radiation.
Electron heating caused by parametrically driven turbulence near the critical density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizuno, K.; DeGroot, J.S.; Estabrook, K.G.

1986-01-01

Microwave-driven experiments and particle simulation calculations are presented that model s-polarized laser light incident on a pellet. In the microwave experiments, the incident microwaves are observed to decay into ion and electron waves near the critical density if the microwave power is above a well-defined threshold. Significant absorption, thermal electron heating, and hot electron generation are observed for microwave powers above a few times threshold. Strong absorption, strong profile modification, strongly heated hot electrons with a Maxwellian distribution, a hot-electron temperature that increases slowly with power, and a hot-electron density that is almost constant, are all observed in both the microwave experiments and simulation calculations for high powers. In addition, the thermal electrons are strongly heated for high powers in the microwave experiments
Few-cycle isolated attosecond pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sansone, G.; Benedetti, E.; Calegari, F.; Stagira, S.; Vozzi, C.; Silvestri De, S.; Nisoli, M.

2006-01-01

Complete test of publication follows. In the last few years the field of attosecond science has shown impressive and rapid progress, mainly due to the introduction of novel experimental methods for the characterization of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulses and attosecond electron wave packets. This development has been also triggered by significant improvements in the control of the electric field of the driving infrared pulses. Particularly interesting for the applications is the generation of isolated attosecond XUV pulses using few-cycle driving pulses. In this case significant progresses have been achieved thanks to the stabilization of the carrier-envelope phase (CEP) of amplified light pulses. In this work we demonstrate that the polarization gating (PG) method with few-cycle phase-stabilized driving pulses allows one to generate few-cycle isolated attosecond pulses tunable on a very broad spectral region. The PG method is based on temporal modulation of the ellipticity of a light pulse, which confines the XUV emission in the temporal gate where the polarization is close to linear. The time-dependent polarization of phase-stabilized sub-6-fs pulses, generated by the hollow fiber technique, has been obtained using two birefringent plates. It is possible to create a linear polarization gate, whose position is imposed by the intensity profile of the pulse whilst the emission time is linked to the CEP of the electric field. The pulses have been analyzed by using a flat-field spectrometer. Continuous XUV spectra, corresponding to the production of isolated attosecond pulses, have been generated for particular CEP values. Upon changing the rotation of the first plate it was possible to tune the XUV emission in a broad spectra range. We have then achieved a complete temporal characterization of the generated isolated attosecond pulses using frequency-resolved optical gating for complete reconstruction of attosecond bursts (FROG CRAB). The measured parabolic phase
Solid hydrogen target for laser driven proton acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Perin, J. P.; Garcia, S.; Chatain, D.; Margarone, D.

2015-05-01

The development of very high power lasers opens up new horizons in various fields, such as laser plasma acceleration in Physics and innovative approaches for proton therapy in Medicine. Laser driven proton acceleration is commonly based on the so-called Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA) mechanisms: a high power laser is focused onto a solid target (thin metallic or plastic foil) and interact with matter at very high intensity, thus generating a plasma; as a consequence "hot" electrons are produced and move into the forward direction through the target. Protons are generated at the target rear side, electrons try to escape from the target and an ultra-strong quasi-electrostatic field (~1TV/m) is generated. Such a field can accelerate protons with a wide energy spectrum (1-200 MeV) in a few tens of micrometers. The proton beam characteristics depend on the laser parameters and on the target geometry and nature. This technique has been validated experimentally in several high power laser facilities by accelerating protons coming from hydrogenated contaminant (mainly water) at the rear of metallic target, however, several research groups are investigating the possibility to perform experiments by using "pure" hydrogen targets. In this context, the low temperature laboratory at CEA-Grenoble has developed a cryostat able to continuously produce a thin hydrogen ribbon (from 40 to 100 microns thick). A new extrusion concept, without any moving part has been carried out, using only the thermodynamic properties of the fluid. First results and perspectives are presented in this paper.
Laser-driven relativistic electron dynamics in a cylindrical plasma channel

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Pan-Fei; Lv, Wen-Juan; Li, Xiao-Liang; Tang, Rong-An; Xue, Ju-Kui

2018-03-01

The energy and trajectory of the electron, which is irradiated by a high-power laser pulse in a cylindrical plasma channel with a uniform positive charge and a uniform negative current, have been analyzed in terms of a single-electron model of direct laser acceleration. We find that the energy and trajectory of the electron strongly depend on the positive charge density, the negative current density, and the intensity of the laser pulse. The electron can be accelerated significantly only when the positive charge density, the negative current density, and the intensity of the laser pulse are in suitable ranges due to the dephasing rate between the wave and electron motion. Particularly, when their values satisfy a critical condition, the electron can stay in phase with the laser and gain the largest energy from the laser. With the enhancement of the electron energy, strong modulations of the relativistic factor cause a considerable enhancement of the electron transverse oscillations across the channel, which makes the electron trajectory become essentially three-dimensional, even if it is flat at the early stage of the acceleration. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11475027, 11765017, 11764039, 11305132, and 11274255), the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province, China (Grant No. 17JR5RA076), and the Scientific Research Project of Gansu Higher Education, China (Grant No. 2016A-005).
Delayed electron emission in strong-field driven tunnelling from a metallic nanotip in the multi-electron regime

Science.gov (United States)

Yanagisawa, Hirofumi; Schnepp, Sascha; Hafner, Christian; Hengsberger, Matthias; Kim, Dong Eon; Kling, Matthias F.; Landsman, Alexandra; Gallmann, Lukas; Osterwalder, Jürg

2016-01-01

Illuminating a nano-sized metallic tip with ultrashort laser pulses leads to the emission of electrons due to multiphoton excitations. As optical fields become stronger, tunnelling emission directly from the Fermi level becomes prevalent. This can generate coherent electron waves in vacuum leading to a variety of attosecond phenomena. Working at high emission currents where multi-electron effects are significant, we were able to characterize the transition from one regime to the other. Specifically, we found that the onset of laser-driven tunnelling emission is heralded by the appearance of a peculiar delayed emission channel. In this channel, the electrons emitted via laser-driven tunnelling emission are driven back into the metal, and some of the electrons reappear in the vacuum with some delay time after undergoing inelastic scattering and cascading processes inside the metal. Our understanding of these processes gives insights on attosecond tunnelling emission from solids and should prove useful in designing new types of pulsed electron sources. PMID:27786287
Laser-driven soft-X-ray undulator source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuchs, Matthias

2010-01-01

The experimental results described in this thesis demonstrate the successful synergy between the research fields described above: the development of an undulator source driven by laser-plasma accelerated electron beams. First efforts in this new field have led to the production of radiation in the visible to infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum [Schlenvoigt et al., 2008]. In contrast to these early achievements, the experiment described here shows the successful production of laser-driven undulator radiation in the soft-X-ray range with a remarkable reproducibility. The source produced tunable, collimated beams with a wavelength of ∝17 nm from a compact setup. Undulator spectra were detected in ∝70% of consecutive driver-laser shots, which is a remarkable reproducibility for a first proof-of-concept demonstration using ultra-high intensity laser systems. This can be attributed to a stable electron acceleration scheme as well as to the first application of miniature magnetic quadrupole lenses with laseraccelerated beams. The lenses significantly reduce the electron beam divergence and its angular shot-to-shot fluctuations The setup of this experiment is the foundation of potential university-laboratory-sized, highly-brilliant hard X-ray sources. By increasing the electron energy to about 1 GeV, X-ray pulses with an expected duration of ∝10 fs and a photon energy of 1 keV could be produced in an almost identical arrangement. It can also be used as a testbed for the development of a free-electron laser of significantly smaller dimension than facilities based on conventional accelerators [Gruener et al., 2007]. Such compact sources have the potential for application in many fields of science. In addition, these developments could lead to ideal sources for ultrafast pump-probe experiments due to the perfect synchronization of the X-ray beam to the driver laser. (orig.)
Laser-driven soft-X-ray undulator source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fuchs, Matthias

2010-08-04

The experimental results described in this thesis demonstrate the successful synergy between the research fields described above: the development of an undulator source driven by laser-plasma accelerated electron beams. First efforts in this new field have led to the production of radiation in the visible to infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum [Schlenvoigt et al., 2008]. In contrast to these early achievements, the experiment described here shows the successful production of laser-driven undulator radiation in the soft-X-ray range with a remarkable reproducibility. The source produced tunable, collimated beams with a wavelength of {proportional_to}17 nm from a compact setup. Undulator spectra were detected in {proportional_to}70% of consecutive driver-laser shots, which is a remarkable reproducibility for a first proof-of-concept demonstration using ultra-high intensity laser systems. This can be attributed to a stable electron acceleration scheme as well as to the first application of miniature magnetic quadrupole lenses with laseraccelerated beams. The lenses significantly reduce the electron beam divergence and its angular shot-to-shot fluctuations The setup of this experiment is the foundation of potential university-laboratory-sized, highly-brilliant hard X-ray sources. By increasing the electron energy to about 1 GeV, X-ray pulses with an expected duration of {proportional_to}10 fs and a photon energy of 1 keV could be produced in an almost identical arrangement. It can also be used as a testbed for the development of a free-electron laser of significantly smaller dimension than facilities based on conventional accelerators [Gruener et al., 2007]. Such compact sources have the potential for application in many fields of science. In addition, these developments could lead to ideal sources for ultrafast pump-probe experiments due to the perfect synchronization of the X-ray beam to the driver laser. (orig.)
Dynamics of electron acceleration in laser-driven wakefields. Acceleration limits and asymmetric plasma waves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Popp, Antonia

2011-12-16

The experiments presented in this thesis study several aspects of electron acceleration in a laser-driven plasma wave. High-intensity lasers can efficiently drive a plasma wave that sustains electric fields on the order of 100 GV/m. Electrons that are trapped in this plasma wave can be accelerated to GeV-scale energies. As the accelerating fields in this scheme are 3-4 orders of magnitude higher than in conventional radio-frequency accelerators, the necessary acceleration distance can be reduced by the same factor, turning laser-wakefield acceleration (LWFA) into a promising compact, and potentially cheaper, alternative. However, laser-accelerated electron bunches have not yet reached the parameter standards of conventional accelerators. This work will help to gain better insight into the acceleration process and to optimize the electron bunch properties. The 25 fs, 1.8 J-pulses of the ATLAS laser at the Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics were focused into a steady-state flow gas cell. This very reproducible and turbulence-free gas target allows for stable acceleration of electron bunches. Thus the sensitivity of electron parameters to subtle changes of the experimental setup could be determined with meaningful statistics. At optimized experimental parameters, electron bunches of {approx}50 pC total charge were accelerated to energies up to 450 MeV with a divergence of {approx}2 mrad FWHM. As, in a new design of the gas cell, its length can be varied from 2 to 14 mm, the electron bunch energy could be evaluated after different acceleration distances, at two different electron densities. From this evolution important acceleration parameters could be extracted. At an electron density of 6.43. 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3} the maximum electric field strength in the plasma wave was determined to be {approx}160 GV/m. The length after which the relativistic electrons outrun the accelerating phase of the electric field and are decelerated again, the so-called dephasing length

Dynamics of electron acceleration in laser-driven wakefields. Acceleration limits and asymmetric plasma waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popp, Antonia

2011-01-01

The experiments presented in this thesis study several aspects of electron acceleration in a laser-driven plasma wave. High-intensity lasers can efficiently drive a plasma wave that sustains electric fields on the order of 100 GV/m. Electrons that are trapped in this plasma wave can be accelerated to GeV-scale energies. As the accelerating fields in this scheme are 3-4 orders of magnitude higher than in conventional radio-frequency accelerators, the necessary acceleration distance can be reduced by the same factor, turning laser-wakefield acceleration (LWFA) into a promising compact, and potentially cheaper, alternative. However, laser-accelerated electron bunches have not yet reached the parameter standards of conventional accelerators. This work will help to gain better insight into the acceleration process and to optimize the electron bunch properties. The 25 fs, 1.8 J-pulses of the ATLAS laser at the Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics were focused into a steady-state flow gas cell. This very reproducible and turbulence-free gas target allows for stable acceleration of electron bunches. Thus the sensitivity of electron parameters to subtle changes of the experimental setup could be determined with meaningful statistics. At optimized experimental parameters, electron bunches of ∼50 pC total charge were accelerated to energies up to 450 MeV with a divergence of ∼2 mrad FWHM. As, in a new design of the gas cell, its length can be varied from 2 to 14 mm, the electron bunch energy could be evaluated after different acceleration distances, at two different electron densities. From this evolution important acceleration parameters could be extracted. At an electron density of 6.43. 10 18 cm -3 the maximum electric field strength in the plasma wave was determined to be ∼160 GV/m. The length after which the relativistic electrons outrun the accelerating phase of the electric field and are decelerated again, the so-called dephasing length, was found to be 4.9 mm
Photonic laser-driven accelerator for GALAXIE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naranjo, B.; Ho, M.; Hoang, P.; Putterman, S.; Valloni, A.; Rosenzweig, J. B. [UCLA Dept. of Physics and Astronomy Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States)

2012-12-21

We report on the design and development of an all-dielectric laser-driven accelerator to be used in the GALAXIE (GV-per-meter Acce Lerator And X-ray-source Integrated Experiment) project's compact free-electron laser. The approach of our working design is to construct eigenmodes, borrowing from the field of photonics, which yield the appropriate, highly demanding dynamics in a high-field, short wavelength accelerator. Topics discussed include transverse focusing, power coupling, bunching, and fabrication.
Laser-driven particle and photon beams and some applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ledingham, K W D; Galster, W

2010-01-01

Outstanding progress has been made in high-power laser technology in the last 10 years with laser powers reaching petawatt (PW) values. At present, there are 15 PW lasers built or being built around the world and plans are afoot for new, even higher power, lasers reaching values of exawatt (EW) or even zetawatt (ZW) powers. Petawatt lasers generate electric fields of 10 12 V m -1 with a large fraction of the total pulse energy being converted to relativistic electrons with energies reaching in excess of 1 GeV. In turn these electrons result in the generation of beams of protons, heavy ions, neutrons and high-energy photons. These laser-driven particle beams have encouraged many to think of carrying out experiments normally associated with conventional nuclear accelerators and reactors. To this end a number of introductory articles have been written under a trial name 'Laser Nuclear Physics' (Ledingham and Norreys 1999 Contemp. Phys. 40 367, Ledingham et al 2002 Europhys. News. 33 120, Ledingham et al 2003 Science 300 1107, Takabe et al 2001 J. Plasma Fusion Res. 77 1094). However, even greater strides have been made in the last 3 or 4 years in laser technology and it is timely to reassess the potential of laser-driven particle and photon beams. It must be acknowledged right from the outset that to date laser-driven particle beams have yet to compete favourably with conventional nuclear accelerator-generated beams in any way and so this is not a paper comparing laser and conventional accelerators. However, occasionally throughout the paper as a reality check, it will be mentioned what conventional nuclear accelerators can do.
Laser-driven particle and photon beams and some applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ledingham, K W D; Galster, W, E-mail: K.Ledingham@phys.strath.ac.u [SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG (United Kingdom)

2010-04-15

Outstanding progress has been made in high-power laser technology in the last 10 years with laser powers reaching petawatt (PW) values. At present, there are 15 PW lasers built or being built around the world and plans are afoot for new, even higher power, lasers reaching values of exawatt (EW) or even zetawatt (ZW) powers. Petawatt lasers generate electric fields of 10{sup 12} V m{sup -1} with a large fraction of the total pulse energy being converted to relativistic electrons with energies reaching in excess of 1 GeV. In turn these electrons result in the generation of beams of protons, heavy ions, neutrons and high-energy photons. These laser-driven particle beams have encouraged many to think of carrying out experiments normally associated with conventional nuclear accelerators and reactors. To this end a number of introductory articles have been written under a trial name 'Laser Nuclear Physics' (Ledingham and Norreys 1999 Contemp. Phys. 40 367, Ledingham et al 2002 Europhys. News. 33 120, Ledingham et al 2003 Science 300 1107, Takabe et al 2001 J. Plasma Fusion Res. 77 1094). However, even greater strides have been made in the last 3 or 4 years in laser technology and it is timely to reassess the potential of laser-driven particle and photon beams. It must be acknowledged right from the outset that to date laser-driven particle beams have yet to compete favourably with conventional nuclear accelerator-generated beams in any way and so this is not a paper comparing laser and conventional accelerators. However, occasionally throughout the paper as a reality check, it will be mentioned what conventional nuclear accelerators can do.
Dipole-resonance assisted isomerization in the electronic ground state using few-cycle infrared pulses.

Science.gov (United States)

Skocek, Oliver; Uiberacker, Christoph; Jakubetz, Werner

2011-06-30

A computational investigation of HCN → HNC isomerization in the electronic ground state by one- and few-cycle infrared pulses is presented. Starting from a vibrationally pre-excited reagent state, isomerization yields of more than 50% are obtained using single one- to five-cycle pulses. The principal mechanism includes two steps of population transfer by dipole-resonance (DR), and hence, the success of the method is closely linked to the polarity of the system and, in particular, the stepwise change of the dipole moment from reactant to transition state and on to products. The yield drops massively if the diagonal dipole matrix elements are artificially set to zero. In detail, the mechanism includes DR-induced preparation of a delocalized vibrational wavepacket, which traverses the barrier region and is finally trapped in the product well by DR-dominated de-excitation. The excitation and de-excitation steps are triggered by pulse lobes of opposite field direction. As the number of optical cycles is increased, the leading field lobes prepare a vibrational superposition state by off-resonant ladder climbing, which is then subjected to the three steps of the principal isomerization mechanism. DR excitation is more efficient from a preformed vibrational wavepacket than from a molecular eigenstate. The entire process can be loosely described as Tannor-Kosloff-Rice type transfer mechanism on a single potential surface effected by a single pulse, individual field lobes assuming the roles of pump- and dump-pulses. Pre-excitation to a transient wavepacket can be enhanced by applying a separate, comparatively weak few-cycle prepulse, in which the prepulse prepares a vibrational wavepacket. The two-pulse setup corresponds to a double Tannor-Kosloff-Rice control scheme on a single potential surface.
Control of electron injection and acceleration in laser-wakefield accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guillaume, E.

2015-01-01

Laser-plasma accelerators provide a promising compact alternative to conventional accelerators. Plasma waves with extremely strong electric fields are generated when a high intensity laser is focused into an underdense gas target. Electrons that are trapped in these laser-driven plasma waves can be accelerated up to energies of a few GeVs. Despite their great potential, laser-wakefield accelerators face some issues, regarding notably the stability and reproducibility of the beam when electrons are injected in the accelerating structure. In this manuscript, different techniques of electron injection are presented and compared, notably injection in a sharp density gradient and ionization injection. It is shown that combining these two methods allows for the generation of stable and tunable electron beams. We have also studied a way to manipulate the electron bunch in the phase-space in order to accelerate the bunch beyond the dephasing limit. Such a technique was used with quasi-monoenergetic electron beams to enhance their energy. Moreover, the origin of the evolution of the angular momentum of electrons observed experimentally was investigated. Finally, we demonstrated experimentally a new method - the laser-plasma lens - to strongly reduce the divergence of the electron beam. This laser-plasma lens consists of a second gas jet placed at the exit of the accelerator. The laser pulse drives a wakefield in this second jet whose focusing forces take advantage to reduce the divergence of the trailing electron bunch. A simple analytical model describing the principle is presented, underlining the major importance of the second jet length, density and distance from the first jet. Experimental demonstration of the laser-plasma lens shows a divergence reduction by a factor of 2.6 for electrons up to 300 MeV, in accordance with the model predictions
Difference-frequency generation in the field of a few-cycle laser pulse propagating in a GaAs crystal with a domain structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oganesyan, David L; Vardanyan, Aleksandr O; Oganesyan, G D

2013-01-01

Difference-frequency generation in a GaAs crystal with a periodic domain structure in the field of a few-cycle laser pulse is considered for the case of weakly pronounced material dispersion. The straight-line method is used to solve numerically the system of coupled nonlinear partial differential equations describing the evolution of the electric field of this laser pulse in GaAs crystals with periodic and chirped domain structures. It is shown that application of a GaAs crystal with a chirped domain structure makes it possible to control the frequency-modulation law for a broadband differencefrequency pulse. (nonlinear optical phenomena)
Signatures of quantum radiation reaction in laser-electron-beam collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, H. Y.; Yan, X. Q.; Zepf, M.

2015-01-01

Electron dynamics in the collision of an electron beam with a high-intensity focused ultrashort laser pulse are investigated using three-dimensional QED particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, and the results are compared with those calculated by classical Landau and Lifshitz PIC simulations. Significant differences are observed from the angular dependence of the electron energy distribution patterns for the two different approaches, because photon emission is no longer well approximated by a continuous process in the quantum radiation-dominated regime. The stochastic nature of photon emission results in strong signatures of quantum radiation-reaction effects under certain conditions. We show that the laser spot size and duration greatly influence these signatures due to the competition of QED effects and the ponderomotive force, which is well described in the classical approximation. The clearest signatures of quantum radiation reaction are found in the limit of large laser spots and few cycle pulse durations
Femtosecond few- to single-electron point-projection microscopy for nanoscale dynamic imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. R. Bainbridge

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Femtosecond electron microscopy produces real-space images of matter in a series of ultrafast snapshots. Pulses of electrons self-disperse under space-charge broadening, so without compression, the ideal operation mode is a single electron per pulse. Here, we demonstrate femtosecond single-electron point projection microscopy (fs-ePPM in a laser-pump fs-e-probe configuration. The electrons have an energy of only 150 eV and take tens of picoseconds to propagate to the object under study. Nonetheless, we achieve a temporal resolution with a standard deviation of 114 fs (equivalent to a full-width at half-maximum of 269 ± 40 fs combined with a spatial resolution of 100 nm, applied to a localized region of charge at the apex of a nanoscale metal tip induced by 30 fs 800 nm laser pulses at 50 kHz. These observations demonstrate real-space imaging of reversible processes, such as tracking charge distributions, is feasible whilst maintaining femtosecond resolution. Our findings could find application as a characterization method, which, depending on geometry, could resolve tens of femtoseconds and tens of nanometres. Dynamically imaging electric and magnetic fields and charge distributions on sub-micron length scales opens new avenues of ultrafast dynamics. Furthermore, through the use of active compression, such pulses are an ideal seed for few-femtosecond to attosecond imaging applications which will access sub-optical cycle processes in nanoplasmonics.
Laser - driven high - energy ions and their application to inertial confinement fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borghesi, M.

2007-01-01

The acceleration of high-energy ion beams (up to several tens of MeV per nucleon) following the interaction of short and intense laser pulses with solid targets has been one of the most important results of recent laser-plasma research [1]. The acceleration is driven by relativistic electrons, which acquire energy directly from the laser pulse and set up extremely large (∼TV/m) space charge fields at the target interfaces. The properties of laser-driven ion beams (high brightness and laminarity, high-energy cut-off, ultrashort burst duration) distinguish them from lower energy ions accelerated in earlier experiments at moderate laser intensities, and compare favourably with those of 'conventional' accelerator beams. In view of these properties, laser-driven ion beams can be employed in a number of innovative applications in the scientific, technological and medical areas. We will discuss in particular aspects of interest to their application in an Inertial Confinement Fusion context. Laser-driven protons are indeed being considered as a possible trigger for Fast Ignition of a precompressed fuel.[2] Recent results relating to the optimization of beam energy and focusing will be presented. These include the use of laser-driven impulsive fields for proton beam collimation and focusing [3], and the investigation of acceleration in presence of finite-scale plasma gradient. Proposed target developments enabling proton production at high repetition rate will also be discussed. Another important area of application of proton beams is diagnostic use in a particle probing arrangement for detection of density non-homogeneities [4] and electric/magnetic fields [5]. We will discuss the use of laser-driven proton beams for the diagnosis of magnetic and electric fields in planar and hohlraum targets and for the detection of fields associated to relativistic electron propagation through dense matter, an issue of high relevance for electron driven Fast Ignition. [1] M
Laser-driven ion acceleration with hollow laser beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brabetz, C.; Kester, O.; Busold, S.; Bagnoud, V.; Cowan, T.; Deppert, O.; Jahn, D.; Roth, M.; Schumacher, D.

2015-01-01

The laser-driven acceleration of protons from thin foils irradiated by hollow high-intensity laser beams in the regime of target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) is reported for the first time. The use of hollow beams aims at reducing the initial emission solid angle of the TNSA source, due to a flattening of the electron sheath at the target rear side. The experiments were conducted at the PHELIX laser facility at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH with laser intensities in the range from 10 18 W cm −2 to 10 20 W cm −2 . We observed an average reduction of the half opening angle by (3.07±0.42)° or (13.2±2.0)% when the targets have a thickness between 12 μm and 14 μm. In addition, the highest proton energies were achieved with the hollow laser beam in comparison to the typical Gaussian focal spot
Laser-driven ion acceleration with hollow laser beams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brabetz, C., E-mail: c.brabetz@gsi.de; Kester, O. [Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, 60323 Frankfurt (Germany); GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); Busold, S.; Bagnoud, V. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); Helmholtz-Institut Jena, 07743 Jena (Germany); Cowan, T. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328 Dresden (Germany); Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden (Germany); Deppert, O.; Jahn, D.; Roth, M. [Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64277 Darmstadt (Germany); Schumacher, D. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany)

2015-01-15

The laser-driven acceleration of protons from thin foils irradiated by hollow high-intensity laser beams in the regime of target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) is reported for the first time. The use of hollow beams aims at reducing the initial emission solid angle of the TNSA source, due to a flattening of the electron sheath at the target rear side. The experiments were conducted at the PHELIX laser facility at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH with laser intensities in the range from 10{sup 18} W cm{sup −2} to 10{sup 20} W cm{sup −2}. We observed an average reduction of the half opening angle by (3.07±0.42)° or (13.2±2.0)% when the targets have a thickness between 12 μm and 14 μm. In addition, the highest proton energies were achieved with the hollow laser beam in comparison to the typical Gaussian focal spot.
Bremsstrahlung hard x-ray source driven by an electron beam from a self-modulated laser wakefield accelerator

Science.gov (United States)

Lemos, N.; Albert, F.; Shaw, J. L.; Papp, D.; Polanek, R.; King, P.; Milder, A. L.; Marsh, K. A.; Pak, A.; Pollock, B. B.; Hegelich, B. M.; Moody, J. D.; Park, J.; Tommasini, R.; Williams, G. J.; Chen, Hui; Joshi, C.

2018-05-01

An x-ray source generated by an electron beam produced using a Self-Modulated Laser Wakefield Accelerator (SM-LWFA) is explored for use in high energy density science facilities. By colliding the electron beam, with a maximum energy of 380 MeV, total charge of >10 nC and a divergence of 64 × 100 mrad, from a SM-LWFA driven by a 1 ps 120 J laser, into a high-Z foil, an x/gamma-ray source was generated. A broadband bremsstrahlung energy spectrum with temperatures ranging from 0.8 to 2 MeV was measured with an almost 2 orders of magnitude flux increase when compared with other schemes using LWFA. GEANT4 simulations were done to calculate the source size and divergence.
Table-top laser-driven ultrashort electron and X-ray source: the CIBER-X source project

Science.gov (United States)

Girardeau-Montaut, Jean-Pierre; Kiraly, Bélà; Girardeau-Montaut, Claire; Leboutet, Hubert

2000-09-01

We report on the development of a new laser-driven table-top ultrashort electron and X-ray source, also called the CIBER-X source . X-ray pulses are produced by a three-step process which consists of the photoelectron emission from a thin metallic photocathode illuminated by 16 ps duration laser pulses at 213 nm. The e-gun is a standard Pierce diode electrode type, in which electrons are accelerated by a cw electric field of ˜11 MV/m up to a hole made in the anode. The photoinjector produces a train of 70-80 keV electron pulses of ˜0.5 nC and 20 A peak current at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. The electrons are then transported outside the diode along a path of 20 cm length, and are focused onto a target of thullium by magnetic fields produced by two electromagnetic coils. X-rays are then produced by the impact of electrons on the target. Simulations of geometrical, electromagnetic fields and energetic characteristics of the complete source were performed previously with the assistance of the code PIXEL1 also developed at the laboratory. Finally, experimental electron and X-ray performances of the CIBER-X source as well as its application to very low dose imagery are presented and discussed. source Compacte d' Impulsions Brèves d' Electrons et de Rayons X
Atto-second control of collective electron motion in plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borot, Antonin; Malvache, Arnaud; Chen, Xiaowei; Jullien, Aurelie; Lopez-Martens, Rodrigo; Geindre, Jean-Paul; Audebert, Patrick; Mourou, Gerard; Quere, Fabien

2012-01-01

Today, light fields of controlled and measured waveform can be used to guide electron motion in atoms and molecules with atto-second precision. Here, we demonstrate atto-second control of collective electron motion in plasmas driven by extreme intensity (approximate to 10 18 W cm -2 ) light fields. Controlled few-cycle near-infrared waves are tightly focused at the interface between vacuum and a solid-density plasma, where they launch and guide sub-cycle motion of electrons from the plasma with characteristic energies in the multi-kilo-electron-volt range-two orders of magnitude more than has been achieved so far in atoms and molecules. The basic spectroscopy of the coherent extreme ultraviolet radiation emerging from the light-plasma interaction allows us to probe this collective motion of charge with sub-200 as resolution. This is an important step towards atto-second control of charge dynamics in laser-driven plasma experiments. (authors)
Exploratory laser-driven shock wave studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solem, J.C.; Veeser, L.R.

1977-11-01

We show the results of a feasibility study for investigating shock structure and for measuring equation-of-state parameters using high-energy, short-pulse lasers. We discuss the temporal and spatial structure of the luminosity from laser-driven shock unloading in aluminum foils. We demonstrate that shock velocity can be measured by observing the time interval between shock emergence across two thicknesses and show data for shocks of 1.3 and 2.1 Mbar. The fact that we observe shock fronts cleanly breaking through steps as small as 3 μm indicates that the shock front thickness is very small in the few megabar region; this is the first experimental verification that these fronts are not more than a few micrometers thick. We present approximate measurements of free-surface velocity. Finally, we speculate on the use of these techniques to obtain detailed equation-of-state data
Light-field-driven currents in graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Higuchi, Takuya; Heide, Christian; Ullmann, Konrad; Weber, Heiko B.; Hommelhoff, Peter

2017-10-01

The ability to steer electrons using the strong electromagnetic field of light has opened up the possibility of controlling electron dynamics on the sub-femtosecond (less than 10-15 seconds) timescale. In dielectrics and semiconductors, various light-field-driven effects have been explored, including high-harmonic generation, sub-optical-cycle interband population transfer and the non-perturbative change of the transient polarizability. In contrast, much less is known about light-field-driven electron dynamics in narrow-bandgap systems or in conductors, in which screening due to free carriers or light absorption hinders the application of strong optical fields. Graphene is a promising platform with which to achieve light-field-driven control of electrons in a conducting material, because of its broadband and ultrafast optical response, weak screening and high damage threshold. Here we show that a current induced in monolayer graphene by two-cycle laser pulses is sensitive to the electric-field waveform, that is, to the exact shape of the optical carrier field of the pulse, which is controlled by the carrier-envelope phase, with a precision on the attosecond (10-18 seconds) timescale. Such a current, dependent on the carrier-envelope phase, shows a striking reversal of the direction of the current as a function of the driving field amplitude at about two volts per nanometre. This reversal indicates a transition of light-matter interaction from the weak-field (photon-driven) regime to the strong-field (light-field-driven) regime, where the intraband dynamics influence interband transitions. We show that in this strong-field regime the electron dynamics are governed by sub-optical-cycle Landau-Zener-Stückelberg interference, composed of coherent repeated Landau-Zener transitions on the femtosecond timescale. Furthermore, the influence of this sub-optical-cycle interference can be controlled with the laser polarization state. These coherent electron dynamics in
Comments on advanced, time-resolved imaging techniques for free-electron laser (FEL) experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lumpkin, A.H.

1992-01-01

An extensive set of time-resolved imaging experiments has been performed on rf-linac driven free-electron lasers (FELs) over the past few years. These experiments have addressed both micropulse and macropulse timescales on both the charged-particle beam and the wiggler/undulator outputs (spontaneous emission and lasing). A brief review of first measurements on photoinjecter micropulse elongation, submacropulse phase slew in drive lasers, submacropulse wavelength shifts in lasers, etc. is presented. This is followed by discussions of new measurements of 35-MeV electron beam micropulse bunch length (<10 ps) using optical transition radiation, some of the first single bend synchrotron radiation beam profile measurements at gamma <80, and comments on the low-jitter synchroscan streak camera tuner. These techniques will be further developed on the 200-650 MeV linac test stand at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) in the next few years. Such techniques should be adaptable to many of the present FEL designs and to some aspects of the next generation of light sources.
Comments on advanced, time-resolved imaging techniques for free-electron laser (FEL) experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lumpkin, A.H.

1992-11-01

An extensive set of time-resolved imaging experiments has been performed on rf-linac driven free-electron lasers (FELs) over the past few years. These experiments have addressed both micropulse and macropulse timescales on both the charged-particle beam and the wiggler/undulator outputs (spontaneous emission and lasing). A brief review of first measurements on photoinjecter micropulse elongation, submacropulse phase slew in drive lasers, submacropulse wavelength shifts in lasers, etc. is presented. This is followed by discussions of new measurements of 35-MeV electron beam micropulse bunch length (<10 ps) using optical transition radiation, some of the first single bend synchrotron radiation beam profile measurements at gamma <80, and comments on the low-jitter synchroscan streak camera tuner. These techniques will be further developed on the 200-650 MeV linac test stand at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) in the next few years. Such techniques should be adaptable to many of the present FEL designs and to some aspects of the next generation of light sources.
Table-top laser-driven ultrashort electron and X-ray source: the CIBER-X source project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Girardeau-Montaut, J.-P. E-mail: jean-pierre.girardeau@univ-lyonl.fr; Kiraly, Bela; Girardeau-Montaut, Claire; Leboutet, Hubert

2000-09-21

We report on the development of a new laser-driven table-top ultrashort electron and X-ray source, also called the CIBER-X source . X-ray pulses are produced by a three-step process which consists of the photoelectron emission from a thin metallic photocathode illuminated by 16 ps duration laser pulses at 213 nm. The e-gun is a standard Pierce diode electrode type, in which electrons are accelerated by a cw electric field of {approx}11 MV/m up to a hole made in the anode. The photoinjector produces a train of 70-80 keV electron pulses of {approx}0.5 nC and 20 A peak current at a repetition rate of 10 Hz. The electrons are then transported outside the diode along a path of 20 cm length, and are focused onto a target of thulium by magnetic fields produced by two electromagnetic coils. X-rays are then produced by the impact of electrons on the target. Simulations of geometrical, electromagnetic fields and energetic characteristics of the complete source were performed previously with the assistance of the code PIXEL1 also developed at the laboratory. Finally, experimental electron and X-ray performances of the CIBER-X source as well as its application to very low dose imagery are presented and discussed.

Dynamics of photoionization from molecular electronic wavepacket states in intense pulse laser fields: A nonadiabatic electron wavepacket study.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuoka, Takahide; Takatsuka, Kazuo

2017-04-07

A theory for dynamics of molecular photoionization from nonadiabatic electron wavepackets driven by intense pulse lasers is proposed. Time evolution of photoelectron distribution is evaluated in terms of out-going electron flux (current of the probability density of electrons) that has kinetic energy high enough to recede from the molecular system. The relevant electron flux is in turn evaluated with the complex-valued electronic wavefunctions that are time evolved in nonadiabatic electron wavepacket dynamics in laser fields. To uniquely rebuild such wavefunctions with its electronic population being lost by ionization, we adopt the complex-valued natural orbitals emerging from the electron density as building blocks of the total wavefunction. The method has been implemented into a quantum chemistry code, which is based on configuration state mixing for polyatomic molecules. Some of the practical aspects needed for its application will be presented. As a first illustrative example, we show the results of hydrogen molecule and its isotope substitutes (HD and DD), which are photoionized by a two-cycle pulse laser. Photon emission spectrum associated with above threshold ionization is also shown. Another example is taken from photoionization dynamics from an excited state of a water molecule. Qualitatively significant effects of nonadiabatic interaction on the photoelectron spectrum are demonstrated.
Externally Controlled Injection of Electrons by a Laser Pulse in a Laser Wakefield Electron Accelerator

CERN Document Server

Chen Szu Yuan; Chen Wei Ting; Chien, Ting-Yei; Lee, Chau-Hwang; Lin, Jiunn-Yuan; Wang, Jyhpyng

2005-01-01

Spatially and temporally localized injection of electrons is a key element for development of plasma-wave electron accelerator. Here we report the demonstration of two different schemes for electron injection in a self-modulated laser wakefield accelerator (SM-LWFA) by using a laser pulse. In the first scheme, by implementing a copropagating laser prepulse with proper timing, we are able to control the growth of Raman forward scattering and the production of accelerated electrons. We found that the stimulated Raman backward scattering of the prepulse plays the essential role of injecting hot electrons into the fast plasma wave driven by the pump pulse. In the second scheme, by using a transient density ramp we achieve self-injection of electrons in a SM-LWFA with spatial localization. The transient density ramp is produced by a prepulse propagating transversely to drill a density depression channel via ionization and expansion. The same mechanism of injection with comparable efficiency is also demonstrated wi...
XUV/VUV free-electron laser oscillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldstein, J.C.; Newnam, B.E.; Cooper, R.K.; Comly, J.C. Jr.

1984-04-01

It is shown, from computations based on a detailed theoretical model, that modest improvements in electron beam and optical mirror technologies will enable a free-electron laser, driven by an rf linear accelerator, to operate in the 50 to 200-nm range of optical wavelengths. 10 references
Synchronization of sub-picosecond electron and laser pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenzweig, J.B.; Le Sage, G.P.

1999-01-01

Sub-picosecond laser-electron synchronization is required to take full advantage of the experimental possibilities arising from the marriage of modern high intensity lasers and high brightness electron beams in the same laboratory. Two particular scenarios stand out in this regard, injection of ultra-short electron pulses in short wavelength laser-driven plasma accelerators, and Compton scattering of laser photons from short electron pulses. Both of these applications demand synchronization, which is sub-picosecond, with tens of femtosecond synchronization implied for next generation experiments. The design of a microwave timing modulator system is now being investigated in more detail. (AIP) copyright 1999 American Institute of Physics
Possible ionization ''ignition'' in laser-driven clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rose-Petruck, C.; Schafer, K.J.; Barty, C.P.J.

1995-01-01

The authors use Classical Trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) simulations to study the ionization of small rare gas clusters in short pulse, high intensity laser fields. They calculate, for a cluster of 25 neon atoms, the ionization stage reached and the average kinetic energy of the ionized electrons as functions of time and peak laser intensity. The CTMC calculations mimic the results of the much simpler barrier suppression model in the limit of isolated atoms. At solid density the results give much more ionization in the cluster than that predicted by the barrier suppression model. They find that when the laser intensity reaches a threshold value such that on average one electron is ionized from each atom, the cluster atoms rapidly move to higher ionization stages, approaching Ne +8 in a few femtoseconds. This ignition process creates an ultrafast pulse of energetic electrons in the cluster at quite modest laser intensities
High-order harmonic and attosecond pulse generation for a few-cycle laser pulse in modulated hollow fibres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiangyun; Sun Zhenrong; Wang Yufeng; Chen Guoliang; Wang Zugeng; Li Ruxin; Zeng Zhinan; Xu Zhizhan

2007-01-01

High harmonic generation from Ar and He atoms by a few-cycle laser pulse in periodic and chirped hollow fibres is investigated theoretically by a self-consistent model. Based on enhanced high harmonics in a periodic hollow fibre, a chirped hollow fibre is proposed to improve quasi-phase matching for the generated harmonics near the cutoff. The results show that the extended and enhanced harmonics near the cutoff are well phase-matched, and a single x-ray pulse with a duration of 279 as in Ar gas and 255 as in He gas can be achieved by frequency synthesizing of high harmonics in the well-selected cutoff bandwidth. The results show that this technique is a potential candidate to generate an intense isolated attosecond pulse in the 'water window' spectrum
Search for nuclear excitation by laser-driven electron motion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bounds, J.A.; Dyer, P.

1992-01-01

It has been proposed that a nucleus may be excited by first exciting the atom's electrons with UV photons. The incident photons couple to the electrons, which would then couple via a virtual photon to the nucleus. As a test case, experiments with 235 U have been performed. A pulsed infrared laser produces an atomic vapor of 235 U which is then bombarded by a high-brightness UV laser beam. The resulting ions are collected. The first excited nuclear state of 235 U has a 26-min half-life and decays by internal conversion, resulting in emission of an atomic electron. These conversion electrons are detected by a channel electron multiplier. An upper limit of 4.0x10 -5 has been obtained for the probability of exciting the nucleus of a 235 U atom that is in the 248-nm UV beam for 700 fs at an irradiance in the range of 1.0x10 15 to 2.5x10 15 W/cm 2
Next Generation Driver for Attosecond and Laser-plasma Physics.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivas, D E; Borot, A; Cardenas, D E; Marcus, G; Gu, X; Herrmann, D; Xu, J; Tan, J; Kormin, D; Ma, G; Dallari, W; Tsakiris, G D; Földes, I B; Chou, S-W; Weidman, M; Bergues, B; Wittmann, T; Schröder, H; Tzallas, P; Charalambidis, D; Razskazovskaya, O; Pervak, V; Krausz, F; Veisz, L

2017-07-12

The observation and manipulation of electron dynamics in matter call for attosecond light pulses, routinely available from high-order harmonic generation driven by few-femtosecond lasers. However, the energy limitation of these lasers supports only weak sources and correspondingly linear attosecond studies. Here we report on an optical parametric synthesizer designed for nonlinear attosecond optics and relativistic laser-plasma physics. This synthesizer uniquely combines ultra-relativistic focused intensities of about 10 20 W/cm 2 with a pulse duration of sub-two carrier-wave cycles. The coherent combination of two sequentially amplified and complementary spectral ranges yields sub-5-fs pulses with multi-TW peak power. The application of this source allows the generation of a broad spectral continuum at 100-eV photon energy in gases as well as high-order harmonics in relativistic plasmas. Unprecedented spatio-temporal confinement of light now permits the investigation of electric-field-driven electron phenomena in the relativistic regime and ultimately the rise of next-generation intense isolated attosecond sources.
Attosecond-controlled photoemission from metal nanowire tips in the few-electron regime

KAUST Repository

Ahn, B.; Schö tz, J.; Kang, M.; Okell, W. A.; Mitra, S.; Fö rg, B.; Zherebtsov, S.; Sü ß mann, F.; Burger, C.; Kü bel, M.; Liu, C.; Wirth, A.; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.; Yanagisawa, H.; Kim, D.; Kim, B.; Kling, M. F.

2017-01-01

sources for microscopy. Here, we report the generation of high energy photoelectrons (up to 160 eV) in photoemission from single-crystalline nanowire tips in few-cycle, 750-nm laser fields at peak intensities of (2-7.3) × 1012 W/cm2. Recording the carrier
Laser microprocessing technologies for automotive, flexible electronics, and solar energy sectors

Science.gov (United States)

Nikumb, Suwas; Bathe, Ravi; Knopf, George K.

2014-10-01

Laser microprocessing technologies offer an important tool to fulfill the needs of many industrial sectors. In particular, there is growing interest in applications of these processes in the manufacturing areas such as automotive parts fabrication, printable electronics and solar energy panels. The technology is primarily driven by our understanding of the fundamental laser-material interaction, process control strategies and the advancement of significant fabrication experience over the past few years. The wide-ranging operating parameters available with respect to power, pulse width variation, beam quality, higher repetition rates as well as precise control of the energy deposition through programmable pulse shaping technologies, enables pre-defined material removal, selective scribing of individual layer within a stacked multi-layer thin film structure, texturing of material surfaces as well as precise introduction of heat into the material to monitor its characteristic properties are a few examples. In this research, results in the area of laser surface texturing of metals for added hydrodynamic lubricity to reduce friction, processing of ink-jet printed graphene oxide for flexible printed electronic circuit fabrication and scribing of multi-layer thin films for the development of photovoltaic CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) interconnects for solar panel devices will be discussed.
Probing plasma wakefields using electron bunches generated from a laser wakefield accelerator

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, C. J.; Wan, Y.; Guo, B.; Hua, J. F.; Pai, C.-H.; Li, F.; Zhang, J.; Ma, Y.; Wu, Y. P.; Xu, X. L.; Mori, W. B.; Chu, H.-H.; Wang, J.; Lu, W.; Joshi, C.

2018-04-01

We show experimental results of probing the electric field structure of plasma wakes by using femtosecond relativistic electron bunches generated from a laser wakefield accelerator. Snapshots of laser-driven linear wakes in plasmas with different densities and density gradients are captured. The spatiotemporal evolution of the wake in a plasma density up-ramp is recorded. Two parallel wakes driven by a laser with a main spot and sidelobes are identified in the experiment and reproduced in simulations. The capability of this new method for capturing the electron- and positron-driven wakes is also shown via 3D particle-in-cell simulations.
Laser driven fusion fission hybrids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, L.F.; Maniscalco, J.A.

1977-11-01

The role of the fusion-fission hybrid reactor (FFHR) as a fissile fuel and/or power producer is discussed. As long range options to supply the world energy needs, hybrid-fueled thermal-burner reactors are compared to liquid metal fast breeder reactors (LMFBR). A discussion of different fuel cycles (thorium, depleted uranium, and spent fuel) is presented in order to compare the energy multiplication, the production of fissile fuel, the laser efficiency and pellet gain requirements of the hybrid reactor. Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) has collaborated with Bechtel Corporation and with Westinghouse in two engineering design studies of laser fusion driven hybrid power plants. The hybrid designs which have resulted from these two studies are briefly described and analyzed by considering operational parameters, such as energy multiplication, power density, burn-up and plutonium production as a function time
Ultrafast transmission electron microscopy using a laser-driven field emitter: Femtosecond resolution with a high coherence electron beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feist, Armin; Bach, Nora; Rubiano da Silva, Nara; Danz, Thomas; Möller, Marcel; Priebe, Katharina E.; Domröse, Till; Gatzmann, J. Gregor; Rost, Stefan; Schauss, Jakob; Strauch, Stefanie; Bormann, Reiner; Sivis, Murat; Schäfer, Sascha, E-mail: sascha.schaefer@phys.uni-goettingen.de; Ropers, Claus, E-mail: claus.ropers@uni-goettingen.de

2017-05-15

We present the development of the first ultrafast transmission electron microscope (UTEM) driven by localized photoemission from a field emitter cathode. We describe the implementation of the instrument, the photoemitter concept and the quantitative electron beam parameters achieved. Establishing a new source for ultrafast TEM, the Göttingen UTEM employs nano-localized linear photoemission from a Schottky emitter, which enables operation with freely tunable temporal structure, from continuous wave to femtosecond pulsed mode. Using this emission mechanism, we achieve record pulse properties in ultrafast electron microscopy of 9 Å focused beam diameter, 200 fs pulse duration and 0.6 eV energy width. We illustrate the possibility to conduct ultrafast imaging, diffraction, holography and spectroscopy with this instrument and also discuss opportunities to harness quantum coherent interactions between intense laser fields and free-electron beams. - Highlights: • First implementation of an ultrafast TEM employing a nanoscale photocathode. • Localized single photon-photoemission from nanoscopic field emitter yields low emittance ultrashort electron pulses. • Electron pulses focused down to ~9 Å, with a duration of 200 fs and an energy width of 0.6 eV are demonstrated. • Quantitative characterization of ultrafast electron gun emittance and brightness. • A range of applications of high coherence ultrashort electron pulses is shown.
High-order harmonic generation driven by inhomogeneous plasmonics fields spatially bounded: influence on the cut-off law

Science.gov (United States)

Neyra, E.; Videla, F.; Ciappina, M. F.; Pérez-Hernández, J. A.; Roso, L.; Lewenstein, M.; Torchia, G. A.

2018-03-01

We study high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in model atoms driven by plasmonic-enhanced fields. These fields result from the illumination of plasmonic nanostructures by few-cycle laser pulses. We demonstrate that the spatial inhomogeneous character of the laser electric field, in a form of Gaussian-shaped functions, leads to an unexpected relationship between the HHG cutoff and the laser wavelength. Precise description of the spatial form of the plasmonic-enhanced field allows us to predict this relationship. We combine the numerical solutions of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) with the plasmonic-enhanced electric fields obtained from 3D finite element simulations. We additionally employ classical simulations to supplement the TDSE outcomes and characterize the extended HHG spectra by means of their associated electron trajectories. A proper definition of the spatially inhomogeneous laser electric field is instrumental to accurately describe the underlying physics of HHG driven by plasmonic-enhanced fields. This characterization opens up new perspectives for HHG control with various experimental nano-setups.
LESM: a laser-driven sub-MeV electron source delivering ultra-high dose rate on thin biological samples

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Labate, L.; Andreassi, M.G.; Baffigi, F.; Bizzarri, B.M.; Borghini, A.; Bussolino, G.C.; Fulgentini, L.; Ghetti, F.; Giulietti, A.; Köster, P.; Lamia, D.; Levato, Tadzio; Oishi, Y.; Pulignani, S.; Russo, G.; Sgarbossa, A.; Gizzi, L.A.

2016-01-01

Roč. 49, č. 27 (2016), s. 1-9, č. článku 275401. ISSN 0022-3727 R&D Projects: GA MŠk EF15_008/0000162; GA MŠk LQ1606 Grant - others:ELI Beamlines(XE) CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_008/0000162 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : laser-driven electron accelerators * sub-MeV electron sources * ultrahigh dose rate * radiobiology * cell radiation damage Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics OBOR OECD: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics ) Impact factor: 2.588, year: 2016
Weibel instability mediated collisionless shocks using intense laser-driven plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Palaniyappan, Sasikumar; Fiuza, Federico; Huang, Chengkun; Gautier, Donald; Ma, Wenjun; Schreiber, Jorg; Raymer, Abel; Fernandez, Juan; Shimada, Tom; Johnson, Randall

2017-10-01

The origin of cosmic rays remains a long-standing challenge in astrophysics and continues to fascinate physicists. It is believed that ``collisionless shocks'' - where the particle Coulomb mean free path is much larger that the shock transition - are a dominant source of energetic cosmic rays. These shocks are ubiquitous in astrophysical environments such as gamma-ray bursts, supernova remnants, pulsar wind nebula and coronal mass ejections from the sun. A particular type of electromagnetic plasma instability known as Weibel instability is believed to be the dominant mechanism behind the formation of these collisionless shocks in the cosmos. The understanding of the microphysics behind collisionless shocks and their particle acceleration is tightly related with nonlinear basic plasma processes and remains a grand challenge. In this poster, we will present results from recent experiments at the LANL Trident laser facility studying collisionless shocks using intense ps laser (80J, 650 fs - peak intensity of 1020 W/cm2) driven near-critical plasmas using carbon nanotube foam targets. A second short pulse laser driven protons from few microns thick gold foil is used to radiograph the main laser-driven plasma. Work supported by the LDRD program at LANL.
Obtaining attosecond x-ray pulses using a self-amplified spontaneous emission free electron laser

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Zholents

2005-05-01

Full Text Available We describe a technique for the generation of a solitary attosecond x-ray pulse in a free-electron laser (FEL, via a process of self-amplified spontaneous emission. In this method, electrons experience an energy modulation upon interacting with laser pulses having a duration of a few cycles within single-period wiggler magnets. Two consecutive modulation sections, followed by compression in a dispersive section, are used to obtain a single, subfemtosecond spike in the electron peak current. This region of the electron beam experiences an enhanced growth rate for FEL amplification. After propagation through a long undulator, this current spike emits a ∼250 attosecond x-ray pulse whose intensity dominates the x-ray emission from the rest of the electron bunch.
Advanced approaches to high intensity laser-driven ion acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henig, Andreas

2010-01-01

Since the pioneering work that was carried out 10 years ago, the generation of highly energetic ion beams from laser-plasma interactions has been investigated in much detail in the regime of target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA). Creation of ion beams with small longitudinal and transverse emittance and energies extending up to tens of MeV fueled visions of compact, laser-driven ion sources for applications such as ion beam therapy of tumors or fast ignition inertial con finement fusion. However, new pathways are of crucial importance to push the current limits of laser-generated ion beams further towards parameters necessary for those applications. The presented PhD work was intended to develop and explore advanced approaches to high intensity laser-driven ion acceleration that reach beyond TNSA. In this spirit, ion acceleration from two novel target systems was investigated, namely mass-limited microspheres and nm-thin, free-standing diamond-like carbon (DLC) foils. Using such ultrathin foils, a new regime of ion acceleration was found where the laser transfers energy to all electrons located within the focal volume. While for TNSA the accelerating electric field is stationary and ion acceleration is spatially separated from laser absorption into electrons, now a localized longitudinal field enhancement is present that co-propagates with the ions as the accompanying laser pulse pushes the electrons forward. Unprecedented maximum ion energies were obtained, reaching beyond 0.5 GeV for carbon C 6+ and thus exceeding previous TNSA results by about one order of magnitude. When changing the laser polarization to circular, electron heating and expansion were shown to be efficiently suppressed, resulting for the first time in a phase-stable acceleration that is dominated by the laser radiation pressure which led to the observation of a peaked C 6+ spectrum. Compared to quasi-monoenergetic ion beam generation within the TNSA regime, a more than 40 times increase in
Advanced approaches to high intensity laser-driven ion acceleration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henig, Andreas

2010-04-26

Since the pioneering work that was carried out 10 years ago, the generation of highly energetic ion beams from laser-plasma interactions has been investigated in much detail in the regime of target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA). Creation of ion beams with small longitudinal and transverse emittance and energies extending up to tens of MeV fueled visions of compact, laser-driven ion sources for applications such as ion beam therapy of tumors or fast ignition inertial con finement fusion. However, new pathways are of crucial importance to push the current limits of laser-generated ion beams further towards parameters necessary for those applications. The presented PhD work was intended to develop and explore advanced approaches to high intensity laser-driven ion acceleration that reach beyond TNSA. In this spirit, ion acceleration from two novel target systems was investigated, namely mass-limited microspheres and nm-thin, free-standing diamond-like carbon (DLC) foils. Using such ultrathin foils, a new regime of ion acceleration was found where the laser transfers energy to all electrons located within the focal volume. While for TNSA the accelerating electric field is stationary and ion acceleration is spatially separated from laser absorption into electrons, now a localized longitudinal field enhancement is present that co-propagates with the ions as the accompanying laser pulse pushes the electrons forward. Unprecedented maximum ion energies were obtained, reaching beyond 0.5 GeV for carbon C{sup 6+} and thus exceeding previous TNSA results by about one order of magnitude. When changing the laser polarization to circular, electron heating and expansion were shown to be efficiently suppressed, resulting for the first time in a phase-stable acceleration that is dominated by the laser radiation pressure which led to the observation of a peaked C{sup 6+} spectrum. Compared to quasi-monoenergetic ion beam generation within the TNSA regime, a more than 40 times
Towards a novel laser-driven method of exotic nuclei extraction−acceleration for fundamental physics and technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishiuchi, M., E-mail: sergei@jaea.go.jp; Sakaki, H.; Esirkepov, T. Zh. [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Kansai Photon Science Institute (Japan); Nishio, K. [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Advanced Science Research Center (Japan); Pikuz, T. A.; Faenov, A. Ya. [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Kansai Photon Science Institute (Japan); Skobelev, I. Yu. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Joint Institute for High Temperature (Russian Federation); Orlandi, R. [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Advanced Science Research Center (Japan); Pirozhkov, A. S.; Sagisaka, A.; Ogura, K.; Kanasaki, M.; Kiriyama, H.; Fukuda, Y. [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Kansai Photon Science Institute (Japan); Koura, H. [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Advanced Science Research Center (Japan); Kando, M. [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Kansai Photon Science Institute (Japan); Yamauchi, T. [Graduate School of Maritime Sciences (Japan); Watanabe, Y. [Kyushu University, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences (Japan); Bulanov, S. V., E-mail: svbulanov@gmail.com; Kondo, K. [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Kansai Photon Science Institute (Japan); and others

2016-04-15

A combination of a petawatt laser and nuclear physics techniques can crucially facilitate the measurement of exotic nuclei properties. With numerical simulations and laser-driven experiments we show prospects for the Laser-driven Exotic Nuclei extraction–acceleration method proposed in [M. Nishiuchi et al., Phys, Plasmas 22, 033107 (2015)]: a femtosecond petawatt laser, irradiating a target bombarded by an external ion beam, extracts from the target and accelerates to few GeV highly charged short-lived heavy exotic nuclei created in the target via nuclear reactions.

Laser-driven acceleration with Bessel and Gaussian beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hafizi, B.; Esarey, E.; Sprangle, P.

1997-01-01

The possibility of enhancing the energy gain in laser-driven accelerators by using Bessel laser beams is examined. Scaling laws are derived for the propagation length, acceleration gradient, and energy gain in various accelerators for both Gaussian and Bessel beam drivers. For equal beam powers, the energy gain can be increased by a factor of N 1/2 by utilizing a Bessel beam with N lobes, provided that the acceleration gradient is linearly proportional to the laser field. This is the case in the inverse free electron laser and the inverse Cherenkov accelerators. If the acceleration gradient is proportional to the square of the laser field (e.g., the laser wakefield, plasma beat wave, and vacuum beat wave accelerators), the energy gain is comparable with either beam profile. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics
Proposal of laser-driven automobile

Science.gov (United States)

Yabe, Takashi; Oozono, Hirokazu; Taniguchi, Kazumoto; Ohkubo, Tomomasa; Miyazaki, Sho; Uchida, Shigeaki; Baasandash, Choijil

2004-09-01

We propose an automobile driven by piston motion, which is driven by water-laser coupling. The automobile can load a solar-pumped fiber laser or can be driven by ground-based lasers. The vehicle is much useful for the use in other planet in which usual combustion engine cannot be used. The piston is in a closed system and then the water will not be exhausted into vacuum. In the preliminary experiment, we succeeded to drive the cylindrical piston of 0.2g (6mm in diameter) on top of water placed inside the acrylic pipe of 8 mm in inner diameter and the laser is incident from the bottom and focused onto the upper part of water by the lens (f=8mm) attached to the bottom edge.
Development and characterization of plasma targets for controlled injection of electrons into laser-driven wakefields

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinwaechter, Tobias; Goldberg, Lars; Palmer, Charlotte; Schaper, Lucas; Schwinkendorf, Jan-Patrick; Osterhoff, Jens

2012-10-01

Laser-driven wakefield acceleration within capillary discharge waveguides has been used to generate high-quality electron bunches with GeV-scale energies. However, owing to fluctuations in laser and plasma conditions in combination with a difficult to control self-injection mechanism in the non-linear wakefield regime these bunches are often not reproducible and can feature large energy spreads. Specialized plasma targets with tailored density profiles offer the possibility to overcome these issues by controlling the injection and acceleration processes. This requires precise manipulation of the longitudinal density profile. Therefore our target concept is based on a capillary structure with multiple gas in- and outlets. Potential target designs are simulated using the fluid code OpenFOAM and those meeting the specified criteria are fabricated using femtosecond-laser machining of structures into sapphire plates. Density profiles are measured over a range of inlet pressures utilizing gas-density profilometry via Raman scattering and pressure calibration with longitudinal interferometry. In combination these allow absolute density mapping. Here we report the preliminary results.
Applications of laser-driven particle acceleration

CERN Document Server

Parodi, Katia; Schreiber, Jorg

2018-01-01

The first book of its kind to highlight the unique capabilities of laser-driven acceleration and its diverse potential, Applications of Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration presents the basic understanding of acceleration concepts and envisioned prospects for selected applications. As the main focus, this new book explores exciting and diverse application possibilities, with emphasis on those uniquely enabled by the laser driver that can also be meaningful and realistic for potential users. A key aim of the book is to inform multiple, interdisciplinary research communities of the new possibilities available and to inspire them to engage with laser-driven acceleration, further motivating and advancing this developing field. Material is presented in a thorough yet accessible manner, making it a valuable reference text for general scientific and engineering researchers who are not necessarily subject matter experts. Applications of Laser-Driven Particle Acceleration is edited by Professors Paul R. Bolton, Katia ...
Free electron laser amplifier driven by an induction linac

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neil, V.K.

1986-01-01

This paper discusses the use of a free-electron laser amplifier as a means of converting the kinetic energy of an electron beam into coherent radiation. In particular, the use of an induction linear accelerator is discussed. The motion of the elections in the tapered and untapered wiggler magnets is discussed as well as the beam emittance, and the radiation fields involved
A “slingshot” laser-driven acceleration mechanism of plasma electrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fiore, Gaetano, E-mail: gaetano.fiore@na.infn.it [Dip. di Matematica e Applicazioni, Università “Federico II”, Complesso Universitario M. S. Angelo, Via Cintia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Napoli, Complesso Universitario M. S. Angelo, Via Cintia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); De Nicola, Sergio [SPIN-CNR, Complesso Universitario M. S. Angelo, Via Cintia, 80126 Napoli (Italy); INFN, Sezione di Napoli, Complesso Universitario M. S. Angelo, Via Cintia, 80126 Napoli (Italy)

2016-09-01

We briefly report on the recently proposed Fiore et al. [1] and Fiore and De Nicola [2] electron acceleration mechanism named “slingshot effect”: under suitable conditions the impact of an ultra-short and ultra-intense laser pulse against the surface of a low-density plasma is expected to cause the expulsion of a bunch of superficial electrons with high energy in the direction opposite to that of the pulse propagation; this is due to the interplay of the huge ponderomotive force, huge longitudinal field arising from charge separation, and the finite size of the laser spot.
Simple laser-driven, metal photocathodes as cold, high-current electron sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saunders, J.D.; Ringler, T.J.; Builta, L.A.; Kauppila, T.J.; Moir, D.C.; Downey, S.W.

1987-01-01

Recent developments in excimer laser design have made near ultraviolet light intensities of several MWcm 2 possible in unfocused beams. These advances and recent experiments indicate that high-current, simple-metal photoemissive electron guns are now feasible. Producing more than 50 Acm 2 of illuminated cathode surface, the guns could operate at vacuums of 10 -6 torr with no complicated system components inside the vacuum enclosure. The electron beam produced by such photoemission guns would have very low emittance and high brightness. This beam would also closely follow the temporal characteristics of the laser pulse, making fast risetime, ultrashort electron beam pulses possible
Laser-pulsed relativistic electron gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherman, N.K.

1986-01-01

A relativistic (β ≅ 0.8) electron gun with good emittance and subnanosecond pulse duration which can be synchronized to picosecond laser pulses is being developed at NRC for use in studies of particle acceleration by lasers. Bursts of electron pulses exceeding 280 keV in energy have been extracted into air form a laser-driven vacuum photodiode. Trains of 5 ps pulses of ultraviolet UV light illuminate a magnesium cathode. Photoelectrons emitted from the cathode are accelerated in a graded electrostatic potential set up by a 360 kV Marx-generator. The UV pulses are obtained by doubling the frequency of a 606 nm dye laser modelocked at 160 MHz. Electron energies were measured by residual range in an echelon of Al foils. Total charge per burst was measured by picoammeter. Time structure of the bursts has been examined with plastic scintillator and a fast photomultiplier. Tests on a low voltage photodiode achieved a current density of 180 A/cm/sup 2/ from an Mg cathode, with quantum efficiency of 2.4 x 10/sup -6/ electron per UV photon. The brevity and intensity of the laser pulses cause the electric charge collected per pulse to increase linearly with bias voltage rather than according to the Langmuir-Child law. Gun emittance is about 150 mm-msr and beam brightness is about 1A/cm/sup 2/-sr. Estimated duration of individual electron pulses of a burst is about 400 ps with instantaneous current of about 0.1 mA. Energy spread within one pulse is expected to be about 15%. This gun has the potential to be a useful source of relativistic electrons for laser acceleration studies
High quality electron beams from a plasma channel guided laser wakefield accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geddes, C.G.R.; Toth, Cs.; Tilborg, J. van; Esarey, E.; Schroeder, C.B.; Bruhwiler, D.; Nieter, C.; Cary, J.; Leemans, W.P.

2004-01-01

Laser driven accelerators, in which particles are accelerated by the electric field of a plasma wave driven by an intense laser, have demonstrated accelerating electric fields of hundreds of GV/m. These fields are thousands of times those achievable in conventional radiofrequency (RF) accelerators, spurring interest in laser accelerators as compact next generation sources of energetic electrons and radiation. To date however, acceleration distances have been severely limited by lack of a controllable method for extending the propagation distance of the focused laser pulse. The ensuing short acceleration distance results in low energy beams with 100% electron energy spread, limiting applications. Here we demonstrate that a relativistically intense laser can be guided by a preformed plasma density channel and that the longer propagation distance can result in electron beams of percent energy spread with low emittance and increased energy, containing >10 9 electrons above 80 MeV. The preformed plasma channel technique forms the basis of a new class of accelerators, combining beam quality comparable to RF accelerators with the high gradients of laser accelerators to produce compact tunable high brightness electron and radiation sources
Ion acceleration in non-equilibrium plasmas driven by fast drifting electron

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castro, G. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Università degli Studi di Catania, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, V. S.Sofia 64, 95123 Catania (Italy); Di Bartolo, F., E-mail: fdibartolo@unime.it [Università di Messina, V.le F. Stagno D’Alcontres 31, 98166, Messina (Italy); Gambino, N. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Università degli Studi di Catania, Dipartimento di Metodologie Fisiche e Chimiche per L’ingegneria, Viale A.Doria 6, 95125 Catania (Italy); Mascali, D. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); CSFNSM, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania (Italy); Romano, F.P. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); CNR-IBAM Via Biblioteca 4, 95124 Catania (Italy); Anzalone, A.; Celona, L.; Gammino, S. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Di Giugno, R. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Università degli Studi di Catania, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, V. S.Sofia 64, 95123 Catania (Italy); Lanaia, D. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Miracoli, R. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Università degli Studi di Catania, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, V. S.Sofia 64, 95123 Catania (Italy); Serafino, T. [CSFNSM, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania (Italy); Tudisco, S. [INFN- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, via S.Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); CSFNSM, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania (Italy)

2013-05-01

We hereby present results on ion acceleration mechanisms in non equilibrium plasmas generated by microwaves or high intensity laser pulses. Experiments point out that in magnetized plasmas X–B conversion takes place for under resonance values of the magnetic field, i.e. an electromagnetic mode is converted into an electrostatic wave. The strong self-generated electric field, of the order of 10{sup 7} V/m, causes a E × B drift which accelerates both ions and electrons, as it is evident by localized sputtering in the plasma chamber. These fields are similar (in magnitude) to the ones obtainable in laser generated plasmas at intensity of 10{sup 12} W/cm{sup 2}. In this latter case, we observe that the acceleration mechanism is driven by electrons drifting much faster than plasma bulk, thus generating an extremely strong electric field ∼10{sup 7} V/m. The two experiments confirm that ions acceleration at low energy is possible with table-top devices and following complementary techniques: i.e. by using microwave-driven (producing CW beams) plasmas, or non-equilibrium laser-driven plasmas (producing pulsed beams). Possible applications involve ion implantation, materials surface modifications, ion beam assisted lithography, etc.
Investigation of the dynamic behavior in materials submitted to sub-picosecond laser driven shock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuq-Lelandais, Jean-Paul

2010-01-01

Laser driven shocks allow to investigate materials behavior at high strain rate and present a great interest for research and industrial applications. The latest laser technologies evolutions provide an access to shorter regimes in duration, below the picosecond. This work, which results from a collaboration between the P' institute, the PIMM laboratory and the CEA-DAM, is dedicated to the characterization of the metallic material behavior in this ultra-short mode (aluminium, tantalum), leading to extreme dynamic solicitation in the target (>10 7 s -1 ). The study includes the validation of experimental results obtained on the LULI 100 TW facility by comparison with numerical model. First, the study is orientated to the femtosecond (fs) laser-matter interaction, which is different from what happens in nanosecond regime. Indeed, the characteristic duration scale is comparable to several molecular phenomena like non-equilibrium electrons-ions states. The aim is to determine the equivalent pressure loading induced by the laser pulse on the target. Then, the shock wave propagation within the target has been studied and particularly its pressure decay, notably strong in this regime. In this configuration, the spalls observed are thin, a few μm order, and show a planar rupture morphology. The results obtained by post-mortem observation show that the spall thickness is thinner if the target thickness is reduced. The spalls are characterized by the VISAR measurement. Within the framework of dynamic damage modeling and rupture criteria dimensioning, particularly those which have been validated in the ns regime as Kanel, shots with different thicknesses have been carried out to determine the damage properties in function of strain rate and validate the parameters by prolongation to the ultra-shorts modes. Then, the study has been generalized to the 2D propagation waves, which can explain the spall diameter evolutions. Meanwhile, microscopic simulations of ultra-short laser
Staged electron laser accelerator (STELLA) experiment at brookhaven ATF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pogorelsky, I V; Steenbergen, A van; Gallardo, J C [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States); and others

1998-03-01

The STELLA experiment is being prepared at the BNL Accelerator Test Facility (STF). The goal of the experiment is to demonstrate quasi-monochromatic inverse Cherenkov acceleration (ICA) of electrons bunched to the laser wavelength period. Microbunches on the order of 2 {mu}m in length separated by 10.6 {mu}m will be produced using an inverse free electron laser (IFEL) accelerator driven by a CO{sub 2} laser. The design and simulations for two phases of this experiment including demonstration of 10 MeV and 100 MeV acceleration are presented. (author)
Fusion Yield Enhancement in Magnetized Laser-Driven Implosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, P. Y.; Fiksel, G.; Hohenberger, M.; Knauer, J. P.; Marshall, F. J.; Betti, R.; Meyerhofer, D. D.; Seguin, F. H.; Petrasso, R. D.

2011-01-01

Enhancement of the ion temperature and fusion yield has been observed in magnetized laser-driven inertial confinement fusion implosions on the OMEGA Laser Facility. A spherical CH target with a 10 atm D 2 gas fill was imploded in a polar-drive configuration. A magnetic field of 80 kG was embedded in the target and was subsequently trapped and compressed by the imploding conductive plasma. As a result of the hot-spot magnetization, the electron radial heat losses were suppressed and the observed ion temperature and neutron yield were enhanced by 15% and 30%, respectively.
Periodic thermodynamics of laser-driven molecular motor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Dan; Zheng Wenwei; Wang Zhisong

2008-01-01

Operation of a laser-driven nano-motor inevitably generates a non-trivial amount of heat, which can possibly lead to instability or even hinder the motor's continual running. This work quantitatively examines the overheating problem for a recently proposed laser-operated molecular locomotive. We present a single-molecule cooling theory, in which molecular details of the locomotive system are explicitly treated. This theory is able to quantitatively predict cooling efficiency for various candidates of molecular systems for the locomotive, and also suggests concrete strategies for improving the locomotive's cooling. It is found that water environment is able to cool the hot locomotive down to room temperature within 100 picoseconds after photon absorption. This cooling time is a few orders of magnitude shorter than the typical time for laser operation, effectively preventing any overheating for the nano-locomotive. However, when the cooling is less effective in non-aqueous environment, residual heat may build up. A continuous running of the motor will then lead to a periodic thermodynamics, which is a common character of many laser-operated nano-devices
Coulomb-Driven Relativistic Electron Beam Compression.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Chao; Jiang, Tao; Liu, Shengguang; Wang, Rui; Zhao, Lingrong; Zhu, Pengfei; Xiang, Dao; Zhang, Jie

2018-01-26

Coulomb interaction between charged particles is a well-known phenomenon in many areas of research. In general, the Coulomb repulsion force broadens the pulse width of an electron bunch and limits the temporal resolution of many scientific facilities such as ultrafast electron diffraction and x-ray free-electron lasers. Here we demonstrate a scheme that actually makes use of the Coulomb force to compress a relativistic electron beam. Furthermore, we show that the Coulomb-driven bunch compression process does not introduce additional timing jitter, which is in sharp contrast to the conventional radio-frequency buncher technique. Our work not only leads to enhanced temporal resolution in electron-beam-based ultrafast instruments that may provide new opportunities in probing material systems far from equilibrium, but also opens a promising direction for advanced beam manipulation through self-field interactions.
Coulomb-Driven Relativistic Electron Beam Compression

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Chao; Jiang, Tao; Liu, Shengguang; Wang, Rui; Zhao, Lingrong; Zhu, Pengfei; Xiang, Dao; Zhang, Jie

2018-01-01

Coulomb interaction between charged particles is a well-known phenomenon in many areas of research. In general, the Coulomb repulsion force broadens the pulse width of an electron bunch and limits the temporal resolution of many scientific facilities such as ultrafast electron diffraction and x-ray free-electron lasers. Here we demonstrate a scheme that actually makes use of the Coulomb force to compress a relativistic electron beam. Furthermore, we show that the Coulomb-driven bunch compression process does not introduce additional timing jitter, which is in sharp contrast to the conventional radio-frequency buncher technique. Our work not only leads to enhanced temporal resolution in electron-beam-based ultrafast instruments that may provide new opportunities in probing material systems far from equilibrium, but also opens a promising direction for advanced beam manipulation through self-field interactions.
Conceptual design of a laser-plasma accelerator driven free-electron laser demonstration experiment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seggebrock, Thorben

2015-07-08

Up to now, short-wavelength free-electron lasers (FEL) have been systems on the scale of hundreds of meters up to multiple kilometers. Due to the advancements in laser-plasma acceleration in the recent years, these accelerators have become a promising candidate for driving a fifth-generation synchrotron light source - a lab-scale free-electron laser. So far, demonstration experiments have been hindered by the broad energy spread typical for this type of accelerator. This thesis addresses the most important challenges of the conceptual design for a first lab-scale FEL demonstration experiment using analytical considerations as well as simulations. The broad energy spread reduces the FEL performance directly by weakening the microbunching and indirectly via chromatic emittance growth, caused by the focusing system. Both issues can be mitigated by decompressing the electron bunch in a magnetic chicane, resulting in a sorting by energies. This reduces the local energy spread as well as the local chromatic emittance growth and also lowers performance degradations caused by the short bunch length. Moreover, the energy dependent focus position leads to a focus motion within the bunch, which can be synchronized with the radiation pulse, maximizing the current density in the interaction region. This concept is termed chromatic focus matching. A comparison shows the advantages of the longitudinal decompression concept compared to the alternative approach of transverse dispersion. When using typical laser-plasma based electron bunches, coherent synchrotron radiation and space-charge contribute in equal measure to the emittance growth during decompression. It is shown that a chicane for this purpose must not be as weak and long as affordable to reduce coherent synchrotron radiation, but that an intermediate length is required. Furthermore, the interplay of the individual concepts and components is assessed in a start-to-end simulation, confirming the feasibility of the
Conceptual design of a laser-plasma accelerator driven free-electron laser demonstration experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seggebrock, Thorben

2015-01-01

Up to now, short-wavelength free-electron lasers (FEL) have been systems on the scale of hundreds of meters up to multiple kilometers. Due to the advancements in laser-plasma acceleration in the recent years, these accelerators have become a promising candidate for driving a fifth-generation synchrotron light source - a lab-scale free-electron laser. So far, demonstration experiments have been hindered by the broad energy spread typical for this type of accelerator. This thesis addresses the most important challenges of the conceptual design for a first lab-scale FEL demonstration experiment using analytical considerations as well as simulations. The broad energy spread reduces the FEL performance directly by weakening the microbunching and indirectly via chromatic emittance growth, caused by the focusing system. Both issues can be mitigated by decompressing the electron bunch in a magnetic chicane, resulting in a sorting by energies. This reduces the local energy spread as well as the local chromatic emittance growth and also lowers performance degradations caused by the short bunch length. Moreover, the energy dependent focus position leads to a focus motion within the bunch, which can be synchronized with the radiation pulse, maximizing the current density in the interaction region. This concept is termed chromatic focus matching. A comparison shows the advantages of the longitudinal decompression concept compared to the alternative approach of transverse dispersion. When using typical laser-plasma based electron bunches, coherent synchrotron radiation and space-charge contribute in equal measure to the emittance growth during decompression. It is shown that a chicane for this purpose must not be as weak and long as affordable to reduce coherent synchrotron radiation, but that an intermediate length is required. Furthermore, the interplay of the individual concepts and components is assessed in a start-to-end simulation, confirming the feasibility of the
Spectroscopy of heavy few-electron ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mokler, P.H.

1986-07-01

In this paper we ask first, why is it interesting to investigate heavy-few electron ions. Then the various accelerator-based methods to produce heavy few-electron ions are discussed. In the main part an overview on available heavy few-electron ion data and current experiments is given. The summary will end up with future aspects in this field. (orig.)
Acceleration of polyethelene foils by laser driven ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahlstrom, H.G.; Burginyon, G.A.; Haas, R.A.

1974-01-01

The production of thermonuclear energy, by laser driven implosion of spherical DT shells, with achievable laser technology, requires the development of an efficient and stable implosion. Certain aspects of the acceleration of the spherical shells can be studied experimentally by irradiating thin, 5 to 25 μm, polyethelene foils. The results of foil acceleration experiments performed using a Nd:YAG-Glass laser capable of producing 150 J, 1 nsec pulses will be discussed. The dynamics of the accelerated foil, the ion blow off, high energy electron spectrum (6 to 180 keV), x-ray spectrum (1 to 150 keV) the spatial distribution of the x-ray emission, the laser beam focal spot energy distribution, the laser temporal pulse shape and spectrum for reflected and transmitted radiation have all been measured simultaneously. The results of these measurements are compared with detailed numerical simulations. (U.S.)

Electron bunch profile reconstruction in the few fs regime using coherent Smith-Purcell radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartolini, R; Delerue, N; Doucas, G; Reichold, A; Clarke, C

2012-01-01

Advanced accelerators for fourth generation light sources based on high brightness linacs or laser-driven wakefield accelerators will operate with intense, highly relativistic electron bunches that are only a few fs long. Diagnostic techniques for the determination of temporal profile of such bunches are required to be non invasive, single shot, economic and with the required resolution in the fs regime. The use of a radiative process such as coherent Smith-Purcell radiation (SPR), is particularly promising with this respect. In this technique the beam is made to radiate a small amount of electromagnetic radiation and the temporal profile is reconstructed from the measured spectral distribution of the radiation. We summarise the advantages of SPR and present the design parameters and preliminary results of the experiments at the FACET facility at SLAC. We also discuss a new approach to the problem of the recovery of the 'missing phase', which is essential for the accurate reconstruction of the temporal bunch profile.
Electron Bunch Profile Reconstruction in the Few fs Regime using Coherent Smith-Purcell Radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartolini, R.; Clarke, C.; Delerue, N.; Doucasa, G.; Reicholda, A.

2012-01-01

Advanced accelerators for fourth generation light sources based on high brightness linacs or laser-driven wakefield accelerators will operate with intense, highly relativistic electron bunches that are only a few fs long. Diagnostic techniques for the determination of temporal profile of such bunches are required to be non invasive, single shot, economic and with the required resolution in the fs regime. The use of a radiative process such as coherent Smith-Purcell radiation (SPR), is particularly promising with this respect. In this technique the beam is made to radiate a small amount of electromagnetic radiation and the temporal profile is reconstructed from the measured spectral distribution of the radiation. We summarise the advantages of SPR and present the design parameters and preliminary results of the experiments at the FACET facility at SLAC. We also discuss a new approach to the problem of the recovery of the 'missing phase', which is essential for the accurate reconstruction of the temporal bunch profile.
Electronic and structural response of nanomaterials to ultrafast and ultraintense laser pulses.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Chen-Wei; Zhou, Xiang; Lin, Zhibin; Xie, Rui-Hua; Li, Fu-Li; Allen, Roland E

2014-02-01

The interaction of materials with ultrafast and ultraintense laser pulses is a current frontier of science both experimentally and theoretically. In this review, we briefly discuss some recent theoretical studies by the present authors with our method of semiclassical electron-radiation-ion dynamics (SERID). In particular, Zhou et al. and Jiang et al. respectively, determined the optimal duration and optimal timing for a series of femtosecond scale laser pulses to excite a specific vibrational mode in a general chemical system. A set of such modes can be used as a "fingerprint" for characterizing a particular molecule or a complex in a solid. One can therefore envision many applications, ranging from fundamental studies to detection of chemical or biological agents. Allen et al. proved that dimers are preferentially emitted during photofragmentation of C60 under an ultrafast and ultraintense laser pulse. For interactions between laser pulses and semiconductors, e.g., GaAs, Si and InSb, besides experimentally accessible optical properties--epsilon(omega) and chi(2)-Allen et al. offered many other indicators to confirm the nonthermal nature of structural changes driven by electronic excitations and occurring during the first few hundred femtoseconds. Lin et al. found that, after the application of a femtosecond laser pulse, excited electrons in materials automatically equilibrate to a Fermi-Dirac distribution within roughly 100 fs, solely because of their coupling to the nuclear motion, even though the resulting electronic temperature is one to two orders of magnitude higher than the kinetic temperature defined by the nuclear motion.
Editorial: Focus on Laser- and Beam-Driven Plasma Accelerators

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, Chan; Malka, Victor

2010-04-01

The ability of short but intense laser pulses to generate high-energy electrons and ions from gaseous and solid targets has been well known since the early days of the laser fusion program. However, during the past decade there has been an explosion of experimental and theoretical activity in this area of laser-matter interaction, driven by the prospect of realizing table-top plasma accelerators for research, medical and industrial uses, and also relatively small and inexpensive plasma accelerators for high-energy physics at the frontier of particle physics. In this focus issue on laser- and beam-driven plasma accelerators, the latest advances in this field are described. Focus on Laser- and Beam-Driven Plasma Accelerators Contents Slow wave plasma structures for direct electron acceleration B D Layer, J P Palastro, A G York, T M Antonsen and H M Milchberg Cold injection for electron wakefield acceleration X Davoine, A Beck, A Lifschitz, V Malka and E Lefebvre Enhanced proton flux in the MeV range by defocused laser irradiation J S Green, D C Carroll, C Brenner, B Dromey, P S Foster, S Kar, Y T Li, K Markey, P McKenna, D Neely, A P L Robinson, M J V Streeter, M Tolley, C-G Wahlström, M H Xu and M Zepf Dose-dependent biological damage of tumour cells by laser-accelerated proton beams S D Kraft, C Richter, K Zeil, M Baumann, E Beyreuther, S Bock, M Bussmann, T E Cowan, Y Dammene, W Enghardt, U Helbig, L Karsch, T Kluge, L Laschinsky, E Lessmann, J Metzkes, D Naumburger, R Sauerbrey, M. Scḧrer, M Sobiella, J Woithe, U Schramm and J Pawelke The optimum plasma density for plasma wakefield excitation in the blowout regime W Lu, W An, M Zhou, C Joshi, C Huang and W B Mori Plasma wakefield acceleration experiments at FACET M J Hogan, T O Raubenheimer, A Seryi, P Muggli, T Katsouleas, C Huang, W Lu, W An, K A Marsh, W B Mori, C E Clayton and C Joshi Electron trapping and acceleration on a downward density ramp: a two-stage approach R M G M Trines, R Bingham, Z Najmudin
Unlimited electron acceleration in laser-driven plasma waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katsouleas, T.; Dawson, J.M.

1983-01-01

It is shown that the limitation to the energy gain of 2(ω/ω/sub p/) 2 mc 2 of an electron in the laser-plasma beat-wave accelerator can be overcome by imposing a magnetic field of appropriate strength perpendicular to the plasma wave. This accelerates particles parallel to the phase fronts of the accelerating wave which keeps them in phase with it. Arbitrarily large energy is theoretically possible
Role of resistivity gradient in laser-driven ion acceleration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. A. Gizzi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available It was predicted that, when a fast electron beam with some angular spread is normally incident on a resistivity gradient, magnetic field generation can occur that can inhibit beam propagation [A. R. Bell et al., Phys. Rev. E 58, 2471 (1998PLEEE81063-651X10.1103/PhysRevE.58.2471]. This effect can have consequences on the laser-driven ion acceleration. In the experiment reported here, we compare ion emission from laser irradiated coated and uncoated metal foils and we show that the ion beam from the coated target has a much smaller angular spread. Detailed hybrid numerical simulations confirm that the inhibition of fast electron transport through the resistivity gradient may explain the observed effect.
Electron injection and acceleration in the plasma bubble regime driven by an ultraintense laser pulse combined with using dense-plasma wall and block

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xue-Yan; Xie, Bai-Song; Wu, Hai-Cheng; Zhang, Shan; Hong, Xue-Ren; Aimidula, Aimierding

2012-03-01

An optimizing and alternative scheme for electron injection and acceleration in the wake bubble driven by an ultraintense laser pulse is presented. In this scheme, the dense-plasma wall with an inner diameter matching the expected bubble size is placed along laser propagation direction. Meanwhile, a dense-plasma block dense-plasma is adhered inward transversely at some certain position of the wall. Particle-in-cell simulations are performed, which demonstrate that the block plays an important role in the first electron injection and acceleration. The result shows that a collimated electron bunch with a total number of about 4.04×108μm-1 can be generated and accelerated stably to 1.61 GeV peak energy with 2.6% energy spread. The block contributes about 50% to the accelerated electron injection bunch by tracing and sorting statistically the source.
Compact disposal of high-energy electron beams using passive or laser-driven plasma decelerating stage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bonatto, A.; Schroeder, C. B.; Vay, J. -L.; Geddes, C. R.; Benedetti, C.; Esarey and, E.; Leemans, W. P.

2014-07-13

A plasma decelerating stage is investigated as a compact alternative for the disposal of high-energy beams (beam dumps). This could benefit the design of laser-driven plasma accelerator (LPA) applications that require transportability and or high-repetition-rate operation regimes. Passive and laser-driven (active) plasma-based beam dumps are studied analytically and with particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations in a 1D geometry. Analytical estimates for the beam energy loss are compared to and extended by the PIC simulations, showing that with the proposed schemes a beam can be efficiently decelerated in a centimeter-scale distance.
Enhanced asymmetry in few-cycle attosecond pulse ionization of He in the vicinity of autoionizing resonances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djiokap, J M Ngoko; Starace, Anthony F; Hu, S X; Jiang Weichao; Peng Liangyou

2012-01-01

By solving the two-active-electron, time-dependent Schrödinger equation in its full dimensionality, we investigate the carrier-envelope phase (CEP) dependence of single ionization of He to the He + (1s) state triggered by an intense few-cycle attosecond pulse with carrier frequency ω corresponding to the energy ℏω = 36 eV. Effects of electron correlations are probed by comparing projections of the final state of the two-electron wave packet onto field-free highly correlated Jacobi matrix wave functions with projections onto uncorrelated Coulomb wave functions. Significant differences are found in the vicinity of autoionizing resonances. Owing to the broad bandwidths of our 115 and 230 as pulses and their high intensities (1–2 PW cm −2 ), asymmetries are found in the differential probability for ionization of electrons parallel and antiparallel to the linear polarization axis of the laser pulse. These asymmetries stem from interference of the one- and two-photon ionization amplitudes for producing electrons with the same momentum along the linear polarization axis. Whereas these asymmetries generally decrease with increasing ionized electron kinetic energy, we find a large enhancement of the asymmetry in the vicinity of two-electron doubly excited (autoionizing) states on an energy scale comparable to the widths of the autoionizing states. The CEP dependence of the energy-integrated asymmetry agrees very well with the predictions of time-dependent perturbation theory (Pronin et al 2009 Phys. Rev. A 80 063403). (paper)
Generation of Raman lasers from nitrogen molecular ions driven by ultraintense laser fields

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Jinping; Chu, Wei; Liu, Zhaoxiang; Xu, Bo; Chen, Jinming; Cheng, Ya

2018-03-01

Atmospheric lasing has aroused much interest in the past few years. The ‘air–laser’ opens promising potential for remote chemical sensing of trace gases with high sensitivity and specificity. At present, several approaches have been successfully implemented for generating highly coherent laser beams in atmospheric condition, including both amplified-spontaneous emission, and narrow-bandwidth stimulated emission in the forward direction in the presence of self-generated or externally injected seed pulses. Here, we report on generation of multiple-wavelength Raman lasers from nitrogen molecular ions ({{{N}}}2+), driven by intense mid-infrared laser fields. Intuitively, the approach appears problematic for the small nonlinear susceptibility of {{{N}}}2+ ions, whereas the efficiency of Raman laser can be significantly promoted in near-resonant condition. More surprisingly, a Raman laser consisting of a supercontinuum spanning from ∼310 to ∼392 nm has been observed resulting from a series near-resonant nonlinear processes including four-wave mixing, stimulated Raman scattering and cross phase modulation. To date, extreme nonlinear optics in molecular ions remains largely unexplored, which provides an alternative means for air–laser-based remote sensing applications.
The Argonne laser-driven D target: Recent developments and progress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fedchak, J.A.; Bailey, K.; Cummings, W.J.

1997-01-01

The first direct measurements of nuclear tensor polarization p zz in a laser-driven polarized D target have been performed at Argonne. We present p zz and electron polarization P e data taken at a magnetic field of 600 G in the optical pumping cell. These results are highly indicative that spin-temperature equilibrium is achieved in the system. To prevent spin relaxation of D and K atoms as well as the molecular recombination of D atoms, the walls of the laser-driven D target are coated with organosilane compounds. We discuss a new coating technique, the open-quotes afterwashclose quotes, developed at Argonne which has yielded stable atomic fraction results when the coating is exposed to K. We also present new coating techniques for glass and Cu substrates
Energy Efficiency of an Intracavity Coupled, Laser-Driven Linear Accelerator Pumped by an External Laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neil Na, Y.C.; Siemann, R.H.; SLAC; Byer, R.L.; Stanford U., Phys. Dept.

2005-01-01

We calculate the optimum energy efficiency of a laser-driven linear accelerator by adopting a simple linear model. In the case of single bunch operation, the energy efficiency can be enhanced by incorporating the accelerator into a cavity that is pumped by an external laser. In the case of multiple bunch operation, the intracavity configuration is less advantageous because the strong wakefield generated by the electron beam is also recycled. Finally, the calculation indicates that the luminosity of a linear collider based on such a structure is comparably small if high efficiency is desired
High-order harmonics from bow wave caustics driven by a high-intensity laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pirozhkov, A.S.; Kando, M.; Esirkepov, T.Zh.

2012-01-01

We propose a new mechanism of high-order harmonic generation during an interaction of a high-intensity laser pulse with underdense plasma. A tightly focused laser pulse creates a cavity in plasma pushing electrons aside and exciting the wake wave and the bow wave. At the joint of the cavity wall and the bow wave boundary, an annular spike of electron density is formed. This spike surrounds the cavity and moves together with the laser pulse. Collective motion of electrons in the spike driven by the laser field generates high-order harmonics. A strong localization of the electron spike, its robustness to oscillations imposed by the laser field and, consequently, its ability to produce high-order harmonics is explained by catastrophe theory. The proposed mechanism explains the experimental observations of high-order harmonics with the 9 TW J-KAREN laser (JAEA, Japan) and the 120 TW Astra Gemini laser (CLF RAL, UK) [A. S. Pirozhkov, et al., arXiv:1004.4514 (2010); A. S. Pirozhkov et al, AIP Proceedings, this volume]. The theory is corroborated by high-resolution two-and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations.
Optical Sideband Generation: a Longitudinal Electron Beam Diagnostic Beyond the Laser Bandwidth Resolution Limit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Tilborg, J. van; Matlis, N. H.; Plateau, G. R.; Leemans, W. P.

2010-06-01

Electro-optic sampling (EOS) is widely used as a technique to measure THz-domain electric field pulses such asthe self-fields of femtosecond electron beams. We present an EOS-based approach for single-shot spectral measurement that excels in simplicity (compatible with fiber integration) and bandwidth coverage (overcomes the laser bandwidth limitation), allowing few-fs electron beams or single-cycle THz pulses to be characterized with conventional picosecond probes. It is shown that the EOS-induced optical sidebands on the narrow-bandwidth optical probe are spectrally-shifted replicas of the THz pulse. An experimental demonstration on a 0-3 THz source is presented.
Efficient scattering of electrons below few keV by Time Domain Structures around injection fronts

Science.gov (United States)

Vasko, I.; Agapitov, O. V.; Mozer, F.; Artemyev, A.; Krasnoselskikh, V.

2016-12-01

Van Allen Probes observations show an abundance of non-linear large-amplitude electrostatic spikes around injection fronts in the outer radiation belt. These spikes referred to as Time Domain Structures (TDS) include electron holes, double layers and more complicated solitary waves. The electron scattering driven by TDS may not be evaluated via the standard quasi-linear theory, since TDS are in principle non-linear plasma modes. In this paper we analyze the scattering of electrons by three-dimensional TDS (with non-negligible perpendicular electric field) around injection fronts. We derive the analytical formulas describing the local scattering by single TDS and show that the most efficiently scattered electrons are those in the first cyclotron resonance (electrons crossing TDS on a time scale comparable with their gyroperiod). The analytical formulas are verified via the test-particle simulation. We compute the bounce-averaged diffusion coefficients and demonstrate their dependence on the TDS spatial distribution, individual TDS parameters and L shell. We show that TDS are able to provide the pitch-angle scattering of <5 keV electrons at rate 10-2-10-4 s-1 and, thus, can be responsible for driving loss of electrons out of injections fronts on a time scale from few minutes to few hours. TDS can be, thus, responsible for driving diffuse aurora precipitations conjugated to injection fronts. We show that the pitch-angle scattering rates driven by TDS are comparable with those due to chorus waves and exceed those due to electron cyclotron harmonics. For injections fronts with no significant wave activity in the frequency range corresponding to chorus waves, TDS can be even dominant mechanism for losses of below few keV electrons.
Rf and space-charge induced emittances in laser-driven rf guns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Kwang-Je; Chen, Yu-Jiuan.

1988-10-01

Laser-driven rf electron guns are potential sources of high-current, low-emittance, short bunch-length electron beams, which are required for many advanced accelerator applications, such as free-electron lasers and injectors for high-energy machines. In such guns the design of which was pioneered at Los Alamos National Laboratory and which is currently being developed at several other laboratories, a high-power laser beam illuminates a photo-cathode surface placed on an end wall of an rf cavity. The main advantages of this type of gun are that the time structure of the electron beam is controlled by the laser, eliminating the need for bunchers, and that the electric field in rf cavities can be made very strong, so that the effects due to space-charge repulsion can be minimized. In this paper, we present an approximate but simple analysis for the transverse and longitudinal emittances in rf guns that takes into account both the time variation of the rf field and the space-charge effect. The results are compared and found to agree well with those from simulation. 7 refs., 6 figs
The suppression of radiation reaction and laser field depletion in laser-electron beam interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Ong, J. F.; Moritaka, T.; Takabe, H.

2018-03-01

The effects of radiation reaction (RR) have been studied extensively by using the interaction of ultraintense lasers with a counter-propagating relativistic electron. At the laser intensity at the order of 1023 W/cm2, the effects of RR are significant in a few laser periods for a relativistic electron. However, a laser at such intensity is tightly focused and the laser energy is usually assumed to be fixed. Then, the signal of RR and energy conservation cannot be guaranteed. To assess the effects of RR in a tightly focused laser pulse and the evolution of the laser energy, we simulated this interaction with a beam of 109 electrons by means of a Particle-In-Cell method. We observe that the effects of RR are suppressed due to the ponderomotive force and accompanied by a non-negligible amount of laser field energy reduction. This is because the ponderomotive force prevents the electrons from approaching the center of the laser pulse and leads to an interaction at the weaker field region. At the same time, the laser energy is absorbed through ponderomotive acceleration. Thus, the kinetic energy of the electron beam has to be carefully selected such that the effects of RR become obvious.
Modified two beam accelerator driven by a D.C. pelletron free electron laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, D.

1985-01-01

Assembling the next generation of linear particle accelerators requires progress in three areas. (1) Sources must be developed to provide the coherent electromagnetic radiation used to power the device. (2) Physical structures must be designed which efficiently transfer the power to the high energy beam. (3) Cooling techniques must be developed in order to enhance beam transport and to provide sufficient luminosity. This paper will describe a method of obtaining a highly efficient coherent radiation source by using a continuous wave Free Electron Laser (FEL). Several possibilities exist for an accelerating structure which could use this radiation as a power source. These include scaling down the size of traditional RF cavities, inverse free electron lasers, and surface grating schemes. Inverse free electron lasers have the possibility of intrinsic cooling of the high energy beam
Isolated sub-100-as pulse generation via controlling electron dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lan Pengfei; Lu Peixiang; Cao Wei; Li Yuhua; Wang Xinlin

2007-01-01

A method to coherently control electron dynamics is proposed using a few-cycle laser pulse in combination with a controlling field. It is shown that this method not only broadens the attosecond pulse bandwidth, but also reduces the chirp; thus an isolated 80-as pulse is straightforwardly obtained, and even shorter pulses are achievable by increasing the intensity of the controlling field. Such ultrashort pulses allow one to investigate ultrafast electronic processes. In addition, the few-cycle synthesized pulse is expected to be useful for manipulating a wide range of laser-atom interactions
Laser-driven acceleration with Bessel beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imasaki, Kazuo; Li, Dazhi

2005-01-01

A new approach of laser-driven acceleration with Bessel beam is described. Bessel beam, in contrast to the Gaussian beam, shows diffraction-free'' characteristics in its propagation, which implies potential in laser-driven acceleration. But a normal laser, even if the Bessel beam, laser can not accelerate charged particle efficiently because the difference of velocity between the particle and photon makes cyclic acceleration and deceleration phase. We proposed a Bessel beam truncated by a set of annular slits those makes several special regions in its travelling path, where the laser field becomes very weak and the accelerated particles are possible to receive no deceleration as they undergo decelerating phase. Thus, multistage acceleration is realizable with high gradient. In a numerical computation, we have shown the potential of multistage acceleration based on a three-stage model. (author)

Laser-driven source of spin-polarized atomic hydrogen and deuterium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poelker, M.

1995-01-01

A laser-driven source of spin-polarized hydrogen (H) and deuterium (D) that relies on the technique of optical pumping spin exchange has been constructed. In this source, H or D atoms and potassium atoms flow continuously through a drifilm-coated spin-exchange cell where potassium atoms are optically pumped with circularly-polarized laser light in a high magnetic field. The H or D atoms become polarized through spin-exchange collisions with polarized potassium atoms. High electron polarization (∼80%) has been measured for H and D atoms at flow rates ∼2x10 17 atoms/s. Lower polarization values are measured for flow rates exceeding 1x10 18 atoms/s. In this paper, we describe the performance of the laser-driven source as a function of H and D atomic flow rate, magnetic field strength, alkali density and pump-laser power. Polarization measurements as a function of flow rate and magnetic field suggest that, despite a high magnetic field, atoms within the optical-pumping spin-exchange apparatus evolve to spin-temperature equilibrium which results in direct polarization of the H and D nuclei. (orig.)
Construction and characterization of a laser-driven proton beamline at GSI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Busold, Simon

2014-05-15

The thesis includes the first experiments with the new 100 TW laser beamline of the PHELIX laser facility at GSI Darmstadt to drive a TNSA (Target Normal Sheath Acceleration) proton source at GSI's Z6 experimental area. At consecutive stages a pulsed solenoid has been applied for beam transport and energy selection via chromatic focusing, as well as a radiofrequency cavity for energy compression of the bunch. This novel laser-driven proton beamline, representing a central experiment of the German national LIGHT collaboration (Laser Ion Generation, Handling and Transport), has been used to create collimated, intense proton bunches at 10 MeV with 2.7% energy spread from the laser-driven source. Also, the feasibility of phase focusing experiments with this setup has been shown and simulations predict peak currents of 10{sup 10} protons/ns at this energy level. Furthermore, first quantitative measurements on the spectral properties of the also present co-moving electrons from such a proton source could be performed and their influence on the protons within the solenoid observed. Finally, permanent magnetic quadrupoles as an alternative first ion collimation system have been investigated experimentally.
Effects of laser-polarization and wiggler magnetic fields on electron acceleration in laser-cluster interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Singh Ghotra, Harjit; Kant, Niti

2018-06-01

We examine the electron dynamics during laser-cluster interaction. In addition to the electrostatic field of an individual cluster and laser field, we consider an external transverse wiggler magnetic field, which plays a pivotal role in enhancing the electron acceleration. Single-particle simulation has been presented with a short pulse linearly polarized as well as circularly polarized laser pulses for electron acceleration in a cluster. The persisting Coulomb field allows the electron to absorb energy from the laser field. The stochastically heated electron finds a weak electric field at the edge of the cluster from where it is ejected. The wiggler magnetic field connects the regions of the stochastically heated, ejected electron from the cluster and high energy gain by the electron from the laser field outside the cluster. This increases the field strength and hence supports the electron to meet the phase of the laser field for enhanced acceleration. A long duration resonance appears with an optimized magnetic wiggler field of about 3.4 kG. Hence, the relativistic energy gain by the electron is enhanced up to a few 100 MeV with an intense short pulse laser with an intensity of about 1019 W cm‑2 in the presence of a wiggler magnetic field.
Inter-dependence of the electron beam excitations with the free electron laser stability on the super-ACO storage ring

CERN Document Server

Couprie, Marie Emmanuelle; Nutarelli, D; Renault, E; Billardon, M

1999-01-01

Storage ring free electron lasers have a complex dynamics as compared to the LINAC driven FEL sources since both the laser and the recirculating electron beam behaviours are involved. Electron beam perturbations can strongly affect the FEL operation (start-up, stability) whereas the FEL can stabilize beam instabilities. Experimental analysis together with simulations are reported here. Improvements of the Super-ACO FEL for users is discussed, and consequences are given in terms of electron beam tolerances for a source development for users.
Subfemtosecond directional control of chemical processes in molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Alnaser, Ali S.; Litvinyuk, Igor V.

2017-02-01

Laser pulses with a waveform-controlled electric field and broken inversion symmetry establish the opportunity to achieve directional control of molecular processes on a subfemtosecond timescale. Several techniques could be used to break the inversion symmetry of an electric field. The most common ones include combining a fundamental laser frequency with its second harmonic or with higher -frequency pulses (or pulse trains) as well as using few-cycle pulses with known carrier-envelope phase (CEP). In the case of CEP, control over chemical transformations, typically occurring on a timescale of many femtoseconds, is driven by much faster sub-cycle processes of subfemtosecond to few-femtosecond duration. This is possible because electrons are much lighter than nuclei and fast electron motion is coupled to the much slower nuclear motion. The control originates from populating coherent superpositions of different electronic or vibrational states with relative phases that are dependent on the CEP or phase offset between components of a two-color pulse. In this paper, we review the recent progress made in the directional control over chemical processes, driven by intense few-cycle laser pulses a of waveform-tailored electric field, in different molecules.
High-energy few-cycle pulse compression through self-channeling in gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hauri, C.; Merano, M.; Trisorio, A.; Canova, F.; Canova, L.; Lopez-Martens, R.; Ruchon, T.; Engquist, A.; Varju, K.; Gustafsson, E.

2006-01-01

Complete test of publication follows. Nonlinear spectral broadening of femtosecond optical pulses by intense propagation in a Kerr medium followed by temporal compression constitutes the Holy Grail for ultrafast science since it allows the generation of intense few-cycle optical transients from longer pulses provided by now commercially available femtosecond lasers. Tremendous progress in high-field and attosecond physics achieved in recent years has triggered the need for efficient pulse compression schemes producing few-cycle pulses beyond the mJ level. We studied a novel pulse compression scheme based on self-channeling in gases, which promises to overcome the energy constraints of hollow-core fiber compression techniques. Fundamentally, self-channeling at high laser powers in gases occurs when the self-focusing effect in the gas is balanced through the dispersion induced by the inhomogeneous refractive index resulting from optically-induced ionization. The high nonlinearity of the ionization process poses great technical challenges when trying to scale this pulse compression scheme to higher energies input energies. Light channels are known to be unstable under small fluctuations of the trapped field that can lead to temporal and spatial beam breakup, usually resulting in the generation of spectrally broad but uncompressible pulses. Here we present experimental results on high-energy pulse compression of self-channeled 40-fs pulses in pressure-gas cells. In the first experiment, performed at the Lund Laser Center in Sweden, we identified a particular self-channeling regime at lower pulse energies (0.8 mJ), in which the ultrashort pulses are generated with negative group delay dispersion (GDD) such that they can be readily compressed down to near 10-fs through simple material dispersion. Pulse compression is efficient (70%) and exhibits exceptional spatial and temporal beam stability. In a second experiment, performed at the LOA-Palaiseau in France, we
Development of High-Gradient Dielectric Laser-Driven Particle Accelerator Structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byer, Robert L. [Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Edward L. Ginzton Lab.

2013-11-07

The thrust of Stanford's program is to conduct research on high-gradient dielectric accelerator structures driven with high repetition-rate, tabletop infrared lasers. The close collaboration between Stanford and SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) is critical to the success of this project, because it provides a unique environment where prototype dielectric accelerator structures can be rapidly fabricated and tested with a relativistic electron beam.
Counterintuitive angular shifts in the photoelectron momentum distribution for atoms in strong few-cycle circularly polarized laser pulses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martiny, Christian; Abu-Samha, Mahmoud; Madsen, Lars Bojer

2009-01-01

We solve the three-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger equation for a three-cycle circularly polarized laser pulse interacting with an atom. The photoelectron momentum distributions show counterintuitive shifts, similar to those observed in a recent experiment (Eckle et al 2008 Science 322 1525...
First observations of acceleration of injected electrons in a laser plasma beatwave experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebrahim, N.A.; Martin, F.; Bordeur, P.; Heighway, E.A.; Matte, J.P.; Pepin, H.; Lavigne, P.

1986-01-01

The first experimental observations of acceleration of injected electrons in a laser driven plasma beatwave are presented. The plasma waves were excited in an ionized gas jet, using a short pulse high intensity CO 2 laser with two collinearly propagating beams (at λ = 9.6 μm and 10.6 μm) to excite a fast wave (v/sub p/ = c). The source of electrons was a laser plasma produced on an aluminum slab target by a third, synchronized CO 2 laser beam. A double-focusing dipole magnet was used to energy select and inject electrons into the beatwave, and a second magnetic spectrograph was used to analyze the accelerated electrons. Electron acceleration was only observed when the appropriate resonant plasma density was produced (∼ 10 17 cm -3 ), the two laser lines were incident on the plasma, and electrons were injected into this plasma from an external source
High quality electron beams from a laser wakefield accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiggins, S M; Issac, R C; Welsh, G H; Brunetti, E; Shanks, R P; Anania, M P; Cipiccia, S; Manahan, G G; Aniculaesei, C; Ersfeld, B; Islam, M R; Burgess, R T L; Vieux, G; Jaroszynski, D A [SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow (United Kingdom); Gillespie, W A [SUPA, Division of Electronic Engineering and Physics, University of Dundee, Dundee (United Kingdom); MacLeod, A M [School of Computing and Creative Technologies, University of Abertay Dundee, Dundee (United Kingdom); Van der Geer, S B; De Loos, M J, E-mail: m.wiggins@phys.strath.ac.u [Pulsar Physics, Burghstraat 47, 5614 BC Eindhoven (Netherlands)

2010-12-15

High quality electron beams have been produced in a laser-plasma accelerator driven by femtosecond laser pulses with a peak power of 26 TW. Electrons are produced with an energy up to 150 MeV from the 2 mm gas jet accelerator and the measured rms relative energy spread is less than 1%. Shot-to-shot stability in the central energy is 3%. Pepper-pot measurements have shown that the normalized transverse emittance is {approx}1{pi} mm mrad while the beam charge is in the range 2-10 pC. The generation of high quality electron beams is understood from simulations accounting for beam loading of the wakefield accelerating structure. Experiments and self-consistent simulations indicate that the beam peak current is several kiloamperes. Efficient transportation of the beam through an undulator is simulated and progress is being made towards the realization of a compact, high peak brilliance free-electron laser operating in the vacuum ultraviolet and soft x-ray wavelength ranges.
Laser-Driven Mini-Thrusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sterling, Enrique; Lin Jun; Sinko, John; Kodgis, Lisa; Porter, Simon; Pakhomov, Andrew V.; Larson, C. William; Mead, Franklin B. Jr.

2006-01-01

Laser-driven mini-thrusters were studied using Delrin registered and PVC (Delrin registered is a registered trademark of DuPont) as propellants. TEA CO2 laser (λ = 10.6 μm) was used as a driving laser. Coupling coefficients were deduced from two independent techniques: force-time curves measured with a piezoelectric sensor and ballistic pendulum. Time-resolved ICCD images of the expanding plasma and combustion products were analyzed in order to determine the main process that generates the thrust. The measurements were also performed in a nitrogen atmosphere in order to test the combustion effects on thrust. A pinhole transmission experiment was performed for the study of the cut-off time when the ablation/air breakdown plasma becomes opaque to the incoming laser pulse
Laser-Driven Mini-Thrusters

Science.gov (United States)

Sterling, Enrique; Lin, Jun; Sinko, John; Kodgis, Lisa; Porter, Simon; Pakhomov, Andrew V.; Larson, C. William; Mead, Franklin B.

2006-05-01

Laser-driven mini-thrusters were studied using Delrin® and PVC (Delrin® is a registered trademark of DuPont) as propellants. TEA CO2 laser (λ = 10.6 μm) was used as a driving laser. Coupling coefficients were deduced from two independent techniques: force-time curves measured with a piezoelectric sensor and ballistic pendulum. Time-resolved ICCD images of the expanding plasma and combustion products were analyzed in order to determine the main process that generates the thrust. The measurements were also performed in a nitrogen atmosphere in order to test the combustion effects on thrust. A pinhole transmission experiment was performed for the study of the cut-off time when the ablation/air breakdown plasma becomes opaque to the incoming laser pulse.
MeV electron acceleration at 1kHz with <10 mJ laser pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Salehi, Fatholah; Goers, Andy; Hine, George; Feder, Linus; Kuk, Donghoon; Kim, Ki-Yong; Milchberg, Howard

2016-10-01

We demonstrate laser driven acceleration of electrons at 1 kHz repetition rate with pC charge above 1MeV per shot using required for relativistic self-focusing low enough for mJ scale laser pulses to self- focus and drive strong wakefields. Experiments and particle-in-cell simulations show that optimal drive pulse duration and chirp for maximum electron bunch charge and energy depends on the target gas species. High repetition rate, high charge, and short duration electron bunches driven by very modest pulse energies constitutes an ideal portable electron source for applications such as ultrafast electron diffraction experiments and high rep. rate γ-ray production. This work is supported by the US Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
Generation and Beaming of Early Hot Electrons onto the Capsule in Laser-Driven Ignition Hohlraums

Science.gov (United States)

Dewald, E. L.; Hartemann, F.; Michel, P.; Milovich, J.; Hohenberger, M.; Pak, A.; Landen, O. L.; Divol, L.; Robey, H. F.; Hurricane, O. A.; Döppner, T.; Albert, F.; Bachmann, B.; Meezan, N. B.; MacKinnon, A. J.; Callahan, D.; Edwards, M. J.

2016-02-01

In hohlraums for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions on the National Ignition Facility, suprathermal hot electrons, generated by laser plasma instabilities early in the laser pulse ("picket") while blowing down the laser entrance hole (LEH) windows, can preheat the capsule fuel. Hard x-ray imaging of a Bi capsule surrogate and of the hohlraum emissions, in conjunction with the measurement of time-resolved bremsstrahlung spectra, allows us to uncover for the first time the directionality of these hot electrons and infer the capsule preheat. Data and Monte Carlo calculations indicate that for most experiments the hot electrons are emitted nearly isotropically from the LEH. However, we have found cases where a significant fraction of the generated electrons are emitted in a collimated beam directly towards the capsule poles, where their local energy deposition is up to 10 × higher than the average preheat value and acceptable levels for ICF implosions. The observed "beaming" is consistent with a recently unveiled multibeam stimulated Raman scattering model [P. Michel et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 055003 (2015)], where laser beams in a cone drive a common plasma wave on axis. Finally, we demonstrate that we can control the amount of generated hot electrons by changing the laser pulse shape and hohlraum plasma.
Phase space linearization and external injection of electron bunches into laser-driven plasma wakefields at REGAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeitler, Benno Michael Georg

2017-01-01

Laser Wake field Acceleration (LWFA) has the potential to become the next-generation acceleration technique for electrons. In particular, the large field gradients provided by these plasma-based accelerators are an appealing property, promising a significant reduction of size for future machines and user facilities. Despite the unique advantages of these sources, however, as of today, the produced electron bunches cannot yet compete in all beam quality criteria compared to conventional acceleration methods. Especially the stability in terms of beam pointing and energy gain, as well as a comparatively large energy spread of LWFA electron bunches require further advancement for their applicability. The accelerated particles are typically trapped from within the plasma which is used to create the large field gradients in the wake of a high-power laser. From this results a lack of control and access to observing the actual electron injection - and, consequently, a lack of experimental verification. To tackle this problem, the injection of external electrons into a plasma wakefield seems promising. In this case, the initial beam parameters are known, so that a back-calculation and reconstruction of the wakefield structure are feasible. Such an experiment is planned at the Relativistic Electron Gun for Atomic Exploration (REGAE). REGAE, which is located at DESY in Hamburg, is a small linear accelerator offering unique beam parameters compatible with the requirements of the planned experiment. The observations and results gained from such an external injection are expected to improve the beam quality and stability of internal injection variants, due to the broadened understanding of the underlying plasma dynamics. Furthermore, an external injection will always be required for so-called staging of multiple LWFA-driven cavities. Also, the demonstration of a suchlike merging of conventional and plasma accelerators gives rise to novel hybrid accelerators, where the matured
Phase space linearization and external injection of electron bunches into laser-driven plasma wakefields at REGAE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeitler, Benno Michael Georg [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Fakultaet fuer Mathematik, Informatik und Naturwissenschaften

2017-01-15

Laser Wake field Acceleration (LWFA) has the potential to become the next-generation acceleration technique for electrons. In particular, the large field gradients provided by these plasma-based accelerators are an appealing property, promising a significant reduction of size for future machines and user facilities. Despite the unique advantages of these sources, however, as of today, the produced electron bunches cannot yet compete in all beam quality criteria compared to conventional acceleration methods. Especially the stability in terms of beam pointing and energy gain, as well as a comparatively large energy spread of LWFA electron bunches require further advancement for their applicability. The accelerated particles are typically trapped from within the plasma which is used to create the large field gradients in the wake of a high-power laser. From this results a lack of control and access to observing the actual electron injection - and, consequently, a lack of experimental verification. To tackle this problem, the injection of external electrons into a plasma wakefield seems promising. In this case, the initial beam parameters are known, so that a back-calculation and reconstruction of the wakefield structure are feasible. Such an experiment is planned at the Relativistic Electron Gun for Atomic Exploration (REGAE). REGAE, which is located at DESY in Hamburg, is a small linear accelerator offering unique beam parameters compatible with the requirements of the planned experiment. The observations and results gained from such an external injection are expected to improve the beam quality and stability of internal injection variants, due to the broadened understanding of the underlying plasma dynamics. Furthermore, an external injection will always be required for so-called staging of multiple LWFA-driven cavities. Also, the demonstration of a suchlike merging of conventional and plasma accelerators gives rise to novel hybrid accelerators, where the matured
Laser-driven ion acceleration: methods, challenges and prospects

Science.gov (United States)

Badziak, J.

2018-01-01

The recent development of laser technology has resulted in the construction of short-pulse lasers capable of generating fs light pulses with PW powers and intensities exceeding 1021 W/cm2, and has laid the basis for the multi-PW lasers, just being built in Europe, that will produce fs pulses of ultra-relativistic intensities ~ 1023 - 1024 W/cm2. The interaction of such an intense laser pulse with a dense target can result in the generation of collimated beams of ions of multi-MeV to GeV energies of sub-ps time durations and of extremely high beam intensities and ion fluencies, barely attainable with conventional RF-driven accelerators. Ion beams with such unique features have the potential for application in various fields of scientific research as well as in medical and technological developments. This paper provides a brief review of state-of-the art in laser-driven ion acceleration, with a focus on basic ion acceleration mechanisms and the production of ultra-intense ion beams. The challenges facing laser-driven ion acceleration studies, in particular those connected with potential applications of laser-accelerated ion beams, are also discussed.
Laser driven compression and neutron generation with spherical shell targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, P.M.; Hammerling, P.; Johnson, R.R.; Kubis, J.J.; Mayer, F.J.

1977-01-01

Laser-driven implosion experiments using DT-gas-filled spherical glass-shell targets are described. Neutron yields to 5 x 10 7 are produced from implosions of small ( -- 55 μm-diameter) targets spherically illuminated with an on-target laser power of 0.4 terawatt. Nuclear reaction product diagnostics, X-ray pinhole photographs, fast-ion spectra and X-ray measurements are used in conjunction with hydrodynamic computer code simulations to investigate the implosion phenomenology as well as the target corona evolution. Simulations using completely classical effects are not able to describe the full range of experimental data. Electron or radiation preheating may be required to explain some implosion measurements. (auth.)
The effect of laser pulse parameters and initial phase on the acceleration of electrons in a vacuum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Kunwar Pal; Gupta, Devki Nandan; Malik, Hitendra K

2008-01-01

Laser driven acceleration of electrons lying along the axis of the laser has been studied. We have considered a linearly polarized laser pulse. The quiver amplitude causes electrons to escape from the pulse. The energy gained by the electrons peaks for a suitable value of laser spot size. The value of a suitable laser spot size increases with laser intensity and initial electron energy. The energy gained by the electron depends upon its initial position with respect to the laser pulse. The electrons close to the pulse peak with initial phase π/2 are scattered least and gain higher energy. The electrons close to the leading edge of the pulse gain sufficient energy for a short laser pulse and the effect of initial phase is not important. A suitable value of laser spot size can be estimated from this study
Two-stage free electron laser research

Science.gov (United States)

Segall, S. B.

1984-10-01

KMS Fusion, Inc. began studying the feasibility of two-stage free electron lasers for the Office of Naval Research in June, 1980. At that time, the two-stage FEL was only a concept that had been proposed by Luis Elias. The range of parameters over which such a laser could be successfully operated, attainable power output, and constraints on laser operation were not known. The primary reason for supporting this research at that time was that it had the potential for producing short-wavelength radiation using a relatively low voltage electron beam. One advantage of a low-voltage two-stage FEL would be that shielding requirements would be greatly reduced compared with single-stage short-wavelength FEL's. If the electron energy were kept below about 10 MeV, X-rays, generated by electrons striking the beam line wall, would not excite neutron resonance in atomic nuclei. These resonances cause the emission of neutrons with subsequent induced radioactivity. Therefore, above about 10 MeV, a meter or more of concrete shielding is required for the system, whereas below 10 MeV, a few millimeters of lead would be adequate.

Volume ignition of laser driven fusion pellets and double layer effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cicchitelli, L.; Eliezer, S.; Goldsworthy, M.P.; Green, F.; Hora, H.; Ray, P.S.; Stening, R.J.; Szichman, H.

1988-01-01

The realization of an ideal volume compression of laser-irradiated fusion pellets opens the possibility for an alternative to spark ignition proposed for many years for inertial confinement fusion. A re-evaluation of the difficulties of the central spark ignition of laser driven pellets is given. The alternative volume compression theory, together with volume burn and volume ignition, have received less attention and are re-evaluated in view of the experimental verification generalized fusion gain formulas, and the variation of optimum temperatures derived at self-ignition. Reactor-level DT fusion with MJ-laser pulses and volume compression to 50 times the solid-state density are estimated. Dynamic electric fields and double layers at the surface and in the interior of plasmas result in new phenomena for the acceleration of thermal electrons to suprathermal electrons. Double layers also cause a surface tension which stabilizes against surface wave effects and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities. (author)
Nonponderomotive electron acceleration in ultrashort surface-plasmon fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Racz, Peter; Dombi, Peter [Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Konkoly-Thege M. ut 29-33, H-1121 Budapest (Hungary)

2011-12-15

We investigate the nonponderomotive nature of ultrafast plasmonic electron acceleration in strongly decaying electromagnetic fields generated by few-cycle and single-cycle femtosecond laser pulses. We clearly identify the conditions contributing to nonponderomotive acceleration and establish fundamental scaling laws and carrier-envelope phase effects. These all-optically accelerated compact, femtosecond electron sources can be utilized in contemporary ultrafast methods.
Symmetric compression of 'laser greenhouse' targets by a few laser beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gus'kov, Sergei Yu; Demchenko, N N; Rozanov, Vladislav B; Stepanov, R V; Zmitrenko, N V; Caruso, A; Strangio, C

2003-01-01

The possibility of efficient and symmetric compression of a target with a low-density structured absorber by a few laser beams is considered. An equation of state is proposed for a porous medium, which takes into account the special features of the absorption of high-power nanosecond laser pulses. The open version of this target is shown to allow the use of ordinary Gaussian beams, requiring no special profiling of the absorber surface. The conditions are defined under which such targets can be compressed efficiently by only two laser beams (or beam clusters). Simulations show that for a 2.1-MJ laser pulse, a seven-fold gain for the target under study is achieved. (special issue devoted to the 80th anniversary of academician n g basov's birth)
Inverse free-electron laser accelerator development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, A.; Gallardo, J.; Steenbergen, A. van; Sandweiss, J.; Fang, J.M.

1994-06-01

The study of the Inverse Free-Electron Laser, as a potential mode of electron acceleration, has been pursued at Brookhaven National Laboratory for a number of years. More recent studies focused on the development of a low energy (few GeV), high gradient, multistage linear accelerator. The authors are presently designing a short accelerator module which will make use of the 50 MeV linac beam and high power (2 x 10 11 W) CO 2 laser beam of the Accelerator Test Facility (ATF) at the Center for Accelerator Physics (CAP), Brookhaven National Laboratory. These elements will be used in conjunction with a fast excitation (300 μsec pulse duration) variable period wiggler, to carry out an accelerator demonstration stage experiment
Proton- and x-ray beams generated by ultra-fast CO2 lasers for medical applications

Science.gov (United States)

Pogorelsky, Igor; Polyanskiy, Mikhail; Yakimenko, Vitaly; Ben-Zvi, Ilan; Shkolnikov, Peter; Najmudin, Zulfikar; Palmer, Charlotte A. J.; Dover, Nicholas P.; Oliva, Piernicola; Carpinelli, Massimo

2011-05-01

Recent progress in using picosecond CO2 lasers for Thomson scattering and ion-acceleration experiments underlines their potentials for enabling secondary radiation- and particle- sources. These experiments capitalize on certain advantages of long-wavelength CO2 lasers, such as higher number of photons per energy unit, and favorable scaling of the electrons' ponderomotive energy and critical plasma density. The high-flux x-ray bursts produced by Thomson scattering of the CO2 laser off a counter-propagating electron beam enabled high-contrast, time-resolved imaging of biological objects in the picosecond time frame. In different experiments, the laser, focused on a hydrogen jet, generated monoenergetic proton beams via the radiation-pressure mechanism. The strong power-scaling of this regime promises realization of proton beams suitable for laser-driven proton cancer therapy after upgrading the CO2 laser to sub-PW peak power. This planned improvement includes optimizing the 10-μm ultra-short pulse generation, assuring higher amplification in the CO2 gas under combined isotopic- and power-broadening effects, and shortening the postamplification pulse to a few laser cycles (150-200 fs) via chirping and compression. These developments will move us closer to practical applications of ultra-fast CO2 lasers in medicine and other areas.
Free electron laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortega, J.M.; Billardon, M.

1986-01-01

Operation principle of a laser and an oscillator are recalled together with the klystron one. In the free electron laser, electrons go through an undulator or an optical klystron. Principles of the last one are given. The two distinct ways of producing coherent radiation with an undulator and an optical klystron are presented. The first one is the use of the free electron laser, the second is to make use of the spontaneous emission generation (harmonics generation). The different current types of free electron lasers are presented (Stanford, Los Alamos, Aco at Orsay). Prospects and applications are given in conclusion [fr
Laser-electron Compton interaction in plasma channels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pogorelsky, I.V.; Ben-Zvi, I.; Hirose, T.

1998-10-01

A concept of high intensity femtosecond laser synchrotron source (LSS) is based on Compton backscattering of focused electron and laser beams. The short Rayleigh length of the focused laser beam limits the length of interaction to a few picoseconds. However, the technology of the high repetition rate high-average power picosecond lasers required for high put through LSS applications is not developed yet. Another problem associated with the picosecond laser pulses is undesirable nonlinear effects occurring when the laser photons are concentrated in a short time interval. To avoid the nonlinear Compton scattering, the laser beam has to be split, and the required hard radiation flux is accumulated over a number of consecutive interactions that complicates the LSS design. In order to relieve the technological constraints and achieve a practically feasible high-power laser synchrotron source, the authors propose to confine the laser-electron interaction region in the extended plasma channel. This approach permits to use nanosecond laser pulses instead of the picosecond pulses. That helps to avoid the nonlinear Compton scattering regime and allows to utilize already existing technology of the high-repetition rate TEA CO 2 lasers operating at the atmospheric pressure. They demonstrate the advantages of the channeled LSS approach by the example of the prospective polarized positron source for Japan Linear Collider
Influence of non-collisional laser heating on the electron dynamics in dielectric materials

Science.gov (United States)

Barilleau, L.; Duchateau, G.; Chimier, B.; Geoffroy, G.; Tikhonchuk, V.

2016-12-01

The electron dynamics in dielectric materials induced by intense femtosecond laser pulses is theoretically addressed. The laser driven temporal evolution of the energy distribution of electrons in the conduction band is described by a kinetic Boltzmann equation. In addition to the collisional processes for energy transfer such as electron-phonon-photon and electron-electron interactions, a non-collisional process for photon absorption in the conduction band is included. It relies on direct transitions between sub-bands of the conduction band through multiphoton absorption. This mechanism is shown to significantly contribute to the laser heating of conduction electrons for large enough laser intensities. It also increases the time required for the electron distribution to reach the equilibrium state as described by the Fermi-Dirac statistics. Quantitative results are provided for quartz irradiated by a femtosecond laser pulse with a wavelength of 800 nm and for intensities in the range of tens of TW cm-2, lower than the ablation threshold. The change in the energy deposition induced by this non-collisional heating process is expected to have a significant influence on the laser processing of dielectric materials.
Investigation toward laser driven IFE power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakai, S.; Kozaki, Y.; Izawa, Y.

2001-01-01

Inertial fusion energy (IFE) is becoming feasible due to the increasing understanding of implosion physics. Reactor technology issues have begun to be developed. Based on the conceptual design of Laser Driven IFE Power Plant, the technical and physical issues have been examined. R and D on key issues that affect the feasibility of power plant have been proceeded taking into account the collaboration in the field of laser driver, fuel pellet, reaction chamber and system design. It is concluded that the technical feasibility of IFE power plant seems to be reasonably high. Coordination and collaboration scheme of reactor technology experts in Japan on Laser Driven IFE Power Plant is being proceeded. (author)
Material Processing Opportunites Utilizing a Free Electron Laser

Science.gov (United States)

Todd, Alan

1996-11-01

Many properties of photocathode-driven Free Electron Lasers (FEL) are extremely attractive for material processing applications. These include: 1) broad-band tunability across the IR and UV spectra which permits wavelength optimization, depth deposition control and utilization of resonance phenomena; 2) picosecond pulse structure with continuous nanosecond spacing for optimum deposition efficiency and minimal collateral damage; 3) high peak and average radiated power for economic processing in quantity; and 4) high brightness for spatially defined energy deposition and intense energy density in small spots. We discuss five areas: polymer, metal and electronic material processing, micromachining and defense applications; where IR or UV material processing will find application if the economics is favorable. Specific examples in the IR and UV, such as surface texturing of polymers for improved look and feel, and anti-microbial food packaging films, which have been demonstrated using UV excimer lamps and lasers, will be given. Unfortunately, although the process utility is readily proven, the power levels and costs of lamps and lasers do not scale to production margins. However, from these examples, application specific cost targets ranging from 0.1=A2/kJ to 10=A2/kJ of delivered radiation at power levels from 10 kW to 500 kW, have been developed and are used to define strawman FEL processing systems. Since =46EL radiation energy extraction from the generating electron beam is typically a few percent, at these high average power levels, economic considerations dictate the use of a superconducting RF accelerator with energy recovery to minimize cavity and beam dump power loss. Such a 1 kW IR FEL, funded by the US Navy, is presently under construction at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. This dual-use device, scheduled to generate first light in late 1997, will test both the viability of high-power FELs for shipboard self-defense against cruise
Small-scale laser based electron accelerators for biology and medicine: a comparative study of the biological effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Labate, Luca; Andreassi, Maria Grazia; Baffigi, Federica; Basta, Giuseppina; Bizzarri, Ranieri; Borghini, Andrea; Candiano, Giuliana C.; Casarino, Carlo; Cresci, Monica; Di Martino, Fabio; Fulgentini, Lorenzo; Ghetti, Francesco; Gilardi, Maria Carla; Giulietti, Antonio; Köster, Petra; Lenci, Francesco; Levato, Tadzio; Oishi, Yuji; Russo, Giorgio; Sgarbossa, Antonella; Traino, Claudio; Gizzi, Leonida A.

2013-05-01

Laser-driven electron accelerators based on the Laser Wakefield Acceleration process has entered a mature phase to be considered as alternative devices to conventional radiofrequency linear accelerators used in medical applications. Before entering the medical practice, however, deep studies of the radiobiological effects of such short bunches as the ones produced by laser-driven accelerators have to be performed. Here we report on the setup, characterization and first test of a small-scale laser accelerator for radiobiology experiments. A brief description of the experimental setup will be given at first, followed by an overview of the electron bunch characterization, in particular in terms of dose delivered to the samples. Finally, the first results from the irradiation of biological samples will be briefly discussed.
The pursuit of electrically-driven organic semiconductor lasers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bisri, Satria Zulkarnaen; Takenobu, Taishi; Iwasa, Yoshihiro

2014-01-01

Organic semiconductors have many favourable and plastic-like optical properties that are promising for the development of low energy consuming laser devices. Although optically-pumped organic semiconductor lasers have been demonstrated since the early days of lasers, electrically-driven organic
Improving beam spectral and spatial quality by double-foil target in laser ion acceleration for ion-driven fast ignition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Chenkun; Albright, Brian J.

2010-01-01

Mid-Z ion driven fast ignition inertial fusion requires ion beams of 100s of MeV energy and < 10% energy spread. An overdense run-scale foil target driven by a high intensity laser pulse can produce an ion beam that has attractive properties for this application. The Break Out Afterburner (BOA) is one laser-ion acceleration mechanism proposed to generate such beams, however the late stages of the BOA tend to produce too large of an energy spread. The spectral and spatial qualities of the beam quickly evolve as the ion beam and co-moving electrons continue to interact with the laser. Here we show how use of a second target foil placed behind a nm-scale foil can substantially reduce the temperature of the co-moving electrons and improve the ion beam energy spread. Particle-In-Cell simulations reveal the dynamics of the ion beam under control. Optimal conditions for improving the spectral and spatial spread of the ion beam is explored for current laser and target parameters, leading to generation of ion beams of energy 100s of MeV and 6% energy spread, a vital step for realizing ion-driven fast ignition.
Compact compressive arc and beam switchyard for energy recovery linac-driven ultraviolet free electron lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Akkermans, J. A. G.; Di Mitri, S.; Douglas, D.; Setija, I. D.

2017-08-01

High gain free electron lasers (FELs) driven by high repetition rate recirculating accelerators have received considerable attention in the scientific and industrial communities in recent years. Cost-performance optimization of such facilities encourages limiting machine size and complexity, and a compact machine can be realized by combining bending and bunch length compression during the last stage of recirculation, just before lasing. The impact of coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) on electron beam quality during compression can, however, limit FEL output power. When methods to counteract CSR are implemented, appropriate beam diagnostics become critical to ensure that the target beam parameters are met before lasing, as well as to guarantee reliable, predictable performance and rapid machine setup and recovery. This article describes a beam line for bunch compression and recirculation, and beam switchyard accessing a diagnostic line for EUV lasing at 1 GeV beam energy. The footprint is modest, with 12 m compressive arc diameter and ˜20 m diagnostic line length. The design limits beam quality degradation due to CSR both in the compressor and in the switchyard. Advantages and drawbacks of two switchyard lines providing, respectively, off-line and on-line measurements are discussed. The entire design is scalable to different beam energies and charges.
Design and performance of large area monolithic electron guns for the Aurora KrF laser system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, M.; Rosocha, L.A.; Romero, V.O.; Van Haaften, F.W.; Brucker, J.P.

1985-01-01

Aurora is an inertial confinement fusion laser system using optical angular multiplexing and a chain of four cold cathode electron beam driven KrF laser amplifiers to produce 10 to 20 kJ of optical energy
Laser-driven accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1982-01-01

Several devices for using laser fields have been proposed and they can be classified in three broad categories - 'far-field' accelerators (such as the principle of inverse free electron lasers), 'media' accelerators (which, for example, use the inverse Cherenkov effect or laser-controlled plasma waves), and 'near-field' accelerators (using a loaded guiding structure such as cavities or gratings). These different approaches come from the fact that a particle cannot be accelerated by the absorption of single photons (because of momentum conservation) and thus some other element has to intervene. (orig./HSI).
Ultrashort megaelectronvolt positron beam generation based on laser-accelerated electrons

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Tongjun; Shen, Baifei; Xu, Jiancai; Li, Shun; Yu, Yong; Li, Jinfeng; Lu, Xiaoming; Wang, Cheng; Wang, Xinliang; Liang, Xiaoyan; Leng, Yuxin; Li, Ruxin; Xu, Zhizhan

2016-03-01

Experimental generation of ultrashort MeV positron beams with high intensity and high density using a compact laser-driven setup is reported. A high-density gas jet is employed experimentally to generate MeV electrons with high charge; thus, a charge-neutralized MeV positron beam with high density is obtained during laser-accelerated electrons irradiating high-Z solid targets. It is a novel electron-positron source for the study of laboratory astrophysics. Meanwhile, the MeV positron beam is pulsed with an ultrashort duration of tens of femtoseconds and has a high peak intensity of 7.8 × 1021 s-1, thus allows specific studies of fast kinetics in millimeter-thick materials with a high time resolution and exhibits potential for applications in positron annihilation spectroscopy.
An ultrafast electron microscope gun driven by two-photon photoemission from a nanotip cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bormann, Reiner; Strauch, Stefanie; Schäfer, Sascha; Ropers, Claus

2015-01-01

We experimentally and numerically investigate the performance of an advanced ultrafast electron source, based on two-photon photoemission from a tungsten needle cathode incorporated in an electron microscope gun geometry. Emission properties are characterized as a function of the electrostatic gun settings, and operating conditions leading to laser-triggered electron beams of very low emittance (below 20 nm mrad) are identified. The results highlight the excellent suitability of optically driven nano-cathodes for the further development of ultrafast transmission electron microscopy
Laser-induced electron dynamics including photoionization: A heuristic model within time-dependent configuration interaction theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Klinkusch, Stefan; Saalfrank, Peter; Klamroth, Tillmann

2009-09-21

We report simulations of laser-pulse driven many-electron dynamics by means of a simple, heuristic extension of the time-dependent configuration interaction singles (TD-CIS) approach. The extension allows for the treatment of ionizing states as nonstationary states with a finite, energy-dependent lifetime to account for above-threshold ionization losses in laser-driven many-electron dynamics. The extended TD-CIS method is applied to the following specific examples: (i) state-to-state transitions in the LiCN molecule which correspond to intramolecular charge transfer, (ii) creation of electronic wave packets in LiCN including wave packet analysis by pump-probe spectroscopy, and, finally, (iii) the effect of ionization on the dynamic polarizability of H(2) when calculated nonperturbatively by TD-CIS.
Bound-Electron Nonlinearity Beyond the Ionization Threshold

Science.gov (United States)

Wahlstrand, J. K.; Zahedpour, S.; Bahl, A.; Kolesik, M.; Milchberg, H. M.

2018-05-01

We present absolute space- and time-resolved measurements of the ultrafast laser-driven nonlinear polarizability in argon, krypton, xenon, nitrogen, and oxygen up to ionization fractions of a few percent. These measurements enable determination of the strongly nonperturbative bound-electron nonlinear polarizability well beyond the ionization threshold, where it is found to remain approximately quadratic in the laser field, a result normally expected at much lower intensities where perturbation theory applies.

Free-electron laser beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minehara, Eisuke

2003-01-01

The principle and history of free-electron laser (FEL), first evidenced in 1977, the relationship between FEL wavelength and output power, the high-power FEL driven by the superconducting linac, the X-ray FEL by the linac, and the medical use are described. FEL is the vacuum oscillator tube and essentially composed from the high-energy linac, undulator and light-resonator. It utilizes free electrons in the vacuum to generate the beam with wavelength ranging from microwave to gamma ray. The first high-power FEL developed in Japanese Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) is based on the development of superconducting linac for oscillating the highest power beam. In the medical field, applications to excise brain tumors (in US) and to reconstruct experimentally blood vessels in the pig heart (in Gunma University) by lasing and laser coagulator are in progress with examinations to remove intra-vascular cholesterol mass by irradiation of 5.7μm FEL beam. Cancer cells are considered diagnosed by FEL beam of far-infrared-THz range. The FEL beam CT is expected to have a wide variety of application without the radiation exposure and its resolution is equal or superior to that of usual imaging techniques. (N.I.)
Adaptive non-collinear autocorrelation of few-cycle pulses with an angular tunable bi-mirror

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Treffer, A., E-mail: treffer@mbi-berlin.de; Bock, M.; König, S.; Grunwald, R. [Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short-Pulse Spectroscopy, Max Born Strasse 2A, D-12489 Berlin (Germany); Brunne, J.; Wallrabe, U. [Laboratory for Microactuators, Department of Microsystems Engineering, IMTEK, University of Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 102, Freiburg 79110 (Germany)

2016-02-01

Adaptive autocorrelation with an angular tunable micro-electro-mechanical system is reported. A piezo-actuated Fresnel bi-mirror structure was applied to measure the second order autocorrelation of near-infrared few-cycle laser pulses in a non-collinear setup at tunable superposition angles. Because of enabling measurements with variable scaling and minimizing the influence of distortions by adaptive self-reconstruction, the approach extends the capability of autocorrelators. Flexible scaling and robustness against localized amplitude obscurations are demonstrated. The adaptive reconstruction of temporal frequency information by the Fourier analysis of autocorrelation data is shown. Experimental results and numerical simulations of the beam propagation and interference are compared for variable angles.
submitter Parametric study of transport beam lines for electron beams accelerated by laser-plasma interaction

CERN Document Server

Scisciò, M; Migliorati, M; Mostacci, A; Palumbo, L; Papaphilippou, Y; Antici, P

2016-01-01

In the last decade, laser-plasma acceleration of high-energy electrons has attracted strong attention in different fields. Electrons with maximum energies in the GeV range can be laser-accelerated within a few cm using multi-hundreds terawatt (TW) lasers, yielding to very high beam currents at the source (electron bunches with up to tens-hundreds of pC in a few fs). While initially the challenge was to increase the maximum achievable electron energy, today strong effort is put in the control and usability of these laser-generated beams that still lack of some features in order to be used for applications where currently conventional, radio-frequency (RF) based, electron beam lines represent the most common and efficient solution. Several improvements have been suggested for this purpose, some of them acting directly on the plasma source, some using beam shaping tools located downstream. Concerning the latter, several studies have suggested the use of conventional accelerator magnetic devices (such as quadrupo...
Short-pulse optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification for the generation of high-power few-cycle pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Major, Zs.; Osterhoff, J.; Hoerlein, R.; Karsch, S.; Fuoloep, J.A.; Krausz, F.; Ludwig-Maximilians Universitaet, Muenchen

2006-01-01

Complete test of publication follows. In the quest for a way to generate ultrashort, high-power, few-cycle laser pulses the discovery of optical parametric amplification (OPA) has opened up to the path towards a completely new regime, well beyond that of conventional laser amplification technology. The main advantage of this parametric amplification process is that it allows for an extremely broad amplification bandwidth compared to any known laser amplifier medium. When combined with the chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) principle (i.e. OPCPA), on one hand pulses of just 10 fs duration and 8 mJ pulse energy have been demonstrated. On the other hand, pulse energies of up to 30 J were also achieved on a different OPCPA system; the pulse duration in this case, however, was 100 fs. In order to combine ultrashort pulse durations (i.e. pulses in the few-cycle regime) with high pulse energies (i.e. in the Joule range) we propose tu pump on OPCPA chain with TW-scale short pulses (100 fs - 1 ps instead of > 100 ps of previous OPCPA systems) delivered by a conventional CPA system. This approach inherently improves the conditions for generating high-power ultrashort pulses using OPCPA in the following ways. Firstly, the short pump pulse duration reduces the necessary stretching factor for the seed pulse, thereby increasing stretching and compression fidelity. Secondly, also due to the shortened pump pulse duration, a much higher contrast is achieved. Finally, the significantly increased pump power makes the use of thinner OPCPA crystals possible, which implies an even broader amplification bandwidth, thereby allowing for even shorter pulses. We carried out theoretical investigations to show the feasibility of such a set-up. Alongside these studies we will also present preliminary experimental results of an OPCPA system pumped by the output of our Ti:Sapphire ATLAS laser, currently delivering 350 mJ in 43 fs. An insight into the planned scaling of this technique to petawatt
Development of a free-electron laser user facility for the extreme ultraviolet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newnam, B.E.

1987-01-01

A free-electron laser user facility for scientific experimentation in the extreme ultraviolet is being developed at Los Alamos. A series of laser oscillators and amplifiers, driven by a single, rf linear accelerator, will generate broadly tunable, picosecond-pulse, coherent radiation from 1 nm to 400 nm. The design and output parameters of this facility are described, comparison with synchrotron radiation sources is made, and recent progress in developing the three primary components (electron beam, undulator, and resonator mirrors) is reviewed, and various categories of scientific applications are indicated
Generation of ultra-short relativistic-electron-bunch by a laser wakefield

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khachatryan, A.G.; Boller, Klaus J.; van Goor, F.A.

2003-01-01

The possibility of the generation of an ultra-short (about one micron long) relativistic (up to a few GeVs) electron-bunch in a moderately nonlinear laser wakefield excited in an underdense plasma by an intense laser pulse is investigated. The ultra-short bunch is formed by trapping, effective
Improvement of the quality of laser-wakefield accelerators: towards a compact free-electron laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehe, R.

2014-01-01

When an intense and short laser pulse propagates through an underdense gas, it can accelerate a fraction of the electrons of the gas, and thereby generate an electron bunch with an energy of a few hundreds of MeV. This phenomenon, which is referred to as laser-wakefield acceleration, has many potential applications, including the design of ultra-bright X-ray sources known as free electron lasers (FEL). However, these applications require the electron bunch to have an excellent quality (low divergence, emittance and energy spread). In this thesis, different solutions to improve the quality of the electron bunch are developed, both analytically and through the use of Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations. It is first shown however that PIC simulations tend to erroneously overestimate the emittance of the bunch, due to the numerical Cherenkov effect. Thus, in order to correctly estimate the emittance, a modified PIC algorithm is proposed, which is not subject to this unphysical Cherenkov effect. Using this algorithm, we have observed and studied a new mechanism to generate the electron bunch: optical transverse injection. This mechanism can produce bunches with a high charge, a low emittance and a low energy spread. In addition, we also proposed an experimental setup - the laser-plasma lens - which can strongly reduce the final divergence of the bunch. Finally, these results are put into context by discussing the properties required for the design of a compact FEL. It is shown in particular that laser-wakefield accelerator could be advantageously combined with innovative laser-plasma undulators, in order to produce bright X-rays sources. (author)
Laser-driven polarized sources of hydrogen and deuterium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, L.; Holt, R.J.; Green, M.C.; Kowalczyk, R.S.

1988-01-01

A novel laser-driven polarized source of hydrogen and deuterium which operates on the principle of spin exchange optical pumping is described. The advantages of this method over conventional polarized sources for internal target experiments are presented. Technological difficulties which prevent ideal source operation are outlined along with proposed solutions. At present, the laser-driven polarized hydrogen source delivers 8 /times/ 10 16 atoms/s with a polarization (P/sub z/) of 24%. 9 refs., 2 figs
Electron-beam driven relaxation oscillations in ferroelectric nanodisks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ng, Nathaniel; Ahluwalia, Rajeev [Institute of High Performance Computing, Singapore 138632 (Singapore); Kumar, Ashok [CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Delhi 110012 (India); Srolovitz, David J. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States); Chandra, Premala [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Center for Materials Theory, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854 (United States); Scott, James F. [Department of Physics, Cavendish Laboratory, J. J. Thompson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom); Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews YX16 9ST (United Kingdom)

2015-10-12

Using a combination of computational simulations, atomic-scale resolution imaging and phenomenological modelling, we examine the underlying mechanism for nanodomain restructuring in lead zirconate titanate nanodisks driven by electron beams. The observed subhertz nanodomain dynamics are identified with relaxation oscillations where the charging/discharging cycle time is determined by saturation of charge traps and nanodomain wall creep. These results are unusual in that they indicate very slow athermal dynamics in nanoscale systems, and possible applications of gated versions are discussed.
Parametric study of transport beam lines for electron beams accelerated by laser-plasma interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Scisciò, M.; Lancia, L.; Migliorati, M.; Mostacci, A.; Palumbo, L.; Papaphilippou, Y.; Antici, P.

2016-03-01

In the last decade, laser-plasma acceleration of high-energy electrons has attracted strong attention in different fields. Electrons with maximum energies in the GeV range can be laser-accelerated within a few cm using multi-hundreds terawatt (TW) lasers, yielding to very high beam currents at the source (electron bunches with up to tens-hundreds of pC in a few fs). While initially the challenge was to increase the maximum achievable electron energy, today strong effort is put in the control and usability of these laser-generated beams that still lack of some features in order to be used for applications where currently conventional, radio-frequency (RF) based, electron beam lines represent the most common and efficient solution. Several improvements have been suggested for this purpose, some of them acting directly on the plasma source, some using beam shaping tools located downstream. Concerning the latter, several studies have suggested the use of conventional accelerator magnetic devices (such as quadrupoles and solenoids) as an easy implementable solution when the laser-plasma accelerated beam requires optimization. In this paper, we report on a parametric study related to the transport of electron beams accelerated by laser-plasma interaction, using conventional accelerator elements and tools. We focus on both, high energy electron beams in the GeV range, as produced on petawatt (PW) class laser systems, and on lower energy electron beams in the hundreds of MeV range, as nowadays routinely obtained on commercially available multi-hundred TW laser systems. For both scenarios, our study allows understanding what are the crucial parameters that enable laser-plasma accelerators to compete with conventional ones and allow for a beam transport. We show that suitable working points require a tradeoff-combination between low beam divergence and narrow energy spread.
Theoretical thermodynamic analysis of Rankine power cycle with thermal driven pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lakew, Amlaku Abie; Bolland, Olav; Ladam, Yves

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The work is focused on theoretical aspects of thermal driven pump (TDP) Rankine cycle. → The mechanical pump is replaced by thermal driven pump. → Important parameters of thermal driven pump Rankine cycle are investigated. → TDP Rankine cycle produce more power but it requires additional low grade heat. - Abstract: A new approach to improve the performance of supercritical carbon dioxide Rankine cycle which uses low temperature heat source is presented. The mechanical pump in conventional supercritical carbon dioxide Rankine cycle is replaced by thermal driven pump. The concept of thermal driven pump is to increase the pressure of a fluid in a closed container by supplying heat. A low grade heat source is used to increase the pressure of the fluid instead of a mechanical pump, this increase the net power output and avoid the need for mechanical pump which requires regular maintenance and operational cost. The thermal driven pump considered is a shell and tube heat exchanger where the working fluid is contained in the tube, a tube diameter of 5 mm is chosen to reduce the heating time. The net power output of the Rankine cycle with thermal driven pump is compared to that of Rankine cycle with mechanical pump and it is observed that the net power output is higher when low grade thermal energy is used to pressurize the working fluid. The thermal driven pump consumes additional heat at low temperature (60 o C) to pressurize the working fluid.
Ionization and bound-state relativistic quantum dynamics in laser-driven multiply charged ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hetzheim, Henrik

2009-01-01

The interaction of ultra-strong laser fields with multiply charged hydrogen-like ions can be distinguished in an ionization and a bound dynamics regime. Both are investigated by means of numerically solving the Dirac equation in two dimensions and by a classical relativistic Monte-Carlo simulation. For a better understanding of highly nonlinear physical processes the development of a well characterized ultra-intense relativistic laser field strength has been driven forward, capable of studying e.g. the magnetic field effects of the laser resulting in an additional electron motion in the laser propagation direction. A novel method to sensitively measure these ultra-strong laser intensities is developed and employed from the optical via the UV towards the XUV frequency regime. In the bound dynamics field, the determination of multiphoton transition matrixelements has been investigated between different bound states via Rabi oscillations. (orig.)
Ionization and bound-state relativistic quantum dynamics in laser-driven multiply charged ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hetzheim, Henrik

2009-01-14

The interaction of ultra-strong laser fields with multiply charged hydrogen-like ions can be distinguished in an ionization and a bound dynamics regime. Both are investigated by means of numerically solving the Dirac equation in two dimensions and by a classical relativistic Monte-Carlo simulation. For a better understanding of highly nonlinear physical processes the development of a well characterized ultra-intense relativistic laser field strength has been driven forward, capable of studying e.g. the magnetic field effects of the laser resulting in an additional electron motion in the laser propagation direction. A novel method to sensitively measure these ultra-strong laser intensities is developed and employed from the optical via the UV towards the XUV frequency regime. In the bound dynamics field, the determination of multiphoton transition matrixelements has been investigated between different bound states via Rabi oscillations. (orig.)
1979 CECAM workshop on transport of fast electrons in laser fusion plasmas. Progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mason, R.J.

1979-01-01

Attention is given to three problem areas in laser-driven electron transport: (1) ion-acoustic turbulence as a source of inhibition, (2) the effects of anti E times anti j heating of the thermals, and (3) the possibility of thermal inhibition by thermal electron runaway or trapping
Ultrafast probing of magnetic field growth inside a laser-driven solenoid

Science.gov (United States)

Goyon, C.; Pollock, B. B.; Turnbull, D. P.; Hazi, A.; Divol, L.; Farmer, W. A.; Haberberger, D.; Javedani, J.; Johnson, A. J.; Kemp, A.; Levy, M. C.; Grant Logan, B.; Mariscal, D. A.; Landen, O. L.; Patankar, S.; Ross, J. S.; Rubenchik, A. M.; Swadling, G. F.; Williams, G. J.; Fujioka, S.; Law, K. F. F.; Moody, J. D.

2017-03-01

We report on the detection of the time-dependent B-field amplitude and topology in a laser-driven solenoid. The B-field inferred from both proton deflectometry and Faraday rotation ramps up linearly in time reaching 210 ± 35 T at the end of a 0.75-ns laser drive with 1 TW at 351 nm. A lumped-element circuit model agrees well with the linear rise and suggests that the blow-off plasma screens the field between the plates leading to an increased plate capacitance that converts the laser-generated hot-electron current into a voltage source that drives current through the solenoid. ALE3D modeling shows that target disassembly and current diffusion may limit the B-field increase for longer laser drive. Scaling of these experimental results to a National Ignition Facility (NIF) hohlraum target size (˜0.2 cm3 ) indicates that it is possible to achieve several tens of Tesla.
Pilot study of synchronization on a femtosecond scale between the electronic gun REGAE and a laser-plasma accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Titberidze, Mikheil

2017-10-01

Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) is a novel technique to accelerate charged particles. Acceleration is achieved by a high-power laser pulse transmitting a gas target where electrons and ions form a strong wakefield with gradients up to 100 GVm -1 . Hence, the size of the laser-plasma accelerator (LPA) is significantly smaller compared to conventional radio frequency (RF) accelerators, because its accelerating gradients are 3 orders of magnitude higher. At present, electron beams generated by LWFA do not satisfy all requirements to make them directly usable for applications such as LPA driven free-electron laser (FEL). Pointing stability and relatively high energy spread are the major limiting factors. Typically, plasma electrons are self-injected in the plasma wake which is created by a high-power laser. There is a lack of control for the injection process and there is no direct access for diagnostics. In order to overcome these challenges and better understand the overall LWFA process, external injection experiments are planned at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) in the framework of the Laboratory for Laser and beam-driven plasma Acceleration (LAOLA) collaboration. Thus, well characterized and ultrashort (< 10 fs) electron bunches from the conventional RF accelerator Relativistic Electron Gun for Atomic Exploration (REGAE) will be injected into the laser driven plasma wake. This approach allows to reconstruct and map the plasma wakefield by post diagnosing the injected electron bunches by measuring the energy spectra of it for different injection times. To conduct such a pump-probe type of experiment, synchronization with fs accuracy is required between the electron bunches from REGAE and the high-power driver laser. Two main aspects of the laser synchronization are presented in this thesis. First, a detailed experimental investigation of the conventional, fast photodiode based direct conversion laser-to-RF synchronization setup and its limitations are
Pilot study of synchronization on a femtosecond scale between the electronic gun REGAE and a laser-plasma accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Titberidze, Mikheil

2017-10-15

Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) is a novel technique to accelerate charged particles. Acceleration is achieved by a high-power laser pulse transmitting a gas target where electrons and ions form a strong wakefield with gradients up to 100 GVm{sup -1}. Hence, the size of the laser-plasma accelerator (LPA) is significantly smaller compared to conventional radio frequency (RF) accelerators, because its accelerating gradients are 3 orders of magnitude higher. At present, electron beams generated by LWFA do not satisfy all requirements to make them directly usable for applications such as LPA driven free-electron laser (FEL). Pointing stability and relatively high energy spread are the major limiting factors. Typically, plasma electrons are self-injected in the plasma wake which is created by a high-power laser. There is a lack of control for the injection process and there is no direct access for diagnostics. In order to overcome these challenges and better understand the overall LWFA process, external injection experiments are planned at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) in the framework of the Laboratory for Laser and beam-driven plasma Acceleration (LAOLA) collaboration. Thus, well characterized and ultrashort (< 10 fs) electron bunches from the conventional RF accelerator Relativistic Electron Gun for Atomic Exploration (REGAE) will be injected into the laser driven plasma wake. This approach allows to reconstruct and map the plasma wakefield by post diagnosing the injected electron bunches by measuring the energy spectra of it for different injection times. To conduct such a pump-probe type of experiment, synchronization with fs accuracy is required between the electron bunches from REGAE and the high-power driver laser. Two main aspects of the laser synchronization are presented in this thesis. First, a detailed experimental investigation of the conventional, fast photodiode based direct conversion laser-to-RF synchronization setup and its limitations
An inverse free electron laser accelerator: Experiment and theoretical interpretation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Jyan-Min.

1997-01-01

Experimental and numerical studies of the Inverse Free Electron Laser using a GW-level 10.6 μm CO 2 laser have been carried out at Brookhaven's Accelerator Test Facility. An energy gain of 2.5 % (ΔE/E) on a 40 MeV electron beam has been observed E which compares well with theory. The effects on IFEL acceleration with respect to the variation of the laser electric field, the input electron beam energy, and the wiggler magnetic field strength were studied, and show the importance of matching the resonance condition in the IFEL. The numerical simulations were performed under various conditions and the importance of the electron bunching in the IFEL is shown. The numerical interpretation of our IFEL experimental results was examined. Although good numerical agreement with the experimental results was obtained, there is a discrepancy between the level of the laser power measured in the experiment and used in the simulation, possibly due to the non-Gaussian profile of the input high power laser beam. The electron energy distribution was studied numerically and a smoothing of the energy spectrum by the space charge effect at the location of the spectrometer was found, compared with the spectrum at the exit of the wiggler. The electron bunching by the IFEL and the possibility of using the IFEL as an electron prebuncher for another laser-driven accelerator were studied numerically. We found that bunching of the electrons at 1 meter downstream from the wiggler can be achieved using the existing facility. The simulation shows that there is a fundamental difference between the operating conditions for using the IFEL as a high gradient accelerator, and as a prebuncher for another accelerator
Studies of bandwidth dependence of laser plasma instabilities driven by the Nike laser

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, J.; Kehne, D.; Obenschain, S.; Serlin, V.; Schmitt, A. J.; Oh, J.; Lehmberg, R. H.; Brown, C. M.; Seely, J.; Feldman, U.

2012-10-01

Experiments at the Nike laser facility of the Naval Research Laboratory are exploring the influence of laser bandwidth on laser plasma instabilities (LPI) driven by a deep ultraviolet pump (248 nm) that incorporates beam smoothing by induced spatial incoherence (ISI). In early ISI studies with longer wavelength Nd:glass lasers (1054 nm and 527 nm),footnotetextObenschain, PRL 62(1989);Mostovych, PRL 62(1987);Peyser, Phys. Fluids B 3(1991). stimulated Raman scattering, stimulated Brillouin scattering, and the two plasmon decay instability were reduced when wide bandwidth ISI (δν/ν˜0.03-0.19%) pulses irradiated targets at moderate to high intensities (10^14-10^15 W/cm^2). The current studies will compare the emission signatures of LPI from planar CH targets during Nike operation at large bandwidth (δν˜1THz) to observations for narrower bandwidth operation (δν˜0.1-0.3THz). These studies will help clarify the relative importance of the short wavelength and wide bandwidth to the increased LPI intensity thresholds observed at Nike. New pulse shapes are being used to generate plasmas with larger electron density scale-lengths that are closer to conditions during pellet implosions for direct drive inertial confinement fusion.
Electron acceleration and generation of high-brilliance x-ray radiation in kilojoule, subpicosecond laser-plasma interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Ferri

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Petawatt, picosecond laser pulses offer rich opportunities in generating synchrotron x-rays. This paper concentrates on the regimes accessible with the PETAL laser, which is a part of the Laser Megajoule (LMJ facility. We explore two physically distinct scenarios through Particle-in-Cell simulations. The first one realizes in a dense plasma, such that the period of electron Langmuir oscillations is much shorter than the pulse duration. Hallmarks of this regime are longitudinal breakup (“self-modulation” of the picosecond-scale laser pulse and excitation of a rapidly evolving broken plasma wake. It is found that electron beams with a charge of several tens of nC can be obtained, with a quasi-Maxwellian energy distribution extending to a few-GeV level. In the second scenario, at lower plasma densities, the pulse is shorter than the electron plasma period. The pulse blows out plasma electrons, creating a single accelerating cavity, while injection on the density downramp creates a nC quasi-monoenergetic electron bunch within the cavity. This bunch accelerates without degradation beyond 1 GeV. The x-ray sources in the self-modulated regime offer a high number of photons (∼10^{12} with the slowly decaying energy spectra extending beyond 60 keV. In turn, quasimonoenergetic character of the electron beam in the blowout regime results in the synchrotron-like spectra with the critical energy around 10 MeV and a number of photons >10^{9}. Yet, much smaller source duration and transverse size increase the x-ray brilliance by more than an order of magnitude against the self-modulated case, also favoring high spatial and temporal resolution in x-ray imaging. In all explored cases, accelerated electrons emit synchrotron x-rays of high brilliance, B>10^{20} photons/s/mm^{2}/mrad^{2}/0.1%BW. Synchrotron sources driven by picosecond kilojoule lasers may thus find an application in x-ray diagnostics on such facilities such as the LMJ or National

Intense pulsed sources of ions and electrons produced by lasers; Sources pulsees intenses d'ions et d'electrons produites par laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bourrabier, G [Centre de Recherche de la C.S.F., Corbeville (France); Consoli, T; Slama, L [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1966-11-01

We describe a device for the acceleration of the plasma burst produced by focusing a laser beam into a metal target. We extract the electrons and the ions from the plasma. The maximum current is around 2000 amperes during few microseconds. The study of the effect of the kind of the target on the characteristics of the current shows the great importance of the initial conditions that is the ionisation potential of the target and the energy laser. (authors) [French] On decrit un dispositif destine a accelerer la bouffee de plasma produite par focalisation d'un faisceau laser sur une cible solide. On extrait du plasma les electrons et les ions. Le courant maximum atteint pres de 2000 amperes pendant quelques microsecondes. L'etude de l'effet de la nature de la cible sur les caracteristiques du courant collecte, met en evidence l'importance des conditions initiales (potentiel d'ionisation de la cible, energie du laser). (auteurs)
Laser Soldering and Thermal Cycling Tests of Monolithic Silicon Pixel Chips

CERN Document Server

Strand, Frode Sneve

2015-01-01

An ALPIDE-1 monolithic silicon pixel sensor prototype has been laser soldered to a flex printed circuit using a novel interconnection technique using lasers. This technique is to be optimised to ensure stable, good quality connections between the sensor chips and the FPCs. To test the long-term stability of the connections, as well as study the effects on hit thresholds and noise in the sensor, it was thermally cycled in a climate chamber 1200 times. The soldered connections showed good qualities like even melting and good adhesion on pad/flex surfaces, and the chip remained in working condition for 1080 cycles. After this, a few connections failed, having cracks in the soldering tin, rendering the chip unusable. Threshold and noise characteristics seemed stable, except for the noise levels of sector 2 in the chip, for 1000 cycles in a temperature interval of "10^{\\circ}" and "50^{\\circ}" C. Still, further testing with wider temperature ranges and more cycles is needed to test the limitations of the chi...
0.56 GeV laser electron acceleration in ablative-capillary-discharge plasma channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kameshima, Takashi; Kurokawa, Shin-ichi; Nakajima, Kazuhisa; Hong Wei; Wen Xianlun; Wu Yuchi; Tang Chuanming; Zhu Qihua; Gu Yuqiu; Zhang Baohan; Peng Hansheng; Sugiyama, Kiyohiro; Chen, Liming; Tajima, Toshiki; Kumita, Tetsuro

2008-01-01

A high-quality electron beam with a central energy of 0.56 GeV, an energy spread of 1.2% rms, and a divergence of 0.59 mrad rms was produced by means of a 4 cm ablative-capillary-discharge plasma channel driven by a 3.8 J27 fs laser pulse. This is the first demonstration of electron acceleration with an ablative capillary discharge wherein the capillary is stably operated in vacuum with a simple system triggered by a laser pulse. This result of the generation of a high-quality beam provides the prospects to realize a practical accelerator based on laser-plasma acceleration. (author)
Present status of laser driven fusion--fission energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maniscalco, J.A.; Hansen, L.F.

1978-01-01

The potential of laser fusion driven hybrids to produce fissile fuel and/or electricity has been investigated in the laser program at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) for several years. Our earlier studies used neutronic methods of analysis to estimate hybrid performance. The results were encouraging, but it was apparent that a more accurate assessment of the hybrid's potential would require studies which treat the engineering, environmental, and economic issues as well as the neutronic aspects. More recently, we have collaborated with Bechtel and Westinghouse Corporations in two engineering design studies of laser fusion driven hybrid power plants. With Bechtel, we have been engaged in a joint effort to design a laser fusion driven hybrid which emphasizes fissile fuel production while the primary objective of our joint effort with Westinghouse has been to design a hybrid which emphasizes power production. The hybrid designs which have resulted from these two studies are briefly described and analyzed by considering their most important operational parameters
Investigation toward laser driven IFE (inertial fusion energy) power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakai, S.; Kozaki, Y.; Izawa, Y.; Yamanaka, M.; Kanabe, T.; Kato, Y.; Norimatsu, T.; Nagai, K.; Nakatsuka, M.; Jitsuno, T.; Yamanaka, T.

2000-01-01

Based on the conceptual design of Laser Driven IFE Power Plant, the technical and physical issues have been examined. R and D on key issues which affect the feasibility of power plant has been performed taking into account the collaboration in the field of laser driver, fuel pellet, reaction chamber and system design. The coordination and collaboration organization of reactor technology experts in Japan on Laser Driven IFE Power Plant are reviewed. (authors)
Generation of sub-gigabar-pressure shocks by a hyper-velocity impact in the collider driven by laser-induced cavity pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Badziak, J.; Kucharik, M.; Liska, R.

2018-02-01

The generation of high-pressure shocks in the newly proposed collider in which the projectile impacting a solid target is driven by the laser-induced cavity pressure acceleration (LICPA) mechanism is investigated using two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. The dependence of parameters of the shock generated in the target by the impact of a gold projectile on the impacted target material and the laser driver energy is examined. It is found that both in case of low-density (CH, Al) and high-density (Au, Cu) solid targets the shock pressures in the sub-Gbar range can be produced in the LICPA-driven collider with the laser energy of only a few hundreds of joules, and the laser-to-shock energy conversion efficiency can reach values of 10 - 20 %, by an order of magnitude higher than the conversion efficiencies achieved with other laser-based methods used so far.
High-energy inverse free-electron laser accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Courant, E.D.; Pellegrini, C.; Zakowicz, W.

1985-01-01

We study the inverse free electron laser (IFEL) accelerator and show that it can accelerate electrons to the few hundred GeV region with average acceleration rates of the order of 200 meV/m. Several possible accelerating structures are analyzed, and the effect of synchrotron radiation losses is studied. The longitudinal phase stability of accelerated particles is also analyzed. A Hamiltonian description, which takes into account the dissipative features of the IFEL accelerator, is introduced to study perturbations from the resonant acceleration. Adiabatic invariants are obtained and used to estimate the change of the electron phase space density during the acceleration process
Semiconductor lasers driven by self-sustained chaotic electronic oscillators and applications to optical chaos cryptography.

Science.gov (United States)

Kingni, Sifeu Takougang; Mbé, Jimmi Hervé Talla; Woafo, Paul

2012-09-01

In this work, we numerically study the dynamics of vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) firstly when it is driven by Chua's oscillator, secondly in case where it is driven by a broad frequency spectral bandwidth chaotic oscillator developed by Nana et al. [Commun. Nonlinear Sci. Numer. Simul. 14, 2266 (2009)]. We demonstrated that the VCSEL generated robust chaotic dynamics compared to the ones found in VCSEL subject to a sinusoidally modulated current and therefore it is more suitable for chaos encryption techniques. The synchronization characteristics and the communication performances of unidirectional coupled VCSEL driven by the broad frequency spectral bandwidth chaotic oscillators are investigated numerically. The results show that high-quality synchronization and transmission of messages can be realized for suitable system parameters. Chaos shift keying method is successfully applied to encrypt a message at a high bitrate.
A pulsed electron injector using a metal photocathode irradiated by an excimer laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kauppila, T.J.; Builta, L.A.; Crutcher, J.K.; Elliott, J.C.; Moir, D.C.

1987-01-01

The hot cathode of an electron gun is replaced by a metallic photocathode driven by an excimer laser. The current, current density, and emittance of the 500-kV electron beam produced by the photoelectron source are presented. In addition, the temperature of the photocathode is varied to study the possibility of a hybrid source
Proton beam shaped by “particle lens” formed by laser-driven hot electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhai, S. H.; Shen, B. F.; Wang, W. P.; Zhang, H.; Zhang, L. G.; Huang, S.; Xu, Z. Z.; He, S. K.; Lu, F.; Zhang, F. Q.; Deng, Z. G.; Dong, K. G.; Wang, S. Y.; Zhou, K. N.; Xie, N.; Wang, X. D.; Liu, H. J.; Zhao, Z. Q.; Gu, Y. Q.; Zhang, B. H.

2016-01-01

Two-dimensional tailoring of a proton beam is realized by a “particle lens” in our experiment. A large quantity of electrons, generated by an intense femtosecond laser irradiating a polymer target, produces an electric field strong enough to change the trajectory and distribution of energetic protons flying through the electron area. The experiment shows that a strip pattern of the proton beam appears when hot electrons initially converge inside the plastic plate. Then the shape of the proton beam changes to a “fountain-like” pattern when these hot electrons diffuse after propagating a distance.
Summary report : working group 5 on 'electron beam-driven plasma and structure based acceleration concepts'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conde, M. E.; Katsouleas, T.

2000-01-01

The talks presented and the work performed on electron beam-driven accelerators in plasmas and structures are summarized. Highlights of the working group include new experimental results from the E-157 Plasma Wakefield Experiment, the E-150 Plasma Lens Experiment and the Argonne Dielectric Structure Wakefield experiments. The presentations inspired discussion and analysis of three working topics: electron hose instability, ion channel lasers and the plasma afterburner
Acceleration of on-axis and ring-shaped electron beams in wakefields driven by Laguerre-Gaussian pulses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Guo-Bo [College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073 (China); Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MOE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Chen, Min, E-mail: minchen@sjtu.edu.cn, E-mail: yanyunma@126.com; Luo, Ji; Zeng, Ming; Yuan, Tao; Yu, Ji-Ye; Yu, Lu-Le; Weng, Su-Ming [Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MOE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Ma, Yan-Yun, E-mail: minchen@sjtu.edu.cn, E-mail: yanyunma@126.com [College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Yu, Tong-Pu [College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073 (China); Sheng, Zheng-Ming [Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MOE) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG (United Kingdom)

2016-03-14

The acceleration of electron beams with multiple transverse structures in wakefields driven by Laguerre-Gaussian pulses has been studied through three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell simulations. Under different laser-plasma conditions, the wakefield shows different transverse structures. In general cases, the wakefield shows a donut-like structure and it accelerates the ring-shaped hollow electron beam. When a lower plasma density or a smaller laser spot size is used, besides the donut-like wakefield, a central bell-like wakefield can also be excited. The wake sets in the center of the donut-like wake. In this case, both a central on-axis electron beam and a ring-shaped electron beam are simultaneously accelerated. Further, reducing the plasma density or laser spot size leads to an on-axis electron beam acceleration only. The research is beneficial for some potential applications requiring special pulse beam structures, such as positron acceleration and collimation.
En Route: next-generation laser-plasma-based electron accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hidding, Bernhard

2008-05-01

Accelerating electrons to relativistic energies is of fundamental interest, especially in particle physics. Today's accelerator technology, however, is limited by the maximum electric fields which can be created. This thesis presents results on various mechanisms aiming at exploiting the fields in focussed laser pulses and plasma waves for electron acceleration, which can be orders of magnitude higher than with conventional accelerators. With relativistic, underdense laser-plasma-interaction, quasimonoenergetic electron bunches with energies up to ∼50 MeV and normalized emittances of the order of 5mmmrad have been generated. This was achieved by focussing the ∼80 fs, 1 J pulses of the JETI-laser at the FSU Jena to intensities of several 10 19 W=cm 2 into gas jets. The experimental observations could be explained via ''bubble acceleration'', which is based on self-injection and acceleration of electrons in a highly nonlinear breaking plasma wave. For the rst time, this bubble acceleration was achieved explicitly in the self-modulated laser wakefield regime (SMLWFA). This quasimonoenergetic SMLWFA-regime stands out by relaxing dramatically the requirements on the driving laser pulse necessary to trigger bubble acceleration. This is due to self-modulation of the laser pulse in high-density gas jets, leading to ultrashort laser pulse fragments capable of initiating bubble acceleration. Electron bunches with durations < or similar 5 fs can thus be created, which is at least an order of magnitude shorter than with conventional accelerator technology. In addition, more than one laser pulse fragment can be powerful enough to drive a bubble. Distinct double peaks have been observed in the electron spectra, indicating that two quasimonoenergetic electron bunches separated by only few tens of fs have formed. This is backed up by PIC-Simulations (Particle-in-Cell). These results underline the feasibility of the construction of small table-top accelerators, while at the
Direct acceleration of electrons by a CO2 laser in a curved plasma waveguide

CERN Document Server

Yi, Longqing; Shen, Baifei

2016-01-01

Laser plasma interaction with micro-engineered targets at relativistic intensities has been greatly promoted by recent progress in the high contrast lasers and the manufacture of advanced micro- and nano-structures. This opens new possibilities for the physics of laser-matter interaction. Here we propose a novel approach that leverages the advantages of high-pressure CO 2 laser, laser-waveguide interaction, as well as micro-engineered plasma structure to accelerate electrons to peak energy greater than 1 GeV with narrow slice energy spread (~1%) and high overall efficiency. The acceleration gradient is 26 GV/m for a 1.3 TW CO2 laser system. The micro-bunching of a long electron beam leads to the generation of a chain of ultrashort electron bunches with the duration roughly equal to half-laser-cycle. These results open a way for developing a compact and economic electron source for diverse applications.
Electrostatically Driven Nanoballoon Actuator.

Science.gov (United States)

Barzegar, Hamid Reza; Yan, Aiming; Coh, Sinisa; Gracia-Espino, Eduardo; Dunn, Gabriel; Wågberg, Thomas; Louie, Steven G; Cohen, Marvin L; Zettl, Alex

2016-11-09

We demonstrate an inflatable nanoballoon actuator based on geometrical transitions between the inflated (cylindrical) and collapsed (flattened) forms of a carbon nanotube. In situ transmission electron microscopy experiments employing a nanoelectromechanical manipulator show that a collapsed carbon nanotube can be reinflated by electrically charging the nanotube, thus realizing an electrostatically driven nanoballoon actuator. We find that the tube actuator can be reliably cycled with only modest control voltages (few volts) with no apparent wear or fatigue. A complementary theoretical analysis identifies critical parameters for nanotube nanoballoon actuation.
Non-Maxwellian electron distributions resulting from direct laser acceleration in near-critical plasmas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Toncian

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The irradiation of few-nm-thick targets by a finite-contrast high-intensity short-pulse laser results in a strong pre-expansion of these targets at the arrival time of the main pulse. The targets decompress to near and lower than critical densities with plasmas extending over few micrometers, i.e. multiple wavelengths. The interaction of the main pulse with such a highly localized but inhomogeneous target leads to the generation of a short channel and further self-focusing of the laser beam. Experiments at the Glass Hybrid OPCPA Scaled Test-bed (GHOST laser system at University of Texas, Austin using such targets measured non-Maxwellian, peaked electron distribution with large bunch charge and high electron density in the laser propagation direction. These results are reproduced in 2D PIC simulations using the EPOCH code, identifying direct laser acceleration (DLA [1] as the responsible mechanism. This is the first time that DLA has been observed to produce peaked spectra as opposed to broad, Maxwellian spectra observed in earlier experiments [2]. This high-density electrons have potential applications as injector beams for a further wakefield acceleration stage as well as for pump-probe applications.
Models of few optical cycle solitons beyond the slowly varying envelope approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leblond, H.; Mihalache, D.

2013-01-01

In the past years there was a huge interest in experimental and theoretical studies in the area of few-optical-cycle pulses and in the broader fast growing field of the so-called extreme nonlinear optics. This review concentrates on theoretical studies performed in the past decade concerning the description of few optical cycle solitons beyond the slowly varying envelope approximation (SVEA). Here we systematically use the powerful reductive expansion method (alias multiscale analysis) in order to derive simple integrable and nonintegrable evolution models describing both nonlinear wave propagation and interaction of ultrashort (femtosecond) pulses. To this aim we perform the multiple scale analysis on the Maxwell–Bloch equations and the corresponding Schrödinger–von Neumann equation for the density matrix of two-level atoms. We analyze in detail both long-wave and short-wave propagation models. The propagation of ultrashort few-optical-cycle solitons in quadratic and cubic nonlinear media are adequately described by generic integrable and nonintegrable nonlinear evolution equations such as the Korteweg–de Vries equation, the modified Korteweg–de Vries equation, the complex modified Korteweg–de Vries equation, the sine–Gordon equation, the cubic generalized Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation, and the two-dimensional sine–Gordon equation. Moreover, we consider the propagation of few-cycle optical solitons in both (1+1)- and (2+1)-dimensional physical settings. A generalized modified Korteweg–de Vries equation is introduced in order to describe robust few-optical-cycle dissipative solitons. We investigate in detail the existence and robustness of both linearly polarized and circularly polarized few-cycle solitons, that is, we also take into account the effect of the vectorial nature of the electric field. Some of these results concerning the systematic use of the reductive expansion method beyond the SVEA can be relatively easily extended to few-cycle
High energy extraction of electron beam pumped KrF lasers at multi atmospheres

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kleikamp, B.M.H.H.; Witteman, W.J.

1984-01-01

The construction is described of a simple and compact KrF laser with electron beam excitation. The electron beam is generated in a coaxial vacuum diode, driven directly by a ten-stage coaxial Marx generator. A flat MgF2 outcoupler and a suprasil roof prism, protected by an MgF2 window, proved to be
An efficient, selective collisional ejection mechanism for inner-shell population inversion in laser-driven plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

SCHROEDER,W. ANDREAS; NELSON,THOMAS R.; BORISOV,A.B.; LONGWORTH,J.W.; BOYER,K.; RHODES,C.K.

2000-06-07

A theoretical analysis of laser-driven collisional ejection of inner-shell electrons is presented to explain the previously observed anomalous kilovolt L-shell x-ray emission spectra from atomic Xe cluster targets excited by intense sub-picosecond 248nrn ultraviolet radiation. For incident ponderomotively-driven electrons photoionized by strong above threshold ionization, the collisional ejection mechanism is shown to be highly l-state and significantly n-state (i.e. radially) selective for time periods shorter than the collisional dephasing time of the photoionized electronic wavefunction. The resulting preference for the collisional ejection of 2p electrons by an ionized 4p state produces the measured anomalous Xe(L) emission which contains direct evidence for (i) the generation of Xe{sup 27+}(2p{sup 5}3d{sup 10}) and Xe{sup 28+}(2p{sup 5}3d{sup 9}) ions exhibiting inner-shell population inversion and (ii) a coherent correlated electron state collision responsible for the production of double 2p vacancies. For longer time periods, the selectivity of this coherent impact ionization mechanism is rapidly reduced by the combined effects of intrinsic quantum mechanical spreading and dephasing--in agreement with the experimentally observed and extremely strong {minus}{lambda}{sup {minus}6} pump-laser wavelength dependence of the efficiency of inner-shell (2p) vacancy production in Xe clusters excited in underdense plasmas.
Nonlinear Dichroism in Back-to-Back Double Ionization of He by an Intense Elliptically Polarized Few-Cycle Extreme Ultraviolet Pulse.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngoko Djiokap, J M; Manakov, N L; Meremianin, A V; Hu, S X; Madsen, L B; Starace, Anthony F

2014-11-28

Control of double ionization of He by means of the polarization and carrier-envelope phase (CEP) of an intense, few-cycle extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulse is demonstrated numerically by solving the six-dimensional two-electron, time-dependent Schrödinger equation for He interacting with an elliptically polarized XUV pulse. Guided by perturbation theory (PT), we predict the existence of a nonlinear dichroic effect (∝I^{3/2}) that is sensitive to the CEP, ellipticity, peak intensity I, and temporal duration of the pulse. This dichroic effect (i.e., the difference of the two-electron angular distributions for opposite helicities of the ionizing XUV pulse) originates from interference of first- and second-order PT amplitudes, allowing one to probe and control S- and D-wave channels of the two-electron continuum. We show that the back-to-back in-plane geometry with unequal energy sharing is an ideal one for observing this dichroic effect that occurs only for an elliptically polarized, few-cycle attosecond pulse.

Controlling electron quantum paths for generation of circularly polarized high-order harmonics by H2+ subject to tailored (ω , 2 ω ) counter-rotating laser fields

Science.gov (United States)

Heslar, John; Telnov, Dmitry A.; Chu, Shih-I.

2018-04-01

Recently, studies of high-order harmonics (HHG) from atoms driven by bichromatic counter-rotating circularly polarized laser fields as a source of coherent circularly polarized extreme ultraviolet (XUV) and soft-x-ray beams in a tabletop-scale setup have received considerable attention. Here, we demonstrate the ability to control the electron recollisions giving three returns per one cycle of the fundamental frequency ω by using tailored bichromatic (ω , 2 ω ) counter-rotating circularly polarized laser fields with a molecular target. The full control of the electronic pathway is first analyzed by a classical trajectory analysis and then extended to a detailed quantum study of H2+ molecules in bichromatic (ω , 2 ω ) counter-rotating circularly polarized laser fields. The radiation spectrum contains doublets of left- and right-circularly polarized harmonics in the XUV ranges. We study in detail the below-, near-, and above-threshold harmonic regions and describe how excited-state resonances alter the ellipticity and phase of the generated harmonic peaks.
Katherine E. Weimer Award: X-ray light sources from laser-plasma and laser-electron interaction: development and applications

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Felicie

2017-10-01

Bright sources of x-rays, such as synchrotrons and x-ray free electron lasers (XFEL) are transformational tools for many fields of science. They are used for biology, material science, medicine, or industry. Such sources rely on conventional particle accelerators, where electrons are accelerated to gigaelectronvolts (GeV) energies. The accelerated particles are wiggled in magnetic structures to emit x-ray radiation that is commonly used for molecular crystallography, fluorescence studies, chemical analysis, medical imaging, and many other applications. One of the drawbacks of these machines is their size and cost, because electric field gradients are limited to about 100 V/M in conventional accelerators. Particle acceleration in laser-driven plasmas is an alternative to generate x-rays via betatron emission, Compton scattering, or bremsstrahlung. A plasma can sustain electrical fields many orders of magnitude higher than that in conventional radiofrequency accelerator structures. When short, intense laser pulses are focused into a gas, it produces electron plasma waves in which electrons can be trapped and accelerated to GeV energies. X-ray sources, driven by electrons from laser-wakefield acceleration, have unique properties that are analogous to synchrotron radiation, with a 1000-fold shorter pulse. An important use of x-rays from laser plasma accelerators is in High Energy Density (HED) science, which requires laser and XFEL facilities to create in the laboratory extreme conditions of temperatures and pressures that are usually found in the interiors of stars and planets. To diagnose such extreme states of matter, the development of efficient, versatile and fast (sub-picosecond scale) x-ray probes has become essential. In these experiments, x-ray photons can pass through dense material, and absorption of the x-rays can be directly measured, via spectroscopy or imaging, to inform scientists about the temperature and density of the targets being studied. Performed
Time-resolved measurements with streaked diffraction patterns from electrons generated in laser plasma wakefield

Science.gov (United States)

He, Zhaohan; Nees, John; Hou, Bixue; Krushelnick, Karl; Thomas, Alec; Beaurepaire, Benoît; Malka, Victor; Faure, Jérôme

2013-10-01

Femtosecond bunches of electrons with relativistic to ultra-relativistic energies can be robustly produced in laser plasma wakefield accelerators (LWFA). Scaling the electron energy down to sub-relativistic and MeV level using a millijoule laser system will make such electron source a promising candidate for ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) applications due to the intrinsic short bunch duration and perfect synchronization with the optical pump. Recent results of electron diffraction from a single crystal gold foil, using LWFA electrons driven by 8-mJ, 35-fs laser pulses at 500 Hz, will be presented. The accelerated electrons were collimated with a solenoid magnetic lens. By applying a small-angle tilt to the magnetic lens, the diffraction pattern can be streaked such that the temporal evolution is separated spatially on the detector screen after propagation. The observable time window and achievable temporal resolution are studied in pump-probe measurements of photo-induced heating on the gold foil.
Characterization of electron-deficient chemical bonding of diborane with attosecond electron wavepacket dynamics and laser response

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yonehara, Takehiro; Takatsuka, Kazuo

2009-01-01

We report a theoretical study of non-adiabatic electrons-nuclei coupled dynamics of diborane H 2 BH 2 BH 2 under several types of short pulse lasers. This molecule is known to have particularly interesting geometrical and electronic structures, which originate from the electron-deficient chemical bondings. We revisit the chemical bonding of diborane from the view point of electron wavepacket dynamics coupled with nuclear motions, and attempt to probe the characteristics of it by examining its response to intense laser fields. We study in the following three aspects, (i) bond formation of diborane by collision between two monoboranes, (ii) attosecond electron wavepacket dynamics in the ground state and first excited state by circularly polarized laser pulse, and (iii) induced fragmentation back to monoborane molecules by linearly polarized laser. The wave lengths of two types of laser field employed are 200 nm (in UV range) and 800 nm (in IR range), and we track the dynamics from hundreds of attoseconds up to few tens of femtoseconds. To this end, we apply the ab initio semiclassical Ehrenfest theory, into which the classical vector potential of a laser field is introduced. Basic features of the non-adiabatic response of electrons to the laser fields is elucidated in this scheme. To analyze the electronic wavepackets thus obtained, we figure out bond order density that is a spatial distribution of the bond order and bond order flux density arising only from the bonding regions, and so on. Main findings in this work are: (i) dimerization of monoboranes to diborane is so efficient that even intense laser is hard to prevent it; (ii) collective motions of electron flux emerge in the central BHHB bonding area in response to the circularly polarized laser fields; (iii) laser polarization with the direction of central two BH bonding vector is efficient for the cleavage of BH 3 -BH 3 ; and (iv) nuclear derivative coupling plays a critical role in the field induced
Observation of parametric instabilities in the quarter critical density region driven by the Nike KrF laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weaver, J. L.; Kehne, D.; Brown, C. M.; Obenschain, S. P.; Serlin, V.; Schmitt, A. J. [U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington DC 20375 (United States); Oh, J.; Lehmberg, R. H.; Mclean, E.; Manka, C. [Research Support Instruments, Lanham, Maryland 20905 (United States); Phillips, L. [Alogus Research Corporation, McLean, Virginia 22101 (United States); Afeyan, B. [Polymath Research, Inc., Pleasanton, California 94566 (United States); Seely, J.; Feldman, U. [Berkeley Research Associates, Inc., Beltsville, Maryland 20705 (United States)

2013-02-15

The krypton-fluoride (KrF) laser is an attractive choice for inertial confinement fusion due to its combination of short wavelength ({lambda}=248 nm), large bandwidth (up to 3 THz), and superior beam smoothing by induced spatial incoherence. These qualities improve the overall hydrodynamics of directly driven pellet implosions and should allow use of increased laser intensity due to higher thresholds for laser plasma instabilities when compared to frequency tripled Nd:glass lasers ({lambda}=351 nm). Here, we report the first observations of the two-plasmon decay instability using a KrF laser. The experiments utilized the Nike laser facility to irradiate solid plastic planar targets over a range of pulse lengths (0.35 ns{<=}{tau}{<=}1.25 ns) and intensities (up to 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} W/cm{sup 2}). Variation of the laser pulse created different combinations of electron temperature and electron density scale length. The observed onset of instability growth was consistent with the expected scaling that KrF lasers have a higher intensity threshold for instabilities in the quarter critical density region.
Observation of parametric instabilities in the quarter critical density region driven by the Nike KrF laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weaver, J. L.; Kehne, D.; Brown, C. M.; Obenschain, S. P.; Serlin, V.; Schmitt, A. J.; Oh, J.; Lehmberg, R. H.; Mclean, E.; Manka, C.; Phillips, L.; Afeyan, B.; Seely, J.; Feldman, U.

2013-01-01

The krypton-fluoride (KrF) laser is an attractive choice for inertial confinement fusion due to its combination of short wavelength (λ=248 nm), large bandwidth (up to 3 THz), and superior beam smoothing by induced spatial incoherence. These qualities improve the overall hydrodynamics of directly driven pellet implosions and should allow use of increased laser intensity due to higher thresholds for laser plasma instabilities when compared to frequency tripled Nd:glass lasers (λ=351 nm). Here, we report the first observations of the two-plasmon decay instability using a KrF laser. The experiments utilized the Nike laser facility to irradiate solid plastic planar targets over a range of pulse lengths (0.35 ns≤τ≤1.25 ns) and intensities (up to 2×10 15 W/cm 2 ). Variation of the laser pulse created different combinations of electron temperature and electron density scale length. The observed onset of instability growth was consistent with the expected scaling that KrF lasers have a higher intensity threshold for instabilities in the quarter critical density region.
Observation of parametric instabilities in the quarter critical density region driven by the Nike KrF laser

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, J. L.; Oh, J.; Phillips, L.; Afeyan, B.; Seely, J.; Kehne, D.; Brown, C. M.; Obenschain, S. P.; Serlin, V.; Schmitt, A. J.; Feldman, U.; Lehmberg, R. H.; Mclean, E.; Manka, C.

2013-02-01

The krypton-fluoride (KrF) laser is an attractive choice for inertial confinement fusion due to its combination of short wavelength (λ =248 nm), large bandwidth (up to 3 THz), and superior beam smoothing by induced spatial incoherence. These qualities improve the overall hydrodynamics of directly driven pellet implosions and should allow use of increased laser intensity due to higher thresholds for laser plasma instabilities when compared to frequency tripled Nd:glass lasers (λ =351 nm). Here, we report the first observations of the two-plasmon decay instability using a KrF laser. The experiments utilized the Nike laser facility to irradiate solid plastic planar targets over a range of pulse lengths (0.35 ns≤τ≤1.25 ns) and intensities (up to 2×1015 W/cm2). Variation of the laser pulse created different combinations of electron temperature and electron density scale length. The observed onset of instability growth was consistent with the expected scaling that KrF lasers have a higher intensity threshold for instabilities in the quarter critical density region.
A novel approach to electron data background treatment in an online wide-angle spectrometer for laser-accelerated ion and electron bunches

Science.gov (United States)

Lindner, F. H.; Bin, J. H.; Englbrecht, F.; Haffa, D.; Bolton, P. R.; Gao, Y.; Hartmann, J.; Hilz, P.; Kreuzer, C.; Ostermayr, T. M.; Rösch, T. F.; Speicher, M.; Parodi, K.; Thirolf, P. G.; Schreiber, J.

2018-01-01

Laser-based ion acceleration is driven by electrical fields emerging when target electrons absorb laser energy and consecutively leave the target material. A direct correlation between these electrons and the accelerated ions is thus to be expected and predicted by theoretical models. We report on a modified wide-angle spectrometer, allowing the simultaneous characterization of angularly resolved energy distributions of both ions and electrons. Equipped with online pixel detectors, the RadEye1 detectors, the investigation of this correlation gets attainable on a single shot basis. In addition to first insights, we present a novel approach for reliably extracting the primary electron energy distribution from the interfering secondary radiation background. This proves vitally important for quantitative extraction of average electron energies (temperatures) and emitted total charge.
Laser driven detonation waves above a solid target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emmony, D.C.

1975-01-01

The interaction of a TEA CO 2 laser pulse with a carbon target in an argon atmosphere (p approximately mmHg) is shown to produce a double detonation wave system. The laser driven detonation wave becomes the most important as the gas pressure is increased. Calculation of the energy in the detonation waves is in good agreement with the incident laser energy at different times during the main laser pulse and the long tail. The observation of the incident laser detonation wave accounts for the anomalous energies reported previously. (Auth.)
Application of Life Cycle Assessment on Electronic Waste Management: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Mianqiang; Xu, Zhenming

2017-04-01

Electronic waste is a rich source of both valuable materials and toxic substances. Management of electronic waste is one of the biggest challenges of current worldwide concern. As an effective and prevailing environmental management tool, life cycle assessment can evaluate the environmental performance of electronic waste management activities. Quite a few scientific literatures reporting life cycle assessment of electronic waste management with significant outcomes have been recently published. This paper reviewed the trends, characteristics, research gaps, and challenges of these studies providing detailed information for practitioners involved in electronic waste management. The results showed that life cycle assessment studies were most carried out in Europe, followed by Asia and North America. The research subject of the studies mainly includes monitors, waste printed circuit boards, mobile phones, computers, printers, batteries, toys, dishwashers, and light-emitting diodes. CML was the most widely used life cycle impact assessment method in life cycle assessment studies on electronic waste management, followed by EI99. Furthermore, 40% of the reviewed studies combined with other environmental tools, including life cycle cost, material flow analysis, multi-criteria decision analysis, emergy analysis, and hazard assessment which came to more comprehensive conclusions from different aspects. The research gaps and challenges including uneven distribution of life cycle assessment studies, life cycle impact assessment methods selection, comparison of the results, and uncertainty of the life cycle assessment studies were examined. Although life cycle assessment of electronic waste management facing challenges, their results will play more and more important role in electronic waste management practices.
Probing electron acceleration and x-ray emission in laser-plasma accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thaury, C.; Ta Phuoc, K.; Corde, S.; Brijesh, P.; Lambert, G.; Malka, V.; Mangles, S. P. D.; Bloom, M. S.; Kneip, S.

2013-01-01

While laser-plasma accelerators have demonstrated a strong potential in the acceleration of electrons up to giga-electronvolt energies, few experimental tools for studying the acceleration physics have been developed. In this paper, we demonstrate a method for probing the acceleration process. A second laser beam, propagating perpendicular to the main beam, is focused on the gas jet few nanosecond before the main beam creates the accelerating plasma wave. This second beam is intense enough to ionize the gas and form a density depletion, which will locally inhibit the acceleration. The position of the density depletion is scanned along the interaction length to probe the electron injection and acceleration, and the betatron X-ray emission. To illustrate the potential of the method, the variation of the injection position with the plasma density is studied
Laser driven white light source for BRDF measurement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amdemeskel, Mekbib Wubishet; Thorseth, Anders; Dam-Hansen, Carsten

2017-01-01

In this paper, we will present a setup with laser driven light source (LDLS) for measuring a 2D bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). We have carried out measurements to acquire the BRDF of different samples based on our setup: which consists of a new laser driven broadband light...... source (UV-VIS-NIR), spectroradiometer and sample holder stepper motor in a dark UV-protected environment. Here, we introduced a special kind of light source which has a bright, stable, broad spectral range and well collimated light output to give a very good angular resolution. The experimental results...
Electron acceleration by longitudinal electric field of a gaussian laser beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeuchi, Satoshi; Sugihara, Ryo; Shimoda, Koichi.

1991-11-01

It is shown that the longitudinal electric field of a transverse magnetic mode of a Gaussian laser beam accelerates an electron to an ultra-relativistic energy. The electron is captured and accelerated in a length of the order of the Rayleigh range. The ultimate energy increment of the electron with a single laser beam is given by the product of transverse field intensity and the beam waist, and can be of the order of 100MeV. This fact implies that a multi-stage acceleration enables TeV-order-acceleration in a length of a few kilometers with the present state of the art. (author)
Profiles of plasma parameters and density of negative hydrogen ions by laser detachment measurements in RF-driven ion sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christ-Koch, Sina

2007-01-01

This work shows the application of the Laserdetachment method for spatially resolved measurements of negative Hydrogen/Deuterium ion density. It was applied on a high power low pressure RF-driven ion source. The Laser detachment method is based on the measurement of electron currents on a positively biased Langmuir probe before and during/after a laser pulse. The density ratio of negative ions to electrons can be derived from the ratio of currents to the probe. The absolute density of negative ions can be obtained when the electron density is measured with the standard Langmuir probe setup. Measurements with the Langmuir probe additionally yield information about the floating and plasma potential, the electron temperature and the density of positive ions. The Laser detachment setup had to be adapted to the special conditions of the RF-driven source. In particular the existence of RF fields (1 MHz), high source potential (-20 kV), magnetic fields (∝ 7 mT) and caesium inside the source had to be considered. The density of negative ions could be identified in the range of n(H - )=1.10 17 1/m 3 , which is in the same order of magnitude as the electron density. Only the application of the Laser detachment method with the Langmuir probe measurements will yield spatially resolved plasma parameters and H- density profiles. The influence of diverse external parameters, such as pressure, RF-power, magnetic fields on the plasma parameters and their profiles were studied and explained. Hence, the measurements lead to a detailed understanding of the processes inside the source. (orig.)
Three-dimensional analysis of harmonic generation in high-gain free-electron lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Zhirong; Kim, Kwang-Je

2000-01-01

In a high-gain free-electron laser (FEL) employing a planar undulator, strong bunching at the fundamental wavelength can drive substantial bunching and power levels at the harmonic frequencies. In this paper we investigate the three-dimensional evolution of harmonic radiation based on the coupled Maxwell-Klimontovich equations that take into account nonlinear harmonic interactions. Each harmonic field is a sum of a linear amplification term and a term driven by nonlinear harmonic interactions. After a certain stage of exponential growth, the dominant nonlinear term is determined by interactions of the lower nonlinear harmonics and the fundamental radiation. As a result, the gain length, transverse profile, and temporal structure of the first few harmonics are eventually governed by those of the fundamental. Transversely coherent third-harmonic radiation power is found to approach 1% of the fundamental power level for current high-gain FEL projects
Electron-beam-excited gas laser research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, A.W.; Gerardo, J.B.; Patterson, E.L.; Gerber, R.A.; Rice, J.K.; Bingham, F.W.

1975-01-01

Net energy gain in laser fusion places requirements on the laser that are not realized by any existing laser. Utilization of relativistic electron beams (REB's), a relatively new source for the excitation of gas laser media, may lead to new lasers that could satisfy these requirements. Already REB's have been utilized to excite gas laser media and produce gas lasers that have not been produced as successfully any other way. Electron-beam-excitation has produced electronic-transition dimer lasers that have not yet been produced by any other excitation scheme (for example, Xe 2 / sup *(1)/, Kr:O(2 1 S)/sup 2/, KrF/sup *(3)/). In addition, REB's have initiated chemical reactions to produce HF laser radiation with unique and promising results. Relativistic-electron-beam gas-laser research is continuing to lead to new lasers with unique properties. Results of work carried out at Sandia Laboratories in this pioneering effort of electron-beam-excited-gas lasers are reviewed. (U.S.)
Laser-based terahertz-field-driven streak camera for the temporal characterization of ultrashort processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schuette, Bernd

2011-09-15

In this work, a novel laser-based terahertz-field-driven streak camera is presented. It allows for a pulse length characterization of femtosecond (fs) extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulses by a cross-correlation with terahertz (THz) pulses generated with a Ti:sapphire laser. The XUV pulses are emitted by a source of high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in which an intense near-infrared (NIR) fs laser pulse is focused into a gaseous medium. The design and characterization of a high-intensity THz source needed for the streak camera is also part of this thesis. The source is based on optical rectification of the same NIR laser pulse in a lithium niobate crystal. For this purpose, the pulse front of the NIR beam is tilted via a diffraction grating to achieve velocity matching between NIR and THz beams within the crystal. For the temporal characterization of the XUV pulses, both HHG and THz beams are focused onto a gas target. The harmonic radiation creates photoelectron wavepackets which are then accelerated by the THz field depending on its phase at the time of ionization. This principle adopted from a conventional streak camera and now widely used in attosecond metrology. The streak camera presented here is an advancement of a terahertz-field-driven streak camera implemented at the Free Electron Laser in Hamburg (FLASH). The advantages of the laser-based streak camera lie in its compactness, cost efficiency and accessibility, while providing the same good quality of measurements as obtained at FLASH. In addition, its flexibility allows for a systematic investigation of streaked Auger spectra which is presented in this thesis. With its fs time resolution, the terahertz-field-driven streak camera thereby bridges the gap between attosecond and conventional cameras. (orig.)
Laser-based terahertz-field-driven streak camera for the temporal characterization of ultrashort processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuette, Bernd

2011-09-01

In this work, a novel laser-based terahertz-field-driven streak camera is presented. It allows for a pulse length characterization of femtosecond (fs) extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulses by a cross-correlation with terahertz (THz) pulses generated with a Ti:sapphire laser. The XUV pulses are emitted by a source of high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in which an intense near-infrared (NIR) fs laser pulse is focused into a gaseous medium. The design and characterization of a high-intensity THz source needed for the streak camera is also part of this thesis. The source is based on optical rectification of the same NIR laser pulse in a lithium niobate crystal. For this purpose, the pulse front of the NIR beam is tilted via a diffraction grating to achieve velocity matching between NIR and THz beams within the crystal. For the temporal characterization of the XUV pulses, both HHG and THz beams are focused onto a gas target. The harmonic radiation creates photoelectron wavepackets which are then accelerated by the THz field depending on its phase at the time of ionization. This principle adopted from a conventional streak camera and now widely used in attosecond metrology. The streak camera presented here is an advancement of a terahertz-field-driven streak camera implemented at the Free Electron Laser in Hamburg (FLASH). The advantages of the laser-based streak camera lie in its compactness, cost efficiency and accessibility, while providing the same good quality of measurements as obtained at FLASH. In addition, its flexibility allows for a systematic investigation of streaked Auger spectra which is presented in this thesis. With its fs time resolution, the terahertz-field-driven streak camera thereby bridges the gap between attosecond and conventional cameras. (orig.)
Half-period optical pulse generation using a free-electron laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaroszynski, D.A.; Chaix, P.; Piovella, N.

1995-01-01

Recently there has been growth, in interest in non-equilibrium interaction of half-period long optical pulses with matter. To date the optical pulses have been produced by chopping out a half-period long segment from a longer pulse using a semiconductor switch driven by a femtosecond laser. In this paper we present new methods for producing tunable ultra-short optical pulses as short as half an optical period using a free-electron laser driven by electron bunches with a duration a fraction of an optical period. Two different methods relying on the production of coherent spontaneous emission will be described. In the first method we show that when a train of ultra-short optical pulses as short as one half period. We present calculations which show that the small signal gain is unimportant in the early stages of radiation build up in the cavity when the startup process is dominated by coherent spontaneous emission. To support our proposed method we present encouraging experimental results from the FELIX experiment in the Netherlands which show that interference effects between the coherent spontaneous optical pulses at start-up are very important. The second proposed method relies on the fact that coherent spontaneous emission mimics the undulations of electrons as they pass through the undulator. We show that ultra-short optical pulses are produced by coherent spontaneous emission when ultra-short electron bunches pass through an ultra-short undulator. We discuss the interesting case of such undulator radiation in the presence of an optical cavity and show that the optical pulse can be open-quotes tayloredclose quotes by simply adjusting the optical cavity desynchronism. The proposed methods may be realisable using existing rf driven FELs in the far-infrared
A compact x-ray free electron laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barletta, W.; Attac, M.; Cline, D.B.

1988-01-01

We present a design concept and simulation of the performance of a compact x-ray, free electron laser driven by ultra-high gradient rf-linacs. The accelerator design is based on recent advances in high gradient technology by a LLNL/SLAC/LBL collaboration and on the development of bright, high current electron sources by BNL and LANL. The GeV electron beams generated with such accelerators can be concerted to soft x-rays in the range from 2--10 nm by passage through short period, high fields strength wigglers as are being designed at Rocketdyne. Linear light sources of this type can produce trains of picosecond (or shorter) pulses of extremely high spectral brilliance suitable for flash holography of biological specimens in vivo and for studies of fast chemical reactions. 12 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs

ELIMAIA: A Laser-Driven Ion Accelerator for Multidisciplinary Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniele Margarone

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The main direction proposed by the community of experts in the field of laser-driven ion acceleration is to improve particle beam features (maximum energy, charge, emittance, divergence, monochromaticity, shot-to-shot stability in order to demonstrate reliable and compact approaches to be used for multidisciplinary applications, thus, in principle, reducing the overall cost of a laser-based facility compared to a conventional accelerator one and, at the same time, demonstrating innovative and more effective sample irradiation geometries. The mission of the laser-driven ion target area at ELI-Beamlines (Extreme Light Infrastructure in Dolní Břežany, Czech Republic, called ELI Multidisciplinary Applications of laser-Ion Acceleration (ELIMAIA , is to provide stable, fully characterized and tuneable beams of particles accelerated by Petawatt-class lasers and to offer them to the user community for multidisciplinary applications. The ELIMAIA beamline has been designed and developed at the Institute of Physics of the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic (IoP-ASCR in Prague and at the National Laboratories of Southern Italy of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (LNS-INFN in Catania (Italy. An international scientific network particularly interested in future applications of laser driven ions for hadrontherapy, ELI MEDical applications (ELIMED, has been established around the implementation of the ELIMAIA experimental system. The basic technology used for ELIMAIA research and development, along with envisioned parameters of such user beamline will be described and discussed.
Development of a high power free-electron laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jong Min; Lee, Byung Chul; Kim, Sun Kook; Jung, Yung Wook; Cho, Sung Oh [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1995-01-01

A millimeter-wave free electron laser (FEL) driven by a recirculating electrostatic accelerator has been developed. The wavelength of the FEL is tunable in the range of 3 - 12 mm by tuning the energy of the electron beam. The output power is estimated to be 1 kW. The electrostatic accelerator is composed of high-current electron gun, acceleration tube, high-voltage generator, high-voltage terminal, deceleration tube, electron collator, and vacuum pumps. Two types of LaB{sub 6}-based thermionic electron guns (triode gun and diode gun) and their power supplies have been developed. The voltage of the guns is 30 kV and the output current is - 2 A. A beam-focusing planar undulator and a permanent-magnet helical undulator have been developed and 3D trajectories of electron beam in the undulators have been calculated to find optimal input condition of electron beam. 135 figs, 15 pix, 17 tabs, 98 refs. (Author).
Development of a high power free-electron laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jong Min; Lee, Byung Chul; Kim, Sun Kook; Jung, Yung Wook; Cho, Sung Oh

1995-01-01

A millimeter-wave free electron laser (FEL) driven by a recirculating electrostatic accelerator has been developed. The wavelength of the FEL is tunable in the range of 3 - 12 mm by tuning the energy of the electron beam. The output power is estimated to be 1 kW. The electrostatic accelerator is composed of high-current electron gun, acceleration tube, high-voltage generator, high-voltage terminal, deceleration tube, electron collator, and vacuum pumps. Two types of LaB 6 -based thermionic electron guns (triode gun and diode gun) and their power supplies have been developed. The voltage of the guns is 30 kV and the output current is - 2 A. A beam-focusing planar undulator and a permanent-magnet helical undulator have been developed and 3D trajectories of electron beam in the undulators have been calculated to find optimal input condition of electron beam. 135 figs, 15 pix, 17 tabs, 98 refs. (Author)
Ultra-High-Contrast Laser Acceleration of Relativistic Electrons in Solid Targets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Higginson, Drew Pitney [Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)

2013-01-01

The cone-guided fast ignition approach to Inertial Con nement Fusion requires laser-accelerated relativistic electrons to deposit kilojoules of energy within an imploded fuel core to initiate fusion burn. One obstacle to coupling electron energy into the core is the ablation of material, known as preplasma, by laser energy proceeding nanoseconds prior to the main pulse. This causes the laser-absorption surface to be pushed back hundreds of microns from the initial target surface; thus increasing the distance that electrons must travel to reach the imploded core. Previous experiments have shown an order of magnitude decrease in coupling into surrogate targets when intentionally increasing the amount of preplasma. Additionally, for electrons to deposit energy within the core, they should have kinetic energies on the order of a few MeV, as less energetic electrons will be stopped prior to the core and more energetic electrons will pass through the core without depositing much energy. Thus a quantitative understanding of the electron energy spectrum and how it responds to varied laser parameters is paramount for fast ignition. For the rst time, this dissertation quantitatively investigates the acceleration of electrons using an ultra-high-contrast laser. Ultra-high-contrast lasers reduce the laser energy that reaches the target prior to the main pulse; drastically reducing the amount of preplasma. Experiments were performed in a cone-wire geometry relevant to fast ignition. These experiments irradiated the inner-tip of a Au cone with the laser and observed electrons that passed through a Cu wire attached to the outer-tip of the cone. The total emission of K x-rays is used as a diagnostic to infer the electron energy coupled into the wire. Imaging the x-ray emission allowed an e ective path-length of electrons within the wire to be determined, which constrained the electron energy spectrum. Experiments were carried out on the ultra-high-contrast Trident laser at Los
Measurements of the divergence of fast electrons in laser-irradiated spherical targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaakobi, B.; Solodov, A. A.; Myatt, J. F.; Delettrez, J. A.; Stoeckl, C.; Froula, D. H.

2013-01-01

In recent experiments using directly driven spherical targets on the OMEGA laser system, the energy in fast electrons was found to reach ∼1% of the laser energy at an irradiance of ∼1.1 × 10 15 W/cm 2 . The fraction of these fast electrons absorbed in the compressed fuel shell depends on their angular divergence. This paper describes measurements of this divergence deduced from a series of shots where Mo-coated shells of increasing diameter (D) were suspended within an outer CH shell. The intensity of the Mo–Kα line and the hard x-ray radiation were found to increase approximately as ∼D 2 , indicating wide divergence of the fast electrons. Alternative interpretations of these results (electron scattering, radiation excitation of Kα, and an electric field due to return current) are shown to be unimportant
Evaluation of laser-driven ion energies for fusion fast-ignition research

Science.gov (United States)

Tosaki, S.; Yogo, A.; Koga, K.; Okamoto, K.; Shokita, S.; Morace, A.; Arikawa, Y.; Fujioka, S.; Nakai, M.; Shiraga, H.; Azechi, H.; Nishimura, H.

2017-10-01

We investigate laser-driven ion acceleration using kJ-class picosecond (ps) laser pulses as a fundamental study for ion-assisted fusion fast ignition, using a newly developed Thomson-parabola ion spectrometer (TPIS). The TPIS has a space- and weight-saving design, considering its use in an laser-irradiation chamber in which 12 beams of fuel implosion laser are incident, and, at the same time, demonstrates sufficient performance with its detectable range and resolution of the ion energy required for fast-ignition research. As a fundamental study on laser-ion acceleration using a ps pulse laser, we show proton acceleration up to 40 MeV at 1 × 10^{19} W cm^{-2}. The energy conversion efficiency from the incident laser into protons higher than 6 MeV is 4.6%, which encourages the realization of fusion fast ignition by laser-driven ions.
Proposed Physics Experiments for Laser-Driven Electron Linear Acceleration in a Dielectric Loaded Vacuum, Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byer, Robert L. [Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Applied Physics. Edward L. Ginzton Lab.

2016-07-08

This final report summarizes the last three years of research on the development of advanced linear electron accelerators that utilize dielectric wave-guide vacuum channels pumped by high energy laser fields to accelerate beams of electrons.
Laser-driven particle acceleration towards radiobiology and medicine

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

This book deals with the new method of laser-driven acceleration for application to radiation biophysics and medicine. It provides multidisciplinary contributions from world leading scientist in order to assess the state of the art of innovative tools for radiation biology research and medical applications of ionizing radiation. The book contains insightful contributions on highly topical aspects of spatio-temporal radiation biophysics, evolving over several orders of magnitude, typically from femtosecond and sub-micrometer scales. Particular attention is devoted to the emerging technology of laser-driven particle accelerators and their applicatio to spatio-temporal radiation biology and medical physics, customization of non-conventional and selective radiotherapy and optimized radioprotection protocols.
High power millimeter-wave free electron laser based on recirculating electrostatic accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Byung-Cheol; Kim, Sun-Kook; Jeong, Young-Uk; Cho, Sung-Oh; Lee, Jongmin

1995-01-01

Progress in the development of a high power, millimeter-wave free electron laser driven by a recirculating electrostatic accelerator is reported. The energy and the current of electron beam are 430 keV and 2 A, respectively. The expected average output power is above 10 kW at the wavelength of 3-10 mm. Minimizing of the beam loss is a key issue for CW operation of the FEL with high efficiency. (author)
LASNEX simulations of the classical and laser-driven Rayleigh-Taylor instability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikaelian, K.O.

1990-01-01

We present the results of two-dimensional LASNEX simulations of the classical and laser-driven Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Our growth rates and eigenmodes for classical two- and three-fluid problems agree closely with the exact analytic expressions. We illustrate in several examples how perturbations feed through from one interface to another. For targets driven by a 1/4-μm laser at I=2x10 14 W/cm 2 our growth rates are 40--80 % of the classical case rates for wavelengths between 5 and 100 μm. We find that radiation transport has a stabilizing effect on the Rayleigh-Taylor instability, particularly at high intensities. A brief comparison with a laser-driven experiment is also presented
Longitudinal phase space manipulation in energy recovering linac-driven free-electron lasers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Piot

2003-03-01

Full Text Available Energy recovering an electron beam after it has participated in a free-electron laser (FEL interaction can be quite challenging because of the substantial FEL-induced energy spread and the energy antidamping that occurs during deceleration. In the Jefferson Lab infrared FEL driver accelerator, such an energy recovery scheme was implemented by properly matching the longitudinal phase space throughout the recirculation transport by employing the so-called energy compression scheme. In the present paper, after presenting a single-particle dynamics approach of the method used to energy recover the electron beam, we report on experimental validation of the method obtained by measurements of the so-called “compression efficiency” and “momentum compaction” lattice transfer maps at different locations in the recirculation transport line. We also compare these measurements with numerical tracking simulations.
High frequency free-electron laser results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyer, K.; Brau, C.A.; Newman, B.E.; Stein, W.E.; Warren, R.W.; Winston, J.G.; Young, L.M.

1983-01-01

By looking at the free-electron laser as a particle accelerator working backwards, Morton realized that the techniques used to accelerate particles could be used to improve the performance of free-electron lasers. In particular, he predicted the capture of electrons in ''stable-phase'' regions, or ''buckets'' in the electron phase space, and proposed that by decelerating the buckets, the trapped electrons could be decelerated to extract significant amounts of their energy as optical radiation. In fact, since electrons not trapped in the stable regions are forever excluded from them--at least in the adiabatic approximation--displacement techniques could also be used to accelerate or decelerate electrons in a free-electron laser. This paper explains the principle behind ''phase-displacement'' acceleration and details an experiment carried out with a 20-MeV electron beam to test these predictions. Results obtained with a tapered-wiggler free-electron laser demonstrate the concepts proposed by Morton for enhanced efficiency. They show deceleration of electrons by as much as 7% and extraction of more than 3% of the total electron-beam energy as laser energy when the laser is operated as an amplifier. The experiment is presently being reconfigured to examine its performance as a laser oscillator
Phase and amplitude feedback control system for the Los Alamos free-electron laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lynch, M.T.; Tallerico, P.J.; Higgins, E.F.

1985-01-01

Phase and amplitude feedback control systems for the Los Alamos free-electron laser (FEL) are described. Beam-driven voltages are very high in the buncher cavity because the electron gun is pulsed at the fifth subharmonic of the buncher resonant frequency. The high beam loading necessitated a novel feedback and drive configuration for the buncher. A compensation cirucit has been added to the gun/driver system to reduce observed drift. Extremely small variations in the accelerator gradients had dramatic effects on the laser output power. These problems and how they were solved are described and plans for improvements in the feedback control system are discussed. 5 refs., 7 figs
Laser-cooling effects in few-ion clouds of Yb+

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, C.S.; Gill, P.; Klein, H.A.; Levick, A.P.; Rowley, W.R.C.

1994-01-01

We report some laser-cooling effects in a few 172 Yb + ions held in a Paul trap. Pronounced cloud-to-crystal phase transitions have been observed as discontinuities in the Yb + fluorescence spectrum of the 369 nm cooling transition. The first reported two-dimensional images of Yb + clouds with evidence of crystal structure have been recorded using a photon-counting position-sensitive detector. An ion temperature of 100 mK has been estimated from the size of a single ion image. Stepwise cooling of a re-heated, few-ion Yb + cloud was also observed. (orig.)
High-Mach number, laser-driven magnetized collisionless shocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaeffer, Derek B.; Fox, W.; Haberberger, D.; Fiksel, G.; Bhattacharjee, A.

2017-01-01

Collisionless shocks are ubiquitous in space and astrophysical systems, and the class of supercritical shocks is of particular importance due to their role in accelerating particles to high energies. While these shocks have been traditionally studied by spacecraft and remote sensing observations, laboratory experiments can provide reproducible and multi-dimensional datasets that provide complementary understanding of the underlying microphysics. We present experiments undertaken on the OMEGA and OMEGA EP laser facilities that show the formation and evolution of high-Mach number collisionless shocks created through the interaction of a laser-driven magnetic piston and magnetized ambient plasma. Through time-resolved, 2-D imaging we observe large density and magnetic compressions that propagate at super-Alfvenic speeds and that occur over ion kinetic length scales. Electron density and temperature of the initial ambient plasma are characterized using optical Thomson scattering. Measurements of the piston laser-plasma are modeled with 2-D radiation-hydrodynamic simulations, which are used to initialize 2-D particle-in-cell simulations of the interaction between the piston and ambient plasmas. The numerical results show the formation of collisionless shocks, including the separate dynamics of the carbon and hydrogen ions that constitute the ambient plasma and their effect on the shock structure. Furthermore, the simulations also show the shock separating from the piston, which we observe in the data at late experimental times.
Intense laser driven collision-less shock and ion acceleration in magnetized plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Mima, K.; Jia, Q.; Cai, H. B.; Taguchi, T.; Nagatomo, H.; Sanz, J. R.; Honrubia, J.

2016-05-01

The generation of strong magnetic field with a laser driven coil has been demonstrated by many experiments. It is applicable to the magnetized fast ignition (MFI), the collision-less shock in the astrophysics and the ion shock acceleration. In this paper, the longitudinal magnetic field effect on the shock wave driven by the radiation pressure of an intense short pulse laser is investigated by theory and simulations. The transition of a laminar shock (electro static shock) to the turbulent shock (electromagnetic shock) occurs, when the external magnetic field is applied in near relativistic cut-off density plasmas. This transition leads to the enhancement of conversion of the laser energy into high energy ions. The enhancement of the conversion efficiency is important for the ion driven fast ignition and the laser driven neutron source. It is found that the total number of ions reflected by the shock increases by six time when the magnetic field is applied.
Temporal resolution criterion for correctly simulating relativistic electron motion in a high-intensity laser field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arefiev, Alexey V. [Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Cochran, Ginevra E.; Schumacher, Douglass W. [Physics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 (United States); Robinson, Alexander P. L. [Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX (United Kingdom); Chen, Guangye [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

2015-01-15

Particle-in-cell codes are now standard tools for studying ultra-intense laser-plasma interactions. Motivated by direct laser acceleration of electrons in sub-critical plasmas, we examine temporal resolution requirements that must be satisfied to accurately calculate electron dynamics in strong laser fields. Using the motion of a single electron in a perfect plane electromagnetic wave as a test problem, we show surprising deterioration of the numerical accuracy with increasing wave amplitude a{sub 0} for a given time-step. We go on to show analytically that the time-step must be significantly less than λ/ca{sub 0} to achieve good accuracy. We thus propose adaptive electron sub-cycling as an efficient remedy.
Combustion driven NF3 chemical laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1975-01-01

Stable, inert, non-corrosive nitrogen trifluoride gas and an inorganic source of hydrogen or deuterium gas are used as reactants in a compact combustion driven chemical laser. Nitrogen trifluoride is introduced into the combustion chamber of a chemical laser together with a hydrogen source selected from hydrogen, hydrazine, ammonia, acetylene, or benzene and the deuterated isotopes thereof and an optional inert diluent gas wherein the nitrogen trifluoride and the hydrogen- or deuterium-source gas hypergolically reacted upon heating to initiation temperature. Dissociated products from the reaction pass into a laser cavity at supersonic velocities where they are reacted with a source gas which is the isotopic opposite of the gas introduced into the combustor and which has been heated by regenerative cooling. Excited molecules of hydrogen fluoride or deuterium fluoride produce laser radiation which leaves the optical resonator cavity transversely to the flow of gases
Laser control of electron matter waves

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jones, E.; Becker, M.; Luiten, O.J.; Batelaan, H.

2016-01-01

In recent years laser light has been used to control the motion of electron waves. Electrons can now be diffracted by standing waves of light. Laser light in the vicinity of nanostructures is used to affect free electrons, for example, femto-second and atto-second laser-induced electrons are emitted
Intense pulsed sources of ions and electrons produced by lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourrabier, G.; Consoli, T.; Slama, L.

1966-11-01

We describe a device for the acceleration of the plasma burst produced by focusing a laser beam into a metal target. We extract the electrons and the ions from the plasma. The maximum current is around 2000 amperes during few microseconds. The study of the effect of the kind of the target on the characteristics of the current shows the great importance of the initial conditions that is the ionisation potential of the target and the energy laser. (authors) [fr

Electron versus proton accelerator driven sub-critical system performance using TRIGA reactors at power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carta, M.; Burgio, N.; D'Angelo, A.; Santagata, A.; Petrovich, C.; Schikorr, M.; Beller, D.; Felice, L. S.; Imel, G.; Salvatores, M.

2006-01-01

This paper provides a comparison of the performance of an electron accelerator-driven experiment, under discussion within the Reactor Accelerator Coupling Experiments (RACE) Project, being conducted within the U.S. Dept. of Energy's Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI), and of the proton-driven experiment TRADE (TRIGA Accelerator Driven Experiment) originally planned at ENEA-Casaccia in Italy. Both experiments foresee the coupling to sub-critical TRIGA core configurations, and are aimed to investigate the relevant kinetic and dynamic accelerator-driven systems (ADS) core behavior characteristics in the presence of thermal reactivity feedback effects. TRADE was based on the coupling of an upgraded proton cyclotron, producing neutrons via spallation reactions on a tantalum (Ta) target, with the core driven at a maximum power around 200 kW. RACE is based on the coupling of an Electron Linac accelerator, producing neutrons via photoneutron reactions on a tungsten-copper (W-Cu) or uranium (U) target, with the core driven at a maximum power around 50 kW. The paper is focused on analysis of expected dynamic power response of the RACE core following reactivity and/or source transients. TRADE and RACE target-core power coupling coefficients are compared and discussed. (authors)
Dynamics of Laser-Driven Shock Waves in Solid Targets

Science.gov (United States)

Aglitskiy, Y.; Karasik, M.; Velikovich, A. L.; Serlin, V.; Weaver, J.; Schmitt, A. J.; Obenschain, S. P.; Grun, J.; Metzler, N.; Zalesak, S. T.; Gardner, J. H.; Oh, J.; Harding, E. C.

2009-11-01

Accurate shock timing is a key issue of both indirect- and direct-drive laser fusions. The experiments on the Nike laser at NRL presented here were made possible by improvements in the imaging capability of our monochromatic x-ray diagnostics based on Bragg reflection from spherically curved crystals. Side-on imaging implemented on Nike makes it possible to observe dynamics of the shock wave and ablation front in laser-driven solid targets. We can choose to observe a sequence of 2D images or a continuous time evolution of an image resolved in one spatial dimension. A sequence of 300 ps snapshots taken using vanadium backlighter at 5.2 keV reveals propagation of a shock wave in a solid plastic target. The shape of the shock wave reflects the intensity distribution in the Nike beam. The streak records with continuous time resolution show the x-t trajectory of a laser-driven shock wave in a 10% solid density DVB foam.
Generation of a few femtoseconds pulses in seeded FELs using a seed laser with small transverse size

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Heting, E-mail: liheting@ustc.edu.cn; Jia, Qika

2016-09-11

We propose a simple method to generate a few femtosecond pulses in seeded FELs. We use a longitudinal energy-chirped electron beam passing through a dogleg where transverse dispersion will generate a horizontal energy chirp, then in the modulator, a seed laser with narrow beam radius will only modulate the center portion of the electron beam and then short pulses at high harmonics will be generated in the radiator. Using a representative realistic set of parameters, we show that 30 nm XUV pulse based on the HGHG scheme and 9 nm soft x-ray pulse based on the EEHG scheme with duration of about 8 fs (FWHM) and peak power of GW level can be generated from a 180 nm UV seed laser with beam waist of 75 μm. This new scheme can provide an optional operation mode for the existing seeded FEL facilities to meet the requirement of short-pulse FEL.
Electron Generation and Transport in Intense Relativistic Laser-Plasma Interactions Relevant to Fast Ignition ICF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Tammy Yee Wing [Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)

2010-01-01

The reentrant cone approach to Fast Ignition, an advanced Inertial Confinement Fusion scheme, remains one of the most attractive because of the potential to efficiently collect and guide the laser light into the cone tip and direct energetic electrons into the high density core of the fuel. However, in the presence of a preformed plasma, the laser energy is largely absorbed before it can reach the cone tip. Full scale fast ignition laser systems are envisioned to have prepulses ranging between 100 mJ to 1 J. A few of the imperative issues facing fast ignition, then, are the conversion efficiency with which the laser light is converted to hot electrons, the subsequent transport characteristics of those electrons, and requirements for maximum allowable prepulse this may put on the laser system. This dissertation examines the laser-to-fast electron conversion efficiency scaling with prepulse for cone-guided fast ignition. Work in developing an extreme ultraviolet imager diagnostic for the temperature measurements of electron-heated targets, as well as the validation of the use of a thin wire for simultaneous determination of electron number density and electron temperature will be discussed.
Modeling of laser-driven hydrodynamics experiments

Science.gov (United States)

di Stefano, Carlos; Doss, Forrest; Rasmus, Alex; Flippo, Kirk; Desjardins, Tiffany; Merritt, Elizabeth; Kline, John; Hager, Jon; Bradley, Paul

2017-10-01

Correct interpretation of hydrodynamics experiments driven by a laser-produced shock depends strongly on an understanding of the time-dependent effect of the irradiation conditions on the flow. In this talk, we discuss the modeling of such experiments using the RAGE radiation-hydrodynamics code. The focus is an instability experiment consisting of a period of relatively-steady shock conditions in which the Richtmyer-Meshkov process dominates, followed by a period of decaying flow conditions, in which the dominant growth process changes to Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The use of a laser model is essential for capturing the transition. also University of Michigan.
Incoloy 800 steam generator tubes stubbing by laser and electron beams process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonnin, P.; Noel, J.P.; Gauthier, J.P.; Peigney, A.

1988-01-01

The electron beam welding conditions are optimized for different thermal cycles and chemical compositions of the fusion zone. The metallurgical and mechanical properties of the joints are described and compared with the properties of laser and TIG welds [fr
Solar-Driven Air-Conditioning Cycles: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. M. Abu-Zour

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Most conventional cooling/refrigeration systems are driven by fossil fuel combustion, and therefore give rise to emission of environmentally damaging pollutants. In addition, many cooling systems employ refrigerants, which are also harmful to the environment in terms of their Global Warming Potential (GWP and Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP. Development of a passive or hybrid solar-driven air-conditioning system is therefore of interest as exploitation of such systems would reduce the demand for grid electricity particularly at times of peak load. This paper presents a review of various cooling cycles and summarises work carried out on solar-driven air-conditioning systems.
Laser-driven acceleration of protons from hydrogenated annealed silicon targets

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Picciotto, A.; Margarone, Daniele; Krása, Josef; Velyhan, Andriy; Serra, E.; Bellutti, P.; Scarduelli, G.; Calliari, L.; Krouský, Eduard; Rus, Bedřich; Dapor, M.

2010-01-01

Roč. 92, č. 3 (2010), 34008/1-34008/5 ISSN 0295-5075 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC528 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100523 Keywords : laser-driven acceleration * laser ablation * plasma-material interactions * boundary layer effects Subject RIV: BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers Impact factor: 2.753, year: 2010
High-efficiency free-electron laser results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyer, K.; Baru, C.A.; Newnam, B.E.; Stein, W.E.; Warren, R.W.; Winston, J.G.; Young, L.M.

1983-01-01

Results obtained with a tapered-wiggler free-electron laser demonstrate the concepts proposed by Morton for enhanced efficiency and show deceleration of electrons by as much as 7%, and extraction of more than 3% of the total electron-beam energy as laser energy when the laser is operated as an amplifier. The experiment is presently being reconfigured to examine its performance as a laser oscillator
ANTHEM: a two-dimensional multicomponent self-consistent hydro-electron transport code for laser-matter interaction studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mason, R.J.

1982-01-01

The ANTHEM code for the study of CO 2 -laser-generated transport is outlined. ANTHEM treats the background plasma as coupled Eulerian thermal and ion fluids, and the suprathermal electrons as either a third fluid or a body of evolving collisional PIC particles. The electrons scatter off the ions; the suprathermals drag against the thermal background. Self-consistent E- and B-fields are computed by the Implicit Moment Method. The current status of the code is described. Typical output from ANTHEM is discussed with special application to Augmented-Return-Current CO 2 -laser-driven targets
Free-electron laser results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stein, W.E.; Brau, C.A.; Newnam, B.E.; Warren, R.W.; Winston, J.; Young, L.M.

1981-01-01

The Los Alamos free-electron laser (FEL) amplifier experiment was designed to demonstrate high efficiency for transfer of energy from an electron beam to a light beam in the magnetic field of a tapered wiggler. Initial results indicate an energy transfer consistent with theory. Distinct groups of decelerated electrons as well as accelerated electrons are clearly present in the energy spectrum of electrons emerging from the wiggler when the laser light is present. The observed energy decrease for the electrons captured in the decelerating bucket is approx. 6% and the average decrease of the entire energy distribution is approx. 2% for the conditions of these initial measurements
Detailed characterization of electron sources yielding first demonstration of European X-ray Free-Electron Laser beam quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Stephan

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The photoinjector test facility at DESY, Zeuthen site (PITZ, was built to develop and optimize photoelectron sources for superconducting linacs for high-brilliance, short-wavelength free-electron laser (FEL applications like the free-electron laser in Hamburg (FLASH and the European x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL. In this paper, the detailed characterization of two laser-driven rf guns with different operating conditions is described. One experimental optimization of the beam parameters was performed at an accelerating gradient of about 43 MV/m at the photocathode and the other at about 60 MV/m. In both cases, electron beams with very high phase-space density have been demonstrated at a bunch charge of 1 nC and are compared with corresponding simulations. The rf gun optimized for the lower gradient has surpassed all the FLASH requirements on beam quality and rf parameters (gradient, rf pulse length, repetition rate and serves as a spare gun for this facility. The rf gun studied with increased accelerating gradient at the cathode produced beams with even higher brightness, yielding the first demonstration of the beam quality required for driving the European XFEL: The geometric mean of the normalized projected rms emittance in the two transverse directions was measured to be 1.26±0.13 mm mrad for a 1-nC electron bunch. When a 10% charge cut is applied excluding electrons from those phase-space regions where the measured phase-space density is below a certain level and which are not expected to contribute to the lasing process, the normalized projected rms emittance is about 0.9 mm mrad.
Laser-ablation-based ion source characterization and manipulation for laser-driven ion acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Sommer, P.; Metzkes-Ng, J.; Brack, F.-E.; Cowan, T. E.; Kraft, S. D.; Obst, L.; Rehwald, M.; Schlenvoigt, H.-P.; Schramm, U.; Zeil, K.

2018-05-01

For laser-driven ion acceleration from thin foils (∼10 μm–100 nm) in the target normal sheath acceleration regime, the hydro-carbon contaminant layer at the target surface generally serves as the ion source and hence determines the accelerated ion species, i.e. mainly protons, carbon and oxygen ions. The specific characteristics of the source layer—thickness and relevant lateral extent—as well as its manipulation have both been investigated since the first experiments on laser-driven ion acceleration using a variety of techniques from direct source imaging to knife-edge or mesh imaging. In this publication, we present an experimental study in which laser ablation in two fluence regimes (low: F ∼ 0.6 J cm‑2, high: F ∼ 4 J cm‑2) was applied to characterize and manipulate the hydro-carbon source layer. The high-fluence ablation in combination with a timed laser pulse for particle acceleration allowed for an estimation of the relevant source layer thickness for proton acceleration. Moreover, from these data and independently from the low-fluence regime, the lateral extent of the ion source layer became accessible.
Study of laser driven plasma based electron acceleration and Bremsstrahlung radiation emission using ultra-high intensity laser pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, B.S.

2013-01-01

High energy particle accelerators are one of the most important inventions of the twentieth century which have led to enormous advances in basic scientific understanding of world around us. Despite their grand success, the present day high energy accelerators are hitting practical limits due to their large size and cost. This is because the accelerating gradients in conventional radio-frequency (RF) accelerators are typically limited to < 50 MV/m by the field breakdown of the accelerating structure. To address this major issue, many advanced accelerator techniques have been proposed and some of them are being actively pursued. Laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) in plasma medium is one of the techniques being most actively pursued world over due to extremely large acceleration gradients of the order of 100 GV/m possible in this scheme which promises significant reduction of the size and cost of the future high energy accelerators. The present thesis work mainly deals with laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) of self-injected electrons to 10s of MeV energy in plasma medium of length of the order of 500 μm using the table-top 10 TW laser at Laser Plasma Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology
Quasi-monoenergetic proton acceleration from cryogenic hydrogen microjet by ultrashort ultraintense laser pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, A.; Tibai, Z.; Hebling, J.; Fülöp, J. A.

2018-03-01

Laser-driven proton acceleration from a micron-sized cryogenic hydrogen microjet target is investigated using multi-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. With few-cycle (20-fs) ultraintense (2-PW) laser pulses, high-energy quasi-monoenergetic proton acceleration is predicted in a new regime. A collisionless shock-wave acceleration mechanism influenced by Weibel instability results in a maximum proton energy as high as 160 MeV and a quasi-monoenergetic peak at 80 MeV for 1022 W/cm2 laser intensity with controlled prepulses. A self-generated strong quasi-static magnetic field is also observed in the plasma, which modifies the spatial distribution of the proton beam.
Development of a Laser Driven Photocathode Injector and Femtosecond Scale Laser Electron Synchronization for Next Generation Light Sources

CERN Document Server

Le Sage, G P; Ditmire, T R; Rosenzweig, J

2000-01-01

A high brightness photoinjector has been developed at LLNL. This injector combined with the 100 TW FALCON laser and the LLNL 100 MeV S-Band RF linac will enable development of a high brightness, femtosecond-scale, tunable, hard x-ray probe for time-resolved material measurements, based on Thomson scattering. Short pulse x-rays enable time-resolved characterization of shock dynamics, and examination of materials under extremes of pressure and temperature. Examples include Equation of State characterization on high-density materials, Crystal disorganization and re-growth in shocked and heated materials, and measurement of short time scale phase transition phenomena. Single shot evaluation, requiring high peak flux, is important for complex experiments such as probing of laser shocked actinides. A low emittance electron beam synchronized with femtosecond accuracy to an intense laser will revolutionize x-ray dynamics studies of materials. This project will lead development of ultrafast x-ray dynamics research on ...
Physical mechanisms leading to high currents of highly charged ions in laser-driven ion sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haseroth, Helmut; Hora, Heinrich; Regensburg Inst. of Tech.

1996-01-01

Heavy ion sources for the big accelerators, for example, the LHC, require considerably more ions per pulse during a short time than the best developed classical ion source, the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) provides; thus an alternative ion source is needed. This can be expected from laser-produced plasmas, where dramatically new types of ion generation have been observed. Experiments with rather modest lasers have confirmed operation with one million pulses of 1 Hz, and 10 11 C 4+ ions per pulse reached 2 GeV/u in the Dubna synchrotron. We review here the complexities of laser-plasma interactions to underline the unique and extraordinary possibilities that the laser ion source offers. The complexities are elaborated with respect to keV and MeV ion generation, nonlinear (ponderomotive) forces, self-focusing, resonances and ''hot'' electrons, parametric instabilities, double-layer effects, and the few ps stochastic pulsation (stuttering). Recent experiments with the laser ion source have been analyzed to distinguish between the ps and ns interaction, and it was discovered that one mechanism of highly charged ion generation is the electron impact ionization (EII) mechanism, similar to the ECR, but with so much higher plasma densities that the required very large number of ions per pulse are produced. (author)
Physical mechanisms leading to high currents of highly charged ions in laser-driven ion sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haseroth, Helmut [European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva (Switzerland); Hora, Heinrich [New South Wales Univ., Kensington, NSW (Australia)]|[Regensburg Inst. of Tech. (Germany). Anwenderzentrum

1996-12-31

Heavy ion sources for the big accelerators, for example, the LHC, require considerably more ions per pulse during a short time than the best developed classical ion source, the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) provides; thus an alternative ion source is needed. This can be expected from laser-produced plasmas, where dramatically new types of ion generation have been observed. Experiments with rather modest lasers have confirmed operation with one million pulses of 1 Hz, and 10{sup 11} C{sup 4+} ions per pulse reached 2 GeV/u in the Dubna synchrotron. We review here the complexities of laser-plasma interactions to underline the unique and extraordinary possibilities that the laser ion source offers. The complexities are elaborated with respect to keV and MeV ion generation, nonlinear (ponderomotive) forces, self-focusing, resonances and ``hot`` electrons, parametric instabilities, double-layer effects, and the few ps stochastic pulsation (stuttering). Recent experiments with the laser ion source have been analyzed to distinguish between the ps and ns interaction, and it was discovered that one mechanism of highly charged ion generation is the electron impact ionization (EII) mechanism, similar to the ECR, but with so much higher plasma densities that the required very large number of ions per pulse are produced. (author).
Few electron quantum dot coupling to donor implanted electron spins

Science.gov (United States)

Rudolph, Martin; Harvey-Collard, Patrick; Neilson, Erik; Gamble, John; Muller, Richard; Jacobson, Toby; Ten-Eyck, Greg; Wendt, Joel; Pluym, Tammy; Lilly, Michael; Carroll, Malcolm

2015-03-01

Donor-based Si qubits are receiving increased interest because of recent demonstrations of high fidelity electron or nuclear spin qubits and their coupling. Quantum dot (QD) mediated interactions between donors are of interest for future coupling of two donors. We present experiment and modeling of a polysilicon/Si MOS QD, charge-sensed by a neighboring many electron QD, capable of coupling to one or two donor implanted electron spins (D) while tuned to the few electron regime. The unique design employs two neighboring gated wire FETs and self-aligned implants, which supports many configurations of implanted donors. We can access the (0,1) ⇔(1,0) transition between the D and QD, as well as the resonance condition between the few electron QD and two donors ((0,N,1) ⇔(0,N +1,0) ⇔(1,N,0)). We characterize capacitances and tunnel rate behavior combined with semi-classical and full configuration interaction simulations to study the energy landscape and kinetics of D-QD transitions. This work was performed, in part, at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a U.S. DOE, Office of Basic Energy Sciences user facility. The work was supported by the Sandia National Laboratories Directed Research and Development Program. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed-Martin Company, for the U. S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC04-94AL85000.
Quasi-monoenergetic ion beam acceleration by laser-driven shock and solitary waves in near-critical plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, W. L.; Qiao, B.; Huang, T. W.; Shen, X. F.; You, W. Y.; Yan, X. Q.; Wu, S. Z.; Zhou, C. T.; He, X. T.

2016-01-01

Ion acceleration in near-critical plasmas driven by intense laser pulses is investigated theoretically and numerically. A theoretical model has been given for clarification of the ion acceleration dynamics in relation to different laser and target parameters. Two distinct regimes have been identified, where ions are accelerated by, respectively, the laser-induced shock wave in the weakly driven regime (comparatively low laser intensity) and the nonlinear solitary wave in the strongly driven regime (comparatively high laser intensity). Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that quasi-monoenergetic proton beams with a peak energy of 94.6 MeV and an energy spread 15.8% are obtained by intense laser pulses at intensity I_0 = 3 × 10"2"0" W/cm"2 and pulse duration τ = 0.5 ps in the strongly driven regime, which is more advantageous than that got in the weakly driven regime. In addition, 233 MeV proton beams with narrow spread can be produced by extending τ to 1.0 ps in the strongly driven regime.

Quasi-monoenergetic ion beam acceleration by laser-driven shock and solitary waves in near-critical plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, W. L.; Qiao, B., E-mail: bqiao@pku.edu.cn; Huang, T. W.; Shen, X. F.; You, W. Y. [Center for Applied Physics and Technology, HEDPS, and State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006 (China); Yan, X. Q. [Center for Applied Physics and Technology, HEDPS, and State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Wu, S. Z. [Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094 (China); Zhou, C. T.; He, X. T. [Center for Applied Physics and Technology, HEDPS, and State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094 (China)

2016-07-15

Ion acceleration in near-critical plasmas driven by intense laser pulses is investigated theoretically and numerically. A theoretical model has been given for clarification of the ion acceleration dynamics in relation to different laser and target parameters. Two distinct regimes have been identified, where ions are accelerated by, respectively, the laser-induced shock wave in the weakly driven regime (comparatively low laser intensity) and the nonlinear solitary wave in the strongly driven regime (comparatively high laser intensity). Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that quasi-monoenergetic proton beams with a peak energy of 94.6 MeV and an energy spread 15.8% are obtained by intense laser pulses at intensity I{sub 0} = 3 × 10{sup 20 }W/cm{sup 2} and pulse duration τ = 0.5 ps in the strongly driven regime, which is more advantageous than that got in the weakly driven regime. In addition, 233 MeV proton beams with narrow spread can be produced by extending τ to 1.0 ps in the strongly driven regime.
CL 19: Anisotropy of the electron diffraction from femtosecond Laser excited Bismuth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, P.; Ligges, M.; Streubuehr, C.; Brazda, Th.; Payer, Th.; Meyer zu Heringdorf, F.; Horn-von Hoegen, M.; Von der Linde, D.

2010-01-01

We report an electron diffraction experiment in Bi in which a linearly polarized E g optical phonon mode is detected after excitation of the material by a femtosecond laser pulse. Bismuth is a semimetal with rhombohedral crystal structure with two atoms in the unit cell. There are two types of optical phonon modes: (i) The totally symmetric A 1g mode which corresponds to a displacement of the atoms along the trigonal (111) direction, and (ii) the doubly degenerate E g mode which represents a motion in the plane perpendicular to (111). The A 1g mode can be coherently excited both by displacive excitation (DE) and by impulsive stimulated Raman scattering (ISRS). Symmetry properties prevent DE of E g modes leaving ISRS as a likely excitation mechanism. We performed time resolved electron diffraction experiments on femtosecond laser excited Bi membranes of 15 nm thickness which were grown on a NaCl crystal and detached by floating in water. The experimental setup is described elsewhere. The fundamental laser beam (800 nm) was used for the excitation of the Bi films. The films had a crystalline structure with the (111) axis perpendicular to the surface. The electron beam passed perpendicular to the surface through the film. In this geometry the diffraction pattern is insensitive to atomic displacements along the (111) direction, i.e. insensitive to A 1g phonon modes. On the other hand, the excitation of E g modes corresponding to atomic displacements in the plane normal to (111) decreases the intensity of particular diffraction orders. The individual cycles of the E g vibrations (duration 475 fs) could not be resolved because our time resolution about 700 fs was not sufficient. In our experiment excitation beam with a fluence of 1 mJ/cm 2 and variable linear polarization was incident from the backside at an angle of 40 degrees (counter propagating electron and laser beam). The diffraction patterns were recorded as a function of the delay time between laser pump and
Design and dosimetry of a few leaf electron collimator for energy modulated electron therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Yahya, Khalid; Verhaegen, Frank; Seuntjens, Jan

2007-01-01

Despite the capability of energy modulated electron therapy (EMET) to achieve highly conformal dose distributions in superficial targets it has not been widely implemented due to problems inherent in electron beam radiotherapy such as planning dosimetry accuracy, and verification as well as a lack of systems for automated delivery. In previous work we proposed a novel technique to deliver EMET using an automated 'few leaf electron collimator' (FLEC) that consists of four motor-driven leaves fit in a standard clinical electron beam applicator. Integrated with a Monte Carlo based optimization algorithm that utilizes patient-specific dose kernels, a treatment delivery was incorporated within the linear accelerator operation. The FLEC was envisioned to work as an accessory tool added to the clinical accelerator. In this article the design and construction of the FLEC prototype that match our compact design goals are presented. It is controlled using an in-house developed EMET controller. The structure of the software and the hardware characteristics of the EMET controller are demonstrated. Using a parallel plate ionization chamber, output measurements were obtained to validate the Monte Carlo calculations for a range of fields with different energies and sizes. Further verifications were also performed for comparing 1-D and 2-D dose distributions using energy independent radiochromic films. Comparisons between Monte Carlo calculations and measurements of complex intensity map deliveries show an overall agreement to within ±3%. This work confirms our design objectives of the FLEC that allow for automated delivery of EMET. Furthermore, the Monte Carlo dose calculation engine required for EMET planning was validated. The result supports the potential of the prototype FLEC for the planning and delivery of EMET
Three-dimensional simulations of an XUV free-electron laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldstein, J.C.; McVey, B.D.; Newnam, B.E.

1985-01-01

Operation of free-electron lasers (FEL) at long optical wavelengths (greater than or equal to 600 nm) has now been successfully demonstrated at several laboratories. To operate an FEL at shorter wavelengths imposes constraints on the brightness of the electron beam which are difficult to achieve. Until recently, it was perceived that only an electron storage ring could satisfy these beam requirements. However, our previous 1-D theoretical calculations revealed that modest improvements in the emittance available from rf-linear accelerators would be sufficient to allow operation of an FEL in the XUV spectral range (greater than or equal to 50 nm). We shall present new theoretical results for the design of a linac-driven XUV FEL derived from an improved simulation model. The model is fully three-dimensional in its treatment of the undulator magnetic field, the optical radiation field, and the motion of electrons in a finite-emittance beam. Furthermore, the model computes self-consistently the motion of the electrons and the amplification, diffraction, and the refraction of the light within the undulator magnet. Propagation of the optical beam and reflection at the mirrors of the optical resonator are incorporated in the model so that a complete laser oscillator solution can be generated. The computed performance parameters of a particular XUV FEL oscillator design will be compared with the output of synchrotron radiation sources. 26 refs., 8 figs
Quantum correlations and limit cycles in the driven-dissipative Heisenberg lattice

Science.gov (United States)

Owen, E. T.; Jin, J.; Rossini, D.; Fazio, R.; Hartmann, M. J.

2018-04-01

Driven-dissipative quantum many-body systems have attracted increasing interest in recent years as they lead to novel classes of quantum many-body phenomena. In particular, mean-field calculations predict limit cycle phases, slow oscillations instead of stationary states, in the long-time limit for a number of driven-dissipative quantum many-body systems. Using a cluster mean-field and a self-consistent Mori projector approach, we explore the persistence of such limit cycles as short range quantum correlations are taken into account in a driven-dissipative Heisenberg model.
Laser generated hot electron transport in an externally applied magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burnett, N.H.; Enright, G.D.

1986-01-01

The authors have investigated the effect of an externally applied DC magnetic field on the generation and transport of hot electrons in CO/sub 2/ laser irradiation of cylindrical targets. The targets used in these studies were 6.3 mm diameter metal rods through which a pulsed current was driven from an external capacitor. Magnetic fields up to 150 kgauss were produced at the target surface. The CO/sub 2/ laser was focused with an f/5 lens resulting in a laser intensity of ≅3 x 10/sup 14/ W/cm/sup 2/ in a 100 μm diameter focal spot. The effect of the external magnetic field on the generation and inward transport of superhot (≥ 100 keV) electrons was studied. Principal diagnostics included a six channel hard x-ray spectrometer, a high energy x-ray pinhole camera, a LiF Laue x-ray spectrograph and a Ross-filtered (W-Ta) pair of x-ray detectors. The latter two diagnostics were designed to detect Au Kα /sub emission at 68.2 keV
Adaptive Generation and Diagnostics of Linear Few-Cycle Light Bullets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Bock

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Recently we introduced the class of highly localized wavepackets (HLWs as a generalization of optical Bessel-like needle beams. Here we report on the progress in this field. In contrast to pulsed Bessel beams and Airy beams, ultrashort-pulsed HLWs propagate with high stability in both spatial and temporal domain, are nearly paraxial (supercollimated, have fringe-less spatial profiles and thus represent the best possible approximation to linear “light bullets”. Like Bessel beams and Airy beams, HLWs show self-reconstructing behavior. Adaptive HLWs can be shaped by ultraflat three-dimensional phase profiles (generalized axicons which are programmed via calibrated grayscale maps of liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial light modulators (LCoS-SLMs. Light bullets of even higher complexity can either be freely formed from quasi-continuous phase maps or discretely composed from addressable arrays of identical nondiffracting beams. The characterization of few-cycle light bullets requires spatially resolved measuring techniques. In our experiments, wavefront, pulse and phase were detected with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, 2D-autocorrelation and spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction (SPIDER. The combination of the unique propagation properties of light bullets with the flexibility of adaptive optics opens new prospects for applications of structured light like optical tweezers, microscopy, data transfer and storage, laser fusion, plasmon control or nonlinear spectroscopy.
Optically controlled seeding of Raman forward scattering and injection of electrons in a self-modulated laser-wakefield accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, W.-T.; Chien, T.-Y.; Lee, C.-H.; Lin, J.-Y.; Wang, J.; Chen, S.-Y.

2004-01-01

Optical seeding of plasma waves and the injection of electrons are key issues in self-modulated laser-wakefield accelerators. By implementing a copropagating laser prepulse with proper timing, we are able to control the growth of Raman forward scattering and the production of accelerated electrons. The dependence of the Raman intensity on prepulse timing indicates that the seeding of Raman forward scattering is dominated by the ionization-induced wakefield, and the dependence of the divergence and number of accelerated electrons further reveals that the stimulated Raman backward scattering of the prepulse plays the essential role of injecting hot electrons into the fast plasma wave driven by the main pulse
Electrons and atoms in intense laser fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidovich, L.

1982-11-01

Several non-linear effects that show up when electrons and atoms interact with strong laser fields are considered. Thomson scattering, electron potential scattering in the presence of a laser beam, atomic ionization by strong laser fields, the refraction of electrons by laser beams and the Kapitza-Dirac effect are discussed. (Author) [pt
Electrons and atoms in intense laser fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidovich, L.

1982-01-01

Several non-linear effects that show up when electrons and atoms interact with strong laser fields are considered. Thomson scattering, electron potential scattering in the presence of a laser beam, atomic ionization by strong laser fields, the refraction of electrons by laser beams and the Kapitza-Dirac effect are discussed. (Author) [pt
Design and Status of the ELIMED Beam Line for Laser-Driven Ion Beams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. A. Pablo Cirrone

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Charged particle acceleration using ultra-intense and ultra-short laser pulses has gathered a strong interest in the scientific community and it is now one of the most attractive topics in the relativistic laser-plasma interaction research. Indeed, it could represent the future of particle acceleration and open new scenarios in multidisciplinary fields, in particular, medical applications. One of the biggest challenges consists of using, in a future perspective, high intensity laser-target interaction to generate high-energy ions for therapeutic purposes, eventually replacing the old paradigm of acceleration, characterized by huge and complex machines. The peculiarities of laser-driven beams led to develop new strategies and advanced techniques for transport, diagnostics and dosimetry of the accelerated particles, due to the wide energy spread, the angular divergence and the extremely intense pulses. In this framework, the realization of the ELIMED (ELI-Beamlines MEDical applications beamline, developed by INFN-LNS (Catania, Italy and installed in 2017 as a part of the ELIMAIA beamline at the ELI-Beamlines (Extreme Light Infrastructure Beamlines facility in Prague, has the aim to investigate the feasibility of using laser-driven ion beams in multidisciplinary applications. ELIMED will represent the first user’s open transport beam line where a controlled laser-driven ion beam will be used for multidisciplinary and medical studies. In this paper, an overview of the beamline, with a detailed description of the main transport elements, will be presented. Moreover, a description of the detectors dedicated to diagnostics and dosimetry will be reported, with some preliminary results obtained both with accelerator-driven and laser-driven beams.
Hydrodynamic analysis of laser-driven cylindrical implosions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramis, R. [E.T.S.I. Aeronáuticos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain)

2013-08-15

Three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations are performed to study laser-driven cylindrical implosions in the context of experiments (F. Perez et al., Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 51, 124035 (2009)) carried out at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the framework of the HiPER project. The analysis is carried out by using the 3D version of the hydrocode MULTI (R. Ramis et al., Comput. Phys. Commun. 49, 475-505 (1988)). The influence of the main laser parameters on implosion performance and symmetry is consistently studied and compared with the results of 2D analysis. Furthermore, the effects of uncertainties in laser irradiation (pointing, focusing, power balance, and time jitter) on implosion performance (average peak density and temperature) are studied by means of statistical analysis.
Measurement of pzz of the laser-driven polarized deuterium target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, C.E.; Coulter, K.P.; Holt, R.J.; Poelker, M.; Potterveld, D.P.; Kowalczyk, R.S.; Buchholz, M.; Neal, J.; van den Brand, J.F.J.

1993-01-01

The question of whether nuclei are polarized as a result of H-H (D-D) spin-exchange collisions within the relatively dense gas of a laser-driven source of polarized hydrogen (deuterium) can be addressed directly by measuring the nuclear polarization of atoms from the source. The feasibility of using a polarimeter based on the D + T → n + 4 He reaction to measure the tensor polarization of deuterium in an internal target fed by the laser-driven source has been tested. The device and the measurements necessary to test the spin-exchange polarization theory are described
Light field driven streak-camera for single-shot measurements of the temporal profile of XUV-pulses from a free-electron laser; Lichtfeld getriebene Streak-Kamera zur Einzelschuss Zeitstrukturmessung der XUV-Pulse eines Freie-Elektronen Lasers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fruehling, Ulrike

2009-10-15

The Free Electron Laser in Hamburg (FLASH) is a source for highly intense ultra short extreme ultraviolet (XUV) light pulses with pulse durations of a few femtoseconds. Due to the stochastic nature of the light generation scheme based on self amplified spontaneous emission (SASE), the duration and temporal profile of the XUV pulses fluctuate from shot to shot. In this thesis, a THz-field driven streak-camera capable of single pulse measurements of the XUV pulse-profile has been realized. In a first XUV-THz pump-probe experiment at FLASH, the XUV-pulses are overlapped in a gas target with synchronized THz-pulses generated by a new THz-undulator. The electromagnetic field of the THz light accelerates photoelectrons produced by the XUV-pulses with the resulting change of the photoelectron momenta depending on the phase of the THz field at the time of ionisation. This technique is intensively used in attosecond metrology where near infrared streaking fields are employed for the temporal characterisation of attosecond XUV-Pulses. Here, it is adapted for the analysis of pulse durations in the few femtosecond range by choosing a hundred times longer far infrared streaking wavelengths. Thus, the gap between conventional streak cameras with typical resolutions of hundreds of femtoseconds and techniques with attosecond resolution is filled. Using the THz-streak camera, the time dependent electric field of the THz-pulses was sampled in great detail while on the other hand the duration and even details of the time structure of the XUV-pulses were characterized. (orig.)
Surface-Plasmon-Driven Hot Electron Photochemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuchao; He, Shuai; Guo, Wenxiao; Hu, Yue; Huang, Jiawei; Mulcahy, Justin R; Wei, Wei David

2017-11-30

Visible-light-driven photochemistry has continued to attract heightened interest due to its capacity to efficiently harvest solar energy and its potential to solve the global energy crisis. Plasmonic nanostructures boast broadly tunable optical properties coupled with catalytically active surfaces that offer a unique opportunity for solar photochemistry. Resonant optical excitation of surface plasmons produces energetic hot electrons that can be collected to facilitate chemical reactions. This review sums up recent theoretical and experimental approaches for understanding the underlying photophysical processes in hot electron generation and discusses various electron-transfer models on both plasmonic metal nanostructures and plasmonic metal/semiconductor heterostructures. Following that are highlights of recent examples of plasmon-driven hot electron photochemical reactions within the context of both cases. The review concludes with a discussion about the remaining challenges in the field and future opportunities for addressing the low reaction efficiencies in hot-electron-induced photochemistry.
Diffraction and microscopy with attosecond electron pulse trains

Science.gov (United States)

Morimoto, Yuya; Baum, Peter

2018-03-01

Attosecond spectroscopy1-7 can resolve electronic processes directly in time, but a movie-like space-time recording is impeded by the too long wavelength ( 100 times larger than atomic distances) or the source-sample entanglement in re-collision techniques8-11. Here we advance attosecond metrology to picometre wavelength and sub-atomic resolution by using free-space electrons instead of higher-harmonic photons1-7 or re-colliding wavepackets8-11. A beam of 70-keV electrons at 4.5-pm de Broglie wavelength is modulated by the electric field of laser cycles into a sequence of electron pulses with sub-optical-cycle duration. Time-resolved diffraction from crystalline silicon reveals a propagates in space and time. This unification of attosecond science with electron microscopy and diffraction enables space-time imaging of light-driven processes in the entire range of sample morphologies that electron microscopy can access.
Analogy between optically driven injection-locked laser diodes and driven damped linear oscillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Atsushi; Shore, K. Alan

2006-01-01

An analytical study of optically driven laser diodes (LDs) has been undertaken to meet the requirement for a theoretical treatment for chaotic drive and synchronization occurring in the injection-locked LDs with strong injection. A small-signal analysis is performed for the sets of rate equations for the injection-locked LDs driven by a sinusoidal optical signal. In particular, as a model of chaotic driving signals from LD dynamics, an optical signal caused by direct modulation to the master LD is assumed, oscillating both in field amplitude and phase as is the case with chaotic driving signals. Consequently, we find conditions that allow reduction in the degrees of freedom of the driven LD. Under these conditions, the driven response is approximated to a simple form which is found to be equivalent to driven damped linear oscillators. The validity of the application of this theory to previous work on the synchronization of chaos and related phenomena occurring in the injection-locked LDs is demonstrated
Alignment of Duke free electron laser storage ring and optical beam delivery system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emamian, M.; Hower, N.

1999-01-01

Duke Free Electron Laser Laboratory (DFELL) hosts a 1.1 GeV electron beam storage ring facility which is capable of generating beams in the range of nearly monochromatic gamma rays to high peak power infra red (IR) laser. In this report specifications and procedures for alignment of OK-4 /Duke storage ring FEL wiggler and optical cavity mirrors will be discussed. The OK-4 FEL lasing has demonstrated a series of world record in the last few years. In August of this year the OK-4 FEL successfully commissioned to laser at 193.7 nm. Also in this article, alignment of the γ-ray and UV optical beam delivery system that is currently in progress will be described. (authors)
Generation of coherent soft x-rays using a single-pass free-electron laser amplifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, T.F.; Goldstein, J.C.; Newnam, B.E.; McVey, B.D.

1988-01-01

We consider a single-pass free-electron laser (FEL) amplifier, driven by an rf-linac followed by a damping ring for reduced emittance, for use in generating coherent light in the soft x-ray region. The dependence of the optical gain on electron-beam quality, studied with the three-dimensional FEL simulation code FELEX, is given and related to the expected power of self-amplified spontaneous emission. We discuss issues for the damping ring designed to achieve the required electron beam quality. The idea of a multipass regenerative amplifier is also presented
Linac technology for free-electron lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, R.K.; Morton, P.L.; Wilson, P.B.; Keefe, D.; Faltens, A.

1983-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to concentrate on the properties of high-energy electron linear accelerators for use in free-electron lasers operating principally in the Compton regime. To fix our focus somewhat, we shall consider electron energies in the 20- to 200-MeV range and consider requirements for high-power free-electron lasers operating in the 0.5- to 10-μm range. Preliminary remarks are made on high-power free-electron laser amplifiers and oscillators and some desirable characteristics of the linacs that deliver electron beams for these devices. Both the high peak-current requirements of the amplifier and the high pulse-repetition frequency requirements of the oscillator can be met by present-day linac technology, although not necessarily by the same machine. In this papers second and third section, the technology of two rather different types of linear accelerators, the rf linac and the induction linac, is reviewed. In conclusion, applications to the Free Electron Lasers are stated

Pump depletion limited evolution of the relativistic plasma wave-front in a forced laser-wakefield accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, F; Clayton, C E; Marsh, K A; Pak, A E; Ralph, J E; Joshi, C; Lopes, N C

2009-01-01

In a forced laser-wakefield accelerator experiment (Malka et al 2002 Science 298 1596) where the length of the pump laser pulse is a few plasma periods long, the leading edge of the laser pulse undergoes frequency downshifting and head erosion as the laser energy is transferred to the wake. Therefore, after some propagation distance, the group velocity of the leading edge of the pump pulse-and thus of the driven electron plasma wave-will slow down. This can have implications for the dephasing length of the accelerated electrons and therefore needs to be understood experimentally. We have carried out an experimental investigation where we have measured the velocity v f of the 'wave-front' of the plasma wave driven by a nominally 50 fs (full width half maximum), intense (a 0 ≅ 1), 0.815 μm laser pulse. To determine the speed of the wave front, time- and space-resolved refractometry, interferometry and Thomson scattering were used. Although a laser pulse propagating through a relatively low-density plasma (n e = 1.3 x 10 19 cm -3 ) showed no measurable changes in v f over 1.3 mm (and no accelerated electrons), a high-density plasma (n e = 5 x 10 19 cm -3 ) generated accelerated electrons and showed a continuous change in v f as the laser pulse propagated through the plasma. Possible causes and consequences of the observed v f evolution are discussed.
Feasibility study of the plasma electron density measurement by electromagnetic radiation from the laser-driven plasma wave

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, D G; Kim, J J; Suk, H; Hur, M S

2012-01-01

When an intense laser beam is focused in a plasma, a plasma wake wave is generated and the oscillatary motion of the plasma electrons produces a strong electromagnetic wave by a Cherenkov-like process. Spectrum of the genetated electromagnetic wave has dependence on the plasma density. In this paper, we propose to use the emitted electromagnetic radiation for plasma diagnostic, which may provide an accurate information for local electron densities of the plasma and will be very useful for three-dimensional plasma density profiles by changing the focal point location of the laser beam. Two-dimensional (2-D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation is used to study the correlation between the spectrum of the emitted radiation and plasma density, and the results demonstrate that this method is promising for the electron density measurement in the plasma.
En Route: next-generation laser-plasma-based electron accelerators; En Route: Elektronenbeschleuniger der naechsten Generation auf Laser-Plasma-Basis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hidding, Bernhard

2008-05-15

Accelerating electrons to relativistic energies is of fundamental interest, especially in particle physics. Today's accelerator technology, however, is limited by the maximum electric fields which can be created. This thesis presents results on various mechanisms aiming at exploiting the fields in focussed laser pulses and plasma waves for electron acceleration, which can be orders of magnitude higher than with conventional accelerators. With relativistic, underdense laser-plasma-interaction, quasimonoenergetic electron bunches with energies up to {approx}50 MeV and normalized emittances of the order of 5mmmrad have been generated. This was achieved by focussing the {approx}80 fs, 1 J pulses of the JETI-laser at the FSU Jena to intensities of several 10{sup 19}W=cm{sup 2} into gas jets. The experimental observations could be explained via 'bubble acceleration', which is based on self-injection and acceleration of electrons in a highly nonlinear breaking plasma wave. For the rst time, this bubble acceleration was achieved explicitly in the self-modulated laser wakefield regime (SMLWFA). This quasimonoenergetic SMLWFA-regime stands out by relaxing dramatically the requirements on the driving laser pulse necessary to trigger bubble acceleration. This is due to self-modulation of the laser pulse in high-density gas jets, leading to ultrashort laser pulse fragments capable of initiating bubble acceleration. Electron bunches with durations laser pulse fragment can be powerful enough to drive a bubble. Distinct double peaks have been observed in the electron spectra, indicating that two quasimonoenergetic electron bunches separated by only few tens of fs have formed. This is backed up by PIC-Simulations (Particle-in-Cell). These results underline the feasibility of the construction of small table
Laser-driven particle acceleration for radiobiology and radiotherapy: where we are and where we are going

Science.gov (United States)

Giulietti, Antonio

2017-05-01

Radiation therapy of tumors progresses continuously and so do devices, sharing a global market of about $ 4 billions, growing at an annual rate exceeding 5%. Most of the progress involves tumor targeting, multi-beam irradiation, reduction of damage on healthy tissues and critical organs, dose fractioning. This fast-evolving scenario is the moving benchmark for the progress of the laser-based accelerators towards clinical uses. As for electrons, both energy and dose requested by radiotherapy are available with plasma accelerators driven by lasers in the power range of tens of TW but several issues have still to be faced before getting a prototype device for clinical tests. They include capability of varying electron energy, stability of the process, reliability for medical users. On the other side hadron therapy, presently applied to a small fraction of cases but within an exponential growth, is a primary option for the future. With such a strong motivation, research on laser-based proton/ion acceleration has been supported in the last decade in order to get performances suitable to clinical standards. None of these performances has been achieved so far with laser techniques. In the meantime a rich crop of data have been obtained in radiobiological experiments performed with beams of particles produced with laser techniques. It is quite significant however that most of the experiments have been performed moving bio samples to laser labs, rather moving laser equipment to bio labs or clinical contexts. This give us the measure that laser community cannot so far provide practical devices usable by non-laser people.
Fast-electron-relaxation measurement for laser-solid interaction at relativistic laser intensities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, H.; Shepherd, R.; Chung, H. K.; Kemp, A.; Hansen, S. B.; Wilks, S. C.; Ping, Y.; Widmann, K.; Fournier, K. B.; Beiersdorfer, P.; Dyer, G.; Faenov, A.; Pikuz, T.

2007-01-01

We present measurements of the fast-electron-relaxation time in short-pulse (0.5 ps) laser-solid interactions for laser intensities of 10 17 , 10 18 , and 10 19 W/cm 2 , using a picosecond time-resolved x-ray spectrometer and a time-integrated electron spectrometer. We find that the laser coupling to hot electrons increases as the laser intensity becomes relativistic, and that the thermalization of fast electrons occurs over time scales on the order of 10 ps at all laser intensities. The experimental data are analyzed using a combination of models that include Kα generation, collisional coupling, and plasma expansion
Supersonic Ionization Wave Driven by Radiation Transport in a Short-Pulse Laser-Produced Plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ditmire, T.; Gumbrell, E.T.; Smith, R.A.; Mountford, L.; Hutchinson, M.H.

1996-01-01

Through the use of an ultrashort (2ps) optical probe, we have time resolved the propagation of an ionization wave into solid fused silica. This ionization wave results when a plasma is created by the intense irradiation of a solid target with a 2ps laser pulse. We find that the velocity of the ionization wave is consistent with radiation driven thermal transport, exceeding the velocity expected from simple electron thermal conduction by nearly an order of magnitude. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society
Program to Research Laser-Driven Thermionic Electron Sources for Free Electron Lasers.

Science.gov (United States)

1988-01-01

by sinal I lengths of coaxial cable. With the ’. corresponding charge to the diode also reduced, a series of temporall y sho rter -Ioctron pulse-s was...e combination of approximately 1.6 eV. With the Nd:glass laser beam pulse heating the cathode " and the charge supplied by 0.5/ F capacitor, a series ...available charge stored in the h-arg ing ’apar i tor. A series of experiments was performed wilh lowetr capacitances of sevoral tens of picofarads furnished
Intra- and intercycle interference of angle-resolved electron emission in laser-assisted XUV atomic ionization

Science.gov (United States)

Gramajo, A. A.; Della Picca, R.; López, S. D.; Arbó, D. G.

2018-03-01

A theoretical study of ionization of the hydrogen atom due to an XUV pulse in the presence of an infrared (IR) laser is presented. Well-established theories are usually used to describe the laser-assisted photoelectron effect: the well-known soft-photon approximation firstly posed by Maquet et al (2007 J. Mod. Opt. 54 1847) and Kazansky’s theory in (2010 Phys. Rev. A 82, 033420). However, these theories completely fail to predict the electron emission perpendicularly to the polarization direction. Making use of a semiclassical model (SCM), we study the angle-resolved energy distribution of PEs for the case that both fields are linearly polarized in the same direction. We thoroughly analyze and characterize two different emission regions in the angle-energy domain: (i) the parallel-like region with contribution of two classical trajectories per optical cycle and (ii) the perpendicular-like region with contribution of four classical trajectories per optical cycle. We show that our SCM is able to assess the interference patterns of the angle-resolved PE spectrum in the two different mentioned regions. Electron trajectories stemming from different optical laser cycles give rise to angle-independent intercycle interferences known as sidebands. These sidebands are modulated by an angle-dependent coarse-grained structure coming from the intracycle interference of the electron trajectories born during the same optical cycle. We show the accuracy of our SCM as a function of the time delay between the IR and the XUV pulses and also as a function of the laser intensity by comparing the semiclassical predictions of the angle-resolved PE spectrum with the continuum-distorted wave strong field approximation and the ab initio solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation.
Laser-cooling effects in few-ion clouds of Yb[sup +

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Edwards, C.S. (National Physical Lab., Teddington (United Kingdom)); Gill, P. (National Physical Lab., Teddington (United Kingdom)); Klein, H.A. (National Physical Lab., Teddington (United Kingdom)); Levick, A.P. (National Physical Lab., Teddington (United Kingdom)); Rowley, W.R.C. (National Physical Lab., Teddington (United Kingdom))

1994-08-01

We report some laser-cooling effects in a few [sup 172]Yb[sup +] ions held in a Paul trap. Pronounced cloud-to-crystal phase transitions have been observed as discontinuities in the Yb[sup +] fluorescence spectrum of the 369 nm cooling transition. The first reported two-dimensional images of Yb[sup +] clouds with evidence of crystal structure have been recorded using a photon-counting position-sensitive detector. An ion temperature of 100 mK has been estimated from the size of a single ion image. Stepwise cooling of a re-heated, few-ion Yb[sup +] cloud was also observed. (orig.)
Laser-driven x-ray and neutron source development for industrial applications of plasma accelerators

Science.gov (United States)

Brenner, C. M.; Mirfayzi, S. R.; Rusby, D. R.; Armstrong, C.; Alejo, A.; Wilson, L. A.; Clarke, R.; Ahmed, H.; Butler, N. M. H.; Haddock, D.; Higginson, A.; McClymont, A.; Murphy, C.; Notley, M.; Oliver, P.; Allott, R.; Hernandez-Gomez, C.; Kar, S.; McKenna, P.; Neely, D.

2016-01-01

Pulsed beams of energetic x-rays and neutrons from intense laser interactions with solid foils are promising for applications where bright, small emission area sources, capable of multi-modal delivery are ideal. Possible end users of laser-driven multi-modal sources are those requiring advanced non-destructive inspection techniques in industry sectors of high value commerce such as aerospace, nuclear and advanced manufacturing. We report on experimental work that demonstrates multi-modal operation of high power laser-solid interactions for neutron and x-ray beam generation. Measurements and Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations show that neutron yield is increased by a factor ~2 when a 1 mm copper foil is placed behind a 2 mm lithium foil, compared to using a 2 cm block of lithium only. We explore x-ray generation with a 10 picosecond drive pulse in order to tailor the spectral content for radiography with medium density alloy metals. The impact of using >1 ps pulse duration on laser-accelerated electron beam generation and transport is discussed alongside the optimisation of subsequent bremsstrahlung emission in thin, high atomic number target foils. X-ray spectra are deconvolved from spectrometer measurements and simulation data generated using the GEANT4 Monte Carlo code. We also demonstrate the unique capability of laser-driven x-rays in being able to deliver single pulse high spatial resolution projection imaging of thick metallic objects. Active detector radiographic imaging of industrially relevant sample objects with a 10 ps drive pulse is presented for the first time, demonstrating that features of 200 μm size are resolved when projected at high magnification.
Laser-driven x-ray and neutron source development for industrial applications of plasma accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenner, C M; Rusby, D R; Armstrong, C; Wilson, L A; Clarke, R; Haddock, D; McClymont, A; Notley, M; Oliver, P; Allott, R; Hernandez-Gomez, C; Neely, D; Mirfayzi, S R; Alejo, A; Ahmed, H; Kar, S; Butler, N M H; Higginson, A; McKenna, P; Murphy, C

2016-01-01

Pulsed beams of energetic x-rays and neutrons from intense laser interactions with solid foils are promising for applications where bright, small emission area sources, capable of multi-modal delivery are ideal. Possible end users of laser-driven multi-modal sources are those requiring advanced non-destructive inspection techniques in industry sectors of high value commerce such as aerospace, nuclear and advanced manufacturing. We report on experimental work that demonstrates multi-modal operation of high power laser-solid interactions for neutron and x-ray beam generation. Measurements and Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations show that neutron yield is increased by a factor ∼2 when a 1 mm copper foil is placed behind a 2 mm lithium foil, compared to using a 2 cm block of lithium only. We explore x-ray generation with a 10 picosecond drive pulse in order to tailor the spectral content for radiography with medium density alloy metals. The impact of using >1 ps pulse duration on laser-accelerated electron beam generation and transport is discussed alongside the optimisation of subsequent bremsstrahlung emission in thin, high atomic number target foils. X-ray spectra are deconvolved from spectrometer measurements and simulation data generated using the GEANT4 Monte Carlo code. We also demonstrate the unique capability of laser-driven x-rays in being able to deliver single pulse high spatial resolution projection imaging of thick metallic objects. Active detector radiographic imaging of industrially relevant sample objects with a 10 ps drive pulse is presented for the first time, demonstrating that features of 200 μm size are resolved when projected at high magnification. (paper)
Megawatt-class free electron laser concept for shipboard self-defense

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Todd, Alan M.M.; Colson, William B.; Neil, George

1997-01-01

An efficient MW-class free electron laser (FEL) directed energy weapon (DEW) system holds promise for satisfying shipboard self-defense (SSD) requirements on future generations of Navy vessels because of the potential for high-power operation and the accessibility to all IR wavelengths. In order to meet shipboard packaging and prime power constraints, the power efficiency and high real-estate gradient achievable in an FEL driven by a superconducting RF accelerator is attractive. Configuration options and the key development issues for such a system are described
Electronic energy loss spectra from mono-layer to few layers of phosphorene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohan, Brij; Thakur, Rajesh; Ahluwalia, P. K.

2016-01-01

Using first principles calculations, electronic and optical properties of few-layers phosphorene has been investigated. Electronic band structure show a moderate band gap of 0.9 eV in monolayer phosphorene which decreases with increasing number of layers. Optical properties of few-layers of phosphorene in infrared and visible region shows tunability with number of layers. Electron energy loss function has been plotted and huge red shift in plasmonic behaviours is found. These tunable electronic and optical properties of few-layers of phosphorene can be useful for the applications of optoelectronic devices.
Electronic energy loss spectra from mono-layer to few layers of phosphorene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohan, Brij, E-mail: brijmohanhpu@yahoo.com; Thakur, Rajesh; Ahluwalia, P. K. [Department of Physics, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla (HP) India 171005 (India)

2016-05-23

Using first principles calculations, electronic and optical properties of few-layers phosphorene has been investigated. Electronic band structure show a moderate band gap of 0.9 eV in monolayer phosphorene which decreases with increasing number of layers. Optical properties of few-layers of phosphorene in infrared and visible region shows tunability with number of layers. Electron energy loss function has been plotted and huge red shift in plasmonic behaviours is found. These tunable electronic and optical properties of few-layers of phosphorene can be useful for the applications of optoelectronic devices.
Design of a Piezoelectric-Driven Tilt Mirror for a Fast Laser Scanner

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jung-Ho; Lee, Hu-Seung; Lee, Jae-Hoon; Yun, So-Nam; Ham, Young-Bog; Yun, Dong-Won

2012-09-01

Recently, laser scanners have been used for laser processing such as cutting, welding, and grooving, especially in the automotive industry. The laser scanners need a high-speed driving to minimize cracks caused by thermal shock of brittle materials. Therefore, a novel laser processing system that is composed of a laser source and a piezoelectric-driven tilt mirror to control the reflection angle of the laser beam, and a stage equipped with the tilt mirror has been investigated. In this study, a piezoelectric-driven tilt mirror is designed and analyzed for scanning performance to achieve a beam spot of 30 µm, a pattern width of 1 mm, an overlap ratio of 70% of the circle area, and a scanning speed of 1 m/s. Then, structural analysis of the tilt mirror with three piezoelectric actuators is performed to determine the maximum reflection angle and resonance frequency. Finally, a prototype tilt mirror is fabricated and its basic characteristics are experimentally investigated and discussed.
2D electron density profile measurement in tokamak by laser-accelerated ion-beam probe.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Y H; Yang, X Y; Lin, C; Wang, L; Xu, M; Wang, X G; Xiao, C J

2014-11-01

A new concept of Heavy Ion Beam Probe (HIBP) diagnostic has been proposed, of which the key is to replace the electrostatic accelerator of traditional HIBP by a laser-driven ion accelerator. Due to the large energy spread of ions, the laser-accelerated HIBP can measure the two-dimensional (2D) electron density profile of tokamak plasma. In a preliminary simulation, a 2D density profile was reconstructed with a spatial resolution of about 2 cm, and with the error below 15% in the core region. Diagnostics of 2D density fluctuation is also discussed.
Ultra-High-Contrast Laser Acceleration of Relativistic Electrons in Solid Targets

Science.gov (United States)

Higginson, Drew Pitney

The cone-guided fast ignition approach to Inertial Confinement Fusion requires laser-accelerated relativistic electrons to deposit kilojoules of energy within an imploded fuel core to initiate fusion burn. One obstacle to coupling electron energy into the core is the ablation of material, known as preplasma, by laser energy proceeding nanoseconds prior to the main pulse. This causes the laser-absorption surface to be pushed back hundreds of microns from the initial target surface; thus increasing the distance that electrons must travel to reach the imploded core. Previous experiments have shown an order of magnitude decrease in coupling into surrogate targets when intentionally increasing the amount of preplasma. Additionally, for electrons to deposit energy within the core, they should have kinetic energies on the order of a few MeV, as less energetic electrons will be stopped prior to the core and more energetic electrons will pass through the core without depositing much energy. Thus a quantitative understanding of the electron energy spectrum and how it responds to varied laser parameters is paramount for fast ignition. For the first time, this dissertation quantitatively investigates the acceleration of electrons using an ultra-high-contrast laser. Ultra-high-contrast lasers reduce the laser energy that reaches the target prior to the main pulse; drastically reducing the amount of preplasma. Experiments were performed in a cone-wire geometry relevant to fast ignition. These experiments irradiated the inner-tip of a Au cone with the laser and observed electrons that passed through a Cu wire attached to the outer-tip of the cone. The total emission of Kalpha x-rays is used as a diagnostic to infer the electron energy coupled into the wire. Imaging the x-ray emission allowed an effective path-length of electrons within the wire to be determined, which constrained the electron energy spectrum. Experiments were carried out on the ultra-high-contrast Trident laser
Exact and variational calculations of eigenmodes for three-dimensional free electron laser interaction with a warm electron beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie, M. [Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)

1995-12-31

I present an exact calculation of free-electron-laser (FEL) eigenmodes (fundamental as well as higher order modes) in the exponential-gain regime. These eigenmodes specify transverse profiles and exponential growth rates of the laser field, and they are self-consistent solutions of the coupled Maxwell-Vlasov equations describing the FEL interaction taking into account the effects due to energy spread, emittance and betatron oscillations of the electron beam, and diffraction and guiding of the laser field. The unperturbed electron distribution is assumed to be of Gaussian shape in four dimensional transverse phase space and in the energy variable, but uniform in longitudinal coordinate. The focusing of the electron beam is assumed to be matched to the natural wiggler focusing in both transverse planes. With these assumptions the eigenvalue problem can be reduced to a numerically manageable integral equation and solved exactly with a kernel iteration method. An approximate, but more efficient solution of the integral equation is also obtained for the fundamental mode by a variational technique, which is shown to agree well with the exact results. Furthermore, I present a handy formula, obtained from interpolating the numerical results, for a quick calculation of FEL exponential growth rate. Comparisons with simulation code TDA will also be presented. Application of these solutions to the design and multi-dimensional parameter space optimization for an X-ray free electron laser driven by SLAC linac will be demonstrated. In addition, a rigorous analysis of transverse mode degeneracy and hence the transverse coherence of the X-ray FEL will be presented based on the exact solutions of the higher order guided modes.
Multi-kiloampere, electron-beam generation from bare aluminum photo-cathodes driven by an ArF laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, R.L.; Ridlon, R.N.; Seitz, G.J.; Hughes, T.P.

1997-01-01

An electron-beam-pumped laser operating at ArF (193 nm) producing up to 5.0 joules in a 150-ns pulse has been used to illuminate micro-machined aluminum cathodes. The cathode was pulsed from 2.25- up to 2.95-MV across a 20-cm-AK gap producing fields up to 145 kV/cm using REX (a 4-MeV, 5-kA, 100-ns pulsed diode). Extracted current versus laser power gives a quantum efficiency increasing with power density from 0.07 to 0.11%. The present work is significant in that the cathode operates in the presence of out-gassing materials with a background vacuum pressure in the mid 10 -6 torr region and 100-ns-long electron beams of up to 3 kA have been produced. Both emission limited (current follows laser pulse) and space-charge-limited (current follows pulsed power) regimes have been studied up to ∼ 50 A/cm 2 by varying the cathode diameter. The beam temperature has been measured to be < 5 eV and directly compared in the same experimental setup to velvet based cathodes that measure ∼ 100 eV
Design of a picosecond-laser-driven Ni-like Mo x-ray laser near 20 nm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nilsen, J.

1997-01-01

The gain is predicted for a solid molybdenum target illuminated by several joules of combined energy from a nanosecond laser pulse to create a preplasma followed by a picosecond laser pulse to drive the gain. Gains greater than 300cm -1 are predicted for the Ni-like Mo 4d 1 S 0 →4p 1 P 1 transition at 18.9 nm, which is driven by the monopole collisional excitation. High gain is also predicted for a self-photo-pumped 4f 1 P 1 →4d 1 P 1 transition at 22.0 nm and several other transitions driven by inner shell collisional ionization. copyright 1997 Optical Society of America

Laser interferometry of radiation driven gas jets

Science.gov (United States)

Swanson, Kyle James; Ivanov, Vladimir; Mancini, Roberto; Mayes, Daniel C.

2017-06-01

In a series of experiments performed at the 1MA Zebra pulsed power accelerator of the Nevada Terawatt Facility nitrogen gas jets were driven with the broadband x-ray flux produced during the collapse of a wire-array z-pinch implosion. The wire arrays were comprised of 4 and 8, 10μm-thick gold wires and 17μm-thick nickel wires, 2cm and 3cm tall, and 0.3cm in diameter. They radiated 12kJ to 16kJ of x-ray energy, most of it in soft x-ray photons of less than 1keV of energy, in a time interval of 30ns. This x-ray flux was used to drive a nitrogen gas jet located at 0.8cm from the axis of the z-pinch radiation source and produced with a supersonic nozzle. The x-ray flux ionizes the nitrogen gas thus turning it into a photoionized plasma. We used laser interferometry to probe the ionization of the plasma. To this end, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer at the wavelength of 266 nm was set up to extract the atom number density profile of the gas jet just before the Zebra shot, and air-wedge interferometers at 266 and 532 nm were used to determine the electron number density of the plasma right during the Zebra shot. The ratio of electron to atom number densities gives the distribution of average ionization state of the plasma. A python code was developed to perform the image data processing, extract phase shift spatial maps, and obtain the atom and electron number densities via Abel inversion. Preliminary results from the experiment are promising and do show that a plasma has been created in the gas jet driven by the x-ray flux, thus demonstrating the feasibility of a new experimental platform to study photoionized plasmas in the laboratory. These plasmas are found in astrophysical scenarios including x-ray binaries, active galactic nuclei, and the accretion disks surrounding black holes1. This work was sponsored in part by DOE Office of Science Grant DE-SC0014451.1R. C. Mancini et al, Phys. Plasmas 16, 041001 (2009)
Laser-driven ablation through fast electrons in PALS experiment at the laser radiation intensity of 1–50 PW/cm2

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gus’kov, S.Yu.; Demchenko, N. N.; Kasperczuk, A.; Pisarczyk, T.; Kalinowska, Z.; Chodukowski, T.; Renner, Oldřich; Šmíd, Michal; Krouský, Eduard; Pfeifer, Miroslav; Skála, Jiří; Ullschmied, Jiří; Pisarczyk, P.

2014-01-01

Roč. 32, č. 1 (2014), s. 177-195 ISSN 0263-0346 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LM2010014; GA MŠk EE2.3.20.0279 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 284464 - LASERLAB-EUROPE Grant - others:AVČR(CZ) M100101208; LaserZdroj (OP VK 3)(XE) CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0279 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61389021 Keywords : inertial confinement fusion * shock ignition * laser-produced plasma * three-frame interferometry * X-ray spectroscopy * fast electron generation Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 1.295, year: 2014
Laser-driven hydrothermal process studied with excimer laser pulses

Science.gov (United States)

Mariella, Raymond; Rubenchik, Alexander; Fong, Erika; Norton, Mary; Hollingsworth, William; Clarkson, James; Johnsen, Howard; Osborn, David L.

2017-08-01

Previously, we discovered [Mariella et al., J. Appl. Phys. 114, 014904 (2013)] that modest-fluence/modest-intensity 351-nm laser pulses, with insufficient fluence/intensity to ablate rock, mineral, or concrete samples via surface vaporization, still removed the surface material from water-submerged target samples with confinement of the removed material, and then dispersed at least some of the removed material into the water as a long-lived suspension of nanoparticles. We called this new process, which appears to include the generation of larger colorless particles, "laser-driven hydrothermal processing" (LDHP) [Mariella et al., J. Appl. Phys. 114, 014904 (2013)]. We, now, report that we have studied this process using 248-nm and 193-nm laser light on submerged concrete, quartzite, and obsidian, and, even though light at these wavelengths is more strongly absorbed than at 351 nm, we found that the overall efficiency of LDHP, in terms of the mass of the target removed per Joule of laser-pulse energy, is lower with 248-nm and 193-nm laser pulses than with 351-nm laser pulses. Given that stronger absorption creates higher peak surface temperatures for comparable laser fluence and intensity, it was surprising to observe reduced efficiencies for material removal. We also measured the nascent particle-size distributions that LDHP creates in the submerging water and found that they do not display the long tail towards larger particle sizes that we had observed when there had been a multi-week delay between experiments and the date of measuring the size distributions. This is consistent with transient dissolution of the solid surface, followed by diffusion-limited kinetics of nucleation and growth of particles from the resulting thin layer of supersaturated solution at the sample surface.
Femtosecond electron-bunch dynamics in laser wakefields and vacuum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. G. Khachatryan

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Recent advances in laser wakefield acceleration demonstrated the generation of extremely short (with a duration of a few femtoseconds relativistic electron bunches with relatively low (of the order of couple of percent energy spread. In this article we study the dynamics of such bunches in drift space (vacuum and in channel-guided laser wakefields. Analytical solutions were found for the transverse coordinate of an electron and for the bunch envelope in the wakefield in the case of arbitrary change in the energy. Our results show strong bunch dynamics already on a millimeter scale propagation distance both in plasma and in vacuum. When the bunch propagates in vacuum, its transverse sizes grow considerably; the same is observed for the normalized bunch emittance that worsens the focusability of the bunch. A scheme of two-stage laser wakefield accelerator with small drift space between the stages is proposed. It is found that fast longitudinal betatron phase mixing occurs in a femtosecond bunch when it propagates along the wakefield axis. When bunch propagates off axis, strong bunch decoherence and fast emittance degradation due to the finite bunch length was observed.
PROCEEDING OF THE SEEDED X-RAY FREE ELECTRON LASER WORKSHOP.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

WANG,X.J.; MURPHY,J.B.; YU,L.H.; FAATZ,B.; HUANG,Z.; REICHE,S.; ZOLOTOREV,M.

2002-12-13

The underlying theory of a high gain free electron laser (FEL) has existed for two decades [1-2], but it is only in the last few years that these novel radiation sources have been realized experimentally. Several high gain FELs have successfully reached saturation in the infrared, visible and the VUV portion of the spectrum: the High Gain Harmonic Generation (HGHG) free electron lasers [3] at BNL and the Self Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE) FELs at LEUTL, VISA and TTF [4-6]. The outstanding challenges for future FELs are to extend high gain FELs to the X-ray regime, improve the longitudinal coherence of the radiation using seeded FEL schemes and generate ultrashort pulses (<100 fs). The National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) of the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) sponsored a Seeded X-ray Free Electron Laser Workshop on December 13-14, 2002 to explore these challenging issues. Representatives from BNL, DESY, LBNL, SLAC and UCLA made presentations on the novel schemes under consideration at their laboratories. Workshop participants had a lively discussion on the feasibility, performance and R&D issues associated with the seeded XFEL schemes. An improvement of the electron beam quality will certainly be necessary to drive the XFEL. Self-seeding SASE, cascaded HGHG, and SASE pulse compression FELs show the most promise for producing short pulse X-rays. Of these, only the self-seeded and HGHG schemes generate longitudinally coherent radiation. While the pulse length in the self-seeded scheme is determined by the electron bunch length ({approx}100 fs), the pulse length in the HGHG scheme is determined by the short pulse seed laser, and so can be much shorter ({approx} 20 fs).
Relativistic electron mirrors from high intensity laser nanofoil interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiefer, Daniel

2012-01-01

The reflection of a laser pulse from a mirror moving close to the speed of light could in principle create an X-ray pulse with unprecedented high brightness owing to the increase in photon energy and accompanying temporal compression by a factor of 4γ 2 , where γ is the Lorentz factor of the mirror. While this scheme is theoretically intriguingly simple and was first discussed by A. Einstein more than a century ago, the generation of a relativistic structure which acts as a mirror is demanding in many different aspects. Recently, the interaction of a high intensity laser pulse with a nanometer thin foil has raised great interest as it promises the creation of a dense, attosecond short, relativistic electron bunch capable of forming a mirror structure that scatters counter-propagating light coherently and shifts its frequency to higher photon energies. However, so far, this novel concept has been discussed only in theoretical studies using highly idealized interaction parameters. This thesis investigates the generation of a relativistic electron mirror from a nanometer foil with current state-of-the-art high intensity laser pulses and demonstrates for the first time the reflection from those structures in an experiment. To achieve this result, the electron acceleration from high intensity laser nanometer foil interactions was studied in a series of experiments using three inherently different high power laser systems and free-standing foils as thin as 3nm. A drastic increase in the electron energies was observed when reducing the target thickness from the micrometer to the nanometer scale. Quasi-monoenergetic electron beams were measured for the first time from ultrathin (≤5nm) foils, reaching energies up to ∝35MeV. The acceleration process was studied in simulations well-adapted to the experiments, indicating the transition from plasma to free electron dynamics as the target thickness is reduced to the few nanometer range. The experience gained from those
Laser-driven strong magnetostatic fields with applications to charged beam transport and magnetized high energy-density physics

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, J. J.; Bailly-Grandvaux, M.; Ehret, M.; Arefiev, A. V.; Batani, D.; Beg, F. N.; Calisti, A.; Ferri, S.; Florido, R.; Forestier-Colleoni, P.; Fujioka, S.; Gigosos, M. A.; Giuffrida, L.; Gremillet, L.; Honrubia, J. J.; Kojima, S.; Korneev, Ph.; Law, K. F. F.; Marquès, J.-R.; Morace, A.; Mossé, C.; Peyrusse, O.; Rose, S.; Roth, M.; Sakata, S.; Schaumann, G.; Suzuki-Vidal, F.; Tikhonchuk, V. T.; Toncian, T.; Woolsey, N.; Zhang, Z.

2018-05-01

Powerful nanosecond laser-plasma processes are explored to generate discharge currents of a few 100 kA in coil targets, yielding magnetostatic fields (B-fields) in excess of 0.5 kT. The quasi-static currents are provided from hot electron ejection from the laser-irradiated surface. According to our model, which describes the evolution of the discharge current, the major control parameter is the laser irradiance Ilasλlas2 . The space-time evolution of the B-fields is experimentally characterized by high-frequency bandwidth B-dot probes and proton-deflectometry measurements. The magnetic pulses, of ns-scale, are long enough to magnetize secondary targets through resistive diffusion. We applied it in experiments of laser-generated relativistic electron transport through solid dielectric targets, yielding an unprecedented 5-fold enhancement of the energy-density flux at 60 μm depth, compared to unmagnetized transport conditions. These studies pave the ground for magnetized high-energy density physics investigations, related to laser-generated secondary sources of radiation and/or high-energy particles and their transport, to high-gain fusion energy schemes, and to laboratory astrophysics.
Hard x-ray (>100 keV) imager to measure hot electron preheat for indirectly driven capsule implosions on the NIF.

Science.gov (United States)

Döppner, T; Dewald, E L; Divol, L; Thomas, C A; Burns, S; Celliers, P M; Izumi, N; Kline, J L; LaCaille, G; McNaney, J M; Prasad, R R; Robey, H F; Glenzer, S H; Landen, O L

2012-10-01

We have fielded a hard x-ray (>100 keV) imager with high aspect ratio pinholes to measure the spatially resolved bremsstrahlung emission from energetic electrons slowing in a plastic ablator shell during indirectly driven implosions at the National Ignition Facility. These electrons are generated in laser plasma interactions and are a source of preheat to the deuterium-tritium fuel. First measurements show that hot electron preheat does not limit obtaining the fuel areal densities required for ignition and burn.
Matching sub-fs electron bunches for laser-driven plasma acceleration at SINBAD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, J., E-mail: jun.zhu@desy.de [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, DESY, Hamburg (Germany); Universität Hamburg, Hamburg (Germany); Assmann, R.W.; Dorda, U.; Marchetti, B. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, DESY, Hamburg (Germany)

2016-09-01

We present theoretical and numerical studies of matching sub-femtosecond space-charge-dominated electron bunch into the Laser-plasma Wake Field Accelerator (LWFA) foreseen at the SINBAD facility. The longitudinal space-charge (SC) effect induced growths of the energy spread and longitudinal phase-space chirp are major issues in the matching section, which will result in bunch elongation, emittance growth and spot size dilution. In addition, the transverse SC effect would lead to a mismatch of the beam optics if it were not compensated for. Start-to-end simulations and preliminary optimizations were carried out in order to understand the achievable beam parameters at the entrance of the plasma accelerator.
Laser cutting of various materials: Kerf width size analysis and life cycle assessment of cutting process

Science.gov (United States)

Yilbas, Bekir Sami; Shaukat, Mian Mobeen; Ashraf, Farhan

2017-08-01

Laser cutting of various materials including Ti-6Al-4V alloy, steel 304, Inconel 625, and alumina is carried out to assess the kerf width size variation along the cut section. The life cycle assessment is carried out to determine the environmental impact of the laser cutting in terms of the material waste during the cutting process. The kerf width size is formulated and predicted using the lump parameter analysis and it is measured from the experiments. The influence of laser output power and laser cutting speed on the kerf width size variation is analyzed using the analytical tools including scanning electron and optical microscopes. In the experiments, high pressure nitrogen assisting gas is used to prevent oxidation reactions in the cutting section. It is found that the kerf width size predicted from the lump parameter analysis agrees well with the experimental data. The kerf width size variation increases with increasing laser output power. However, this behavior reverses with increasing laser cutting speed. The life cycle assessment reveals that material selection for laser cutting is critical for the environmental protection point of view. Inconel 625 contributes the most to the environmental damages; however, recycling of the waste of the laser cutting reduces this contribution.
Design and optimization of a compact laser-driven proton beamline.

Science.gov (United States)

Scisciò, M; Migliorati, M; Palumbo, L; Antici, P

2018-04-19

Laser-accelerated protons, generated by irradiating a solid target with a short, energetic laser pulse at high intensity (I > 10 18 W·cm -2 ), represent a complementary if not outperforming source compared to conventional accelerators, due to their intrinsic features, such as high beam charge and short bunch duration. However, the broadband energy spectrum of these proton sources is a bottleneck that precludes their use in applications requiring a more reduced energy spread. Consequently, in recent times strong effort has been put to overcome these limits and to develop laser-driven proton beamlines with low energy spread. In this paper, we report on beam dynamics simulations aiming at optimizing a laser-driven beamline - i.e. a laser-based proton source coupled to conventional magnetic beam manipulation devices - producing protons with a reduced energy spread, usable for applications. The energy range of investigation goes from 2 to 20 MeV, i.e. the typical proton energies that can be routinely obtained using commercial TW-power class laser systems. Our beamline design is capable of reducing the energy spread below 20%, still keeping the overall transmission efficiency around 1% and producing a proton spot-size in the range of 10 mm 2 . We briefly discuss the results in the context of applications in the domain of Cultural Heritage.
Seeding magnetic fields for laser-driven flux compression in high-energy-density plasmas.

Science.gov (United States)

Gotchev, O V; Knauer, J P; Chang, P Y; Jang, N W; Shoup, M J; Meyerhofer, D D; Betti, R

2009-04-01

A compact, self-contained magnetic-seed-field generator (5 to 16 T) is the enabling technology for a novel laser-driven flux-compression scheme in laser-driven targets. A magnetized target is directly irradiated by a kilojoule or megajoule laser to compress the preseeded magnetic field to thousands of teslas. A fast (300 ns), 80 kA current pulse delivered by a portable pulsed-power system is discharged into a low-mass coil that surrounds the laser target. A >15 T target field has been demonstrated using a hot spot of a compressed target. This can lead to the ignition of massive shells imploded with low velocity-a way of reaching higher gains than is possible with conventional ICF.
Production of high-quality electron bunches by dephasing and beam loading in channeled and unchanneled laser plasma accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geddes, C.G.R.; Toth, Cs.; Tilborg, J. van; Esarey, E.; Schroeder, C.B.; Bruhwiler, D.; Nieter, C.; Cary, J.; Leemans, W.P.

2005-01-01

High-quality electron beams, with a few 10 9 electrons within a few percent of the same energy above 80 MeV, were produced in a laser wakefield accelerator by matching the acceleration length to the length over which electrons were accelerated and outran (dephased from) the wake. A plasma channel guided the drive laser over long distances, resulting in production of the high-energy, high-quality beams. Unchanneled experiments varying the length of the target plasma indicated that the high-quality bunches are produced near the dephasing length and demonstrated that channel guiding was more stable and efficient than relativistic self-guiding. Consistent with these data, particle-in-cell simulations indicate production of high-quality electron beams when trapping of an initial bunch of electrons suppresses further injection by loading the wake. The injected electron bunch is then compressed in energy by dephasing, when the front of the bunch begins to decelerate while the tail is still accelerated
Suppression of dissipation in a laser-driven qubit by white noise

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yan, Lei-Lei [State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071 (China); University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Zhang, Jian-Qi [State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071 (China); Jing, Jun, E-mail: junjing@jlu.edu.cn [Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics and Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China); Feng, Mang, E-mail: mangfeng@wipm.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071 (China)

2015-10-16

Decoherence of an open quantum system could be universally slowed down via ultra-fast modulation including regular, concatenated, random and even noisy control pulse sequences. We propose two noisy control schemes for a laser-driven qubit in order to suppress the dissipation induced by the environment, where employment of a weak driving laser is to alleviate the requirement for the control pulse strength down to the microwave regime. Calculations and analyses are based on a dynamical decoupling approach governed by the quantum-state-diffusion equation and the standard perturbation theory. The schemes can be applied to various systems, such as the cold atoms and quantum dots, manipulated by lasers for quantum information processing. - Highlights: • Two noisy control schemes for a laser-driven qubit are proposed. • Inspiring dissipation-suppression process is demonstrated both analytically and numerically. • The fidelity improvement is specified for the trapped ion by controlling the key parameters.
Study on a waste heat-driven adsorption cooling cum desalination cycle

KAUST Repository

Ng, Kim Choon; Thu, Kyaw; Saha, Bidyut Baran; Chakraborty, Anutosh

2012-01-01

This article presents the performance analysis of a waste heat-driven adsorption cycle. With the implementation of adsorption-desorption phenomena, the cycle simultaneously produces cooling energy and high-grade potable water. A mathematical model
Multitube coaxial closed cycle gas laser system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, J.W.; Walch, A.P.

1975-01-01

A gas laser design capable of long term reliable operation in a commercial environment is disclosed. Various construction details which insulate the laser optics from mechanical distortions and vibrations inevitably present in the environment are developed. Also, a versatile optical cavity made up of modular units which render the basic laser configuration adaptable to alternate designs with different output capabilities is shown in detail. The system built around a convection laser operated in a closed cycle and the working medium is a gas which is excited by direct current electric discharges. (auth)
Closed cycle electric discharge laser design investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Baily, P. K.; Smith, R. C.

1978-01-01

Closed cycle CO2 and CO electric discharge lasers were studied. An analytical investigation assessed scale-up parameters and design features for CO2, closed cycle, continuous wave, unstable resonator, electric discharge lasing systems operating in space and airborne environments. A space based CO system was also examined. The program objectives were the conceptual designs of six CO2 systems and one CO system. Three airborne CO2 designs, with one, five, and ten megawatt outputs, were produced. These designs were based upon five minute run times. Three space based CO2 designs, with the same output levels, were also produced, but based upon one year run times. In addition, a conceptual design for a one megawatt space based CO laser system was also produced. These designs include the flow loop, compressor, and heat exchanger, as well as the laser cavity itself. The designs resulted in a laser loop weight for the space based five megawatt system that is within the space shuttle capacity. For the one megawatt systems, the estimated weight of the entire system including laser loop, solar power generator, and heat radiator is less than the shuttle capacity.
Sapphire capillaries for laser-driven wakefield acceleration in plasma. Fs-laser micromachining and characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwinkendorf, Jan-Patrick

2012-05-01

Plasma wakefields are a promising approach for the acceleration of electrons with ultrahigh (10 to 100 GV/m) electric fields. Nowadays, high-intensity laser pulses are routinely utilized to excite these large-amplitude plasma waves. However, several detrimental effects such as laser diffraction, electron-wake dephasing and laser depletion may terminate the acceleration process. Two of these phenomena can be mitigated or avoided by the application of capillary waveguides, e.g. fabricated out of sapphire for longevity. Capillaries may compensate for laser diffraction like a fiber and allow for the creation of tapered gas-density profiles working against the dephasing between the accelerating wave and the particles. Additionally, they offer the possibility of controlled particle injection. This thesis is reporting on the set up of a laser for fs-micromachining of capillaries of almost arbitrary shapes and a test stand for density-profile characterization. These devices will permit the creation of tailored gas-density profiles for controlled electron injection and acceleration inside plasma.
Sapphire capillaries for laser-driven wakefield acceleration in plasma. Fs-laser micromachining and characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwinkendorf, Jan-Patrick

2012-08-15

Plasma wakefields are a promising approach for the acceleration of electrons with ultrahigh (10 to 100 GV/m) electric fields. Nowadays, high-intensity laser pulses are routinely utilized to excite these large-amplitude plasma waves. However, several detrimental effects such as laser diffraction, electron-wake dephasing and laser depletion may terminate the acceleration process. Two of these phenomena can be mitigated or avoided by the application of capillary waveguides, e.g. fabricated out of sapphire for longevity. Capillaries may compensate for laser diffraction like a fiber and allow for the creation of tapered gas-density profiles working against the dephasing between the accelerating wave and the particles. Additionally, they offer the possibility of controlled particle injection. This thesis is reporting on the set up of a laser for fs-micromachining of capillaries of almost arbitrary shapes and a test stand for density-profile characterization. These devices will permit the creation of tailored gas-density profiles for controlled electron injection and acceleration inside plasma.
Charge-transfer collisions involving few-electron systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirchner, T.

2016-01-01

Ion-atom collision systems that involve more than one electron constitute nonseparable few-body problems, whose full solution is difficult to say the least. At impact energies well below 1 keV/amu an expansion of the stationary scattering wave function in terms of a limited number of products of nuclear and molecular state wave functions (amended to satisfy scattering boundary conditions) is feasible and usually sufficient to obtain accurate charge-transfer cross sections provided the electronic wave functions include configuration interaction. At energies above 1 keV/amu this approach becomes inefficient and close-coupling methods within the semi classical approximation are better suited to treat the problem. For bare-ion collisions from helium target atoms explicit solutions of the two-electron time-dependent Schrödinger equation can be achieved, but are computationally costly and cannot be extended to problems which involve more than two electrons.

Multi-GeV electron-positron beam generation from laser-electron scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Vranic, Marija; Klimo, Ondrej; Korn, Georg; Weber, Stefan

2018-03-16

The new generation of laser facilities is expected to deliver short (10 fs-100 fs) laser pulses with 10-100 PW of peak power. This opens an opportunity to study matter at extreme intensities in the laboratory and provides access to new physics. Here we propose to scatter GeV-class electron beams from laser-plasma accelerators with a multi-PW laser at normal incidence. In this configuration, one can both create and accelerate electron-positron pairs. The new particles are generated in the laser focus and gain relativistic momentum in the direction of laser propagation. Short focal length is an advantage, as it allows the particles to be ejected from the focal region with a net energy gain in vacuum. Electron-positron beams obtained in this setup have a low divergence, are quasi-neutral and spatially separated from the initial electron beam. The pairs attain multi-GeV energies which are not limited by the maximum energy of the initial electron beam. We present an analytical model for the expected energy cutoff, supported by 2D and 3D particle-in-cell simulations. The experimental implications, such as the sensitivity to temporal synchronisation and laser duration is assessed to provide guidance for the future experiments.
High power radiation guiding systems for laser driven accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cutolo, A.

1985-01-01

This paper reviews the main problems encountered in the design of an optical system for transmitting high fluence radiation in a laser driven accelerator. Particular attention is devoted to the analysis of mirror and waveguide systems. (orig.)
Aspects of electron acoustic wave physics in laser backscatter from plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sircombe, N J; Arber, T D; Dendy, R O

2006-01-01

Recent experimental results from the Trident laser confirm the importance of kinetic effects in determining laser reflectivities at high intensities. Examples observed include scattering from low frequency electron acoustic waves (EAWs) and the first few stages of a cascade towards turbulence through the Langmuir decay instability. Interpretive and predictive computational capability in this area is assisted by the development of Vlasov codes, which offer high velocity space resolution in high energy regions of particle phase space and do not require analytical pre-processing of the fundamental equations. A direct Vlasov solver, capable of resolving these kinetic processes, is used here to address fundamental aspects of the existence and stability of the electron acoustic wave, together with its collective scattering properties. These simulations are extended to realistic laser and plasma parameters characteristic of single hot-spot experiments. Results are in qualitative agreement with experiments displaying both stimulated Raman and stimulated electron acoustic scattering. The amplitude of simulated EAWs is greater than that observed experimentally and is accompanied by a higher phase velocity. These minor differences can be attributed to the limitations of a one-dimensional collisionless model
Review of the utilization of laser and electron beam methods in the nuclear domain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charissoux, C.; Bonnin, P.; Calvet, J.N.; Contre, M.

1987-01-01

The use of laser and electron beams by the nuclear industry for making components, fabricating fuels, waste processing, maintenance, and dismantling installations is reviewed. The advantages in welding include very rapid thermal cycles, deep weld zones with a restricted effect on surrounding material, and reduced residual stress. Surface treatments can also take advantage of these benefits. In cutting, the intrinsic advantages of the laser are completed by its high potential for robotization [fr
Photonic Free-Electron Lasers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Slot, Petrus J.M.; Denis, T.; Lee, J.H.H.; van Dijk, M.W.; Boller, Klaus J.

2012-01-01

A photonic free-electron laser (pFEL) produces coherent Cerenkov radiation from a set of parallel electron beams streaming through a photonic crystal. The function of the crystal is to slow down the phase velocity of a copropagating electromagnetic wave, such that also mildly relativistic electrons
Ultraviolet laser transverse profile shaping for improving x-ray free electron laser performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, S.; Alverson, S.; Bohler, D.; Egger, A.; Fry, A.

2017-01-01

The photocathode rf gun is one of the most critical components in x-ray free electron lasers. The drive laser strikes the photocathode surface, which emits electrons with properties that depend on the shape of the drive laser. Most free electron lasers use photocathodes with work function in the ultraviolet, a wavelength where direct laser manipulation becomes challenging. In this paper, we present a novel application of a digital micromirror device (DMD) for the 253 nm drive laser at the Linear Coherent Light Source. Laser profile shaping is accomplished through an iterative algorithm that takes into account shaping error and efficiency. Next, we use laser shaping to control the X-ray laser output via an online optimizer, which shows improvement in FEL pulse energy. Lastly, as a preparation for electron beam shaping, we use the DMD to measure the photocathode quantum efficiency across cathode surface with an averaged laser rms spot size of 59 μm. In conclusion, our experiments demonstrate promising outlook of using DMD to shape ultraviolet lasers for photocathode rf guns with various applications.
Ultraviolet laser transverse profile shaping for improving x-ray free electron laser performance

Science.gov (United States)

Li, S.; Alverson, S.; Bohler, D.; Egger, A.; Fry, A.; Gilevich, S.; Huang, Z.; Miahnahri, A.; Ratner, D.; Robinson, J.; Zhou, F.

2017-08-01

The photocathode rf gun is one of the most critical components in x-ray free electron lasers. The drive laser strikes the photocathode surface, which emits electrons with properties that depend on the shape of the drive laser. Most free electron lasers use photocathodes with work function in the ultraviolet, a wavelength where direct laser manipulation becomes challenging. In this paper, we present a novel application of a digital micromirror device (DMD) for the 253 nm drive laser at the Linear Coherent Light Source. Laser profile shaping is accomplished through an iterative algorithm that takes into account shaping error and efficiency. Next, we use laser shaping to control the X-ray laser output via an online optimizer, which shows improvement in FEL pulse energy. Lastly, as a preparation for electron beam shaping, we use the DMD to measure the photocathode quantum efficiency across cathode surface with an averaged laser rms spot size of 59 μ m . Our experiments demonstrate promising outlook of using DMD to shape ultraviolet lasers for photocathode rf guns with various applications.
XUV free-electron laser-based projection lithography systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newnam, B.E.

1990-01-01

Free-electron laser sources, driven by rf-linear accelerators, have the potential to operate in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectral range with more than sufficient average power for high-volume projection lithography. For XUV wavelengths from 100 nm to 4 nm, such sources will enable the resolution limit of optical projection lithography to be extended from 0.25 {mu}m to 0.05{mu}m and with an adequate total depth of focus (1 to 2 {mu}m). Recent developments of a photoinjector of very bright electron beams, high-precision magnetic undulators, and ring-resonator cavities raise our confidence that FEL operation below 100 nm is ready for prototype demonstration. We address the motivation for an XUV FEL source for commercial microcircuit production and its integration into a lithographic system, include reflecting reduction masks, reflecting XUV projection optics and alignment systems, and surface-imaging photoresists. 52 refs., 7 figs.
Pump depletion limited evolution of the relativistic plasma wave-front in a forced laser-wakefield accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fang, F; Clayton, C E; Marsh, K A; Pak, A E; Ralph, J E; Joshi, C [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Lopes, N C [Grupo de Lasers e Plasmas, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon (Portugal)], E-mail: cclayton@ucla.edu

2009-02-15

In a forced laser-wakefield accelerator experiment (Malka et al 2002 Science 298 1596) where the length of the pump laser pulse is a few plasma periods long, the leading edge of the laser pulse undergoes frequency downshifting and head erosion as the laser energy is transferred to the wake. Therefore, after some propagation distance, the group velocity of the leading edge of the pump pulse-and thus of the driven electron plasma wave-will slow down. This can have implications for the dephasing length of the accelerated electrons and therefore needs to be understood experimentally. We have carried out an experimental investigation where we have measured the velocity v{sub f} of the 'wave-front' of the plasma wave driven by a nominally 50 fs (full width half maximum), intense (a{sub 0} {approx_equal} 1), 0.815 {mu}m laser pulse. To determine the speed of the wave front, time- and space-resolved refractometry, interferometry and Thomson scattering were used. Although a laser pulse propagating through a relatively low-density plasma (n{sub e} = 1.3 x 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}) showed no measurable changes in v{sub f} over 1.3 mm (and no accelerated electrons), a high-density plasma (n{sub e} = 5 x 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}) generated accelerated electrons and showed a continuous change in v{sub f} as the laser pulse propagated through the plasma. Possible causes and consequences of the observed v{sub f} evolution are discussed.
Photo-triggering and secondary electron produced ionization in electric discharge ArF* excimer lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Zhongmin; Kushner, Mark J.

2011-10-01

Electric discharge excimer lasers are sustained in multi-atmosphere attaching gas mixtures that are typically preionized to enable a reproducible, uniform glow, which maximizes optical quality and gain. This preionization is often accomplished using UV light produced by a corona discharge within the plasma cavity. To quantify the relationship between corona discharge properties and those of the laser discharge, the triggering of electron avalanche by preionizing UV light in an electric discharge-pumped ArF* excimer laser was numerically investigated using a two-dimensional model. The preionizing UV fluxes were generated by a corona-bar discharge driven by the same voltage pulse as the main discharge sustained in a multi-atmospheric Ne/Ar/Xe/F2 gas mixture. The resulting peak photo-electron density in the inter-electrode spacing is around 108 cm-3, and its distribution is biased toward the UV source. The preionization density increases with increasing dielectric constant and capacitance of the corona bar. The symmetry and uniformity of the discharge are, however, improved significantly once the main avalanche develops. In addition to bulk electron impact ionization, the ionization generated by sheath accelerated secondary electrons was found to be important in sustaining the discharge current at experimentally observed values. At peak current, the magnitude of the ionization by sheath accelerated electrons is comparable to that from bulk electron impact in the vicinity of the cathode.
Radiation reaction effect on laser driven auto-resonant particle acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sagar, Vikram; Sengupta, Sudip; Kaw, P. K.

2015-01-01

The effects of radiation reaction force on laser driven auto-resonant particle acceleration scheme are studied using Landau-Lifshitz equation of motion. These studies are carried out for both linear and circularly polarized laser fields in the presence of static axial magnetic field. From the parametric study, a radiation reaction dominated region has been identified in which the particle dynamics is greatly effected by this force. In the radiation reaction dominated region, the two significant effects on particle dynamics are seen, viz., (1) saturation in energy gain by the initially resonant particle and (2) net energy gain by an initially non-resonant particle which is caused due to resonance broadening. It has been further shown that with the relaxation of resonance condition and with optimum choice of parameters, this scheme may become competitive with the other present-day laser driven particle acceleration schemes. The quantum corrections to the Landau-Lifshitz equation of motion have also been taken into account. The difference in the energy gain estimates of the particle by the quantum corrected and classical Landau-Lifshitz equation is found to be insignificant for the present day as well as upcoming laser facilities
Isochoric heating of reduced mass targets by ultra-intense laser produced relativistic electrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neumayer, P; Lee, H J; Offerman, D; Shipton, E; Kemp, A; Kritcher, A L; Doppner, T; Back, C A; Glenzer, S H

2009-02-04

We present measurements of the chlorine K-alpha emission from reduced mass targets, irradiated with ultra-high intensity laser pulses. Chlorinated plastic targets with diameters down to 50 micrometers and mass of a few 10{sup -8} g were irradiated with up to 7 J of laser energy focused to intensities of several 10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2}. The conversion of laser energy to K-alpha radiation is measured, as well as high resolution spectra that allow observation of line shifts, indicating isochoric heating of the target up to 18 eV. A zero-dimensional 2-temperature equilibration model, combined with electron impact K-shell ionization and post processed spectra from collisional radiative calculations reproduces the observed K-alpha yields and line shifts, and shows the importance of target expansion due to the hot electron pressure.
Free-electron lasers considered for CEBAF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1994-01-01

Spinoff development of industrial free-electron lasers is in prospect for an industry-universitylaboratory consortium centred at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility in Newport News, Virginia, site of the CEBAF 4 GeV superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) accelerator, now being commissioned (see page 42). Together with several US corporations and universities, the Laboratory is now also addressing the potential of smaller SRF electron accelerators for ''driving'' free-electron lasers (FELs)
The acceleration of particles by relativistic electron plasma waves driven by the optical mixing of laser light in a plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebrahim, N.A.; Douglas, S.R.

1992-03-01

Electron acceleration by relativistic large-amplitude electron plasma waves is studied by theory and particle simulations. The maximum acceleration that can be obtained from this process depends on many different factors. This report presents a study of how these various factors impact on the acceleration mechanism. Although particular reference is made to the laser plasma beatwave concept, the study is equally relevant to the acceleration of particles in the plasma wakefield accelerator and the laser wakefield accelerator
Laser driven single shock compression of fluid deuterium from 45 to 220 GPa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hicks, D; Boehly, T; Celliers, P; Eggert, J; Moon, S; Meyerhofer, D; Collins, G

2008-03-23

The compression {eta} of liquid deuterium between 45 and 220 GPa under laser-driven shock loading has been measured using impedance matching to an aluminum (Al) standard. An Al impedance match model derived from a best fit to absolute Hugoniot data has been used to quantify and minimize the systematic errors caused by uncertainties in the high-pressure Al equation of state. In deuterium below 100 GPa results show that {eta} {approx_equal} 4.2, in agreement with previous impedance match data from magnetically-driven flyer and convergent-explosive shock wave experiments; between 100 and 220 GPa {eta} reaches a maximum of {approx}5.0, less than the 6-fold compression observed on the earliest laser-shock experiments but greater than expected from simple extrapolations of lower pressure data. Previous laser-driven double-shock results are found to be in good agreement with these single-shock measurements over the entire range under study. Both sets of laser-shock data indicate that deuterium undergoes an abrupt increase in compression at around 110 GPa.
Subfemtosecond electron dynamics of H{sub 2} in strong fields or the quest for the molecular clock

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Staudte, A.

2005-07-01

In this work we have studied experimentally and theoretically hydrogen and deuterium molecules in strong laser fields. We wanted to demonstrate that control of dynamical processes on the time scale below a single laser cycle (2.7 fs) can be achieved even without using attosecond pulses just by employing the advanced experimental technique COLTRIMS. In order to do this, we have pursued two goals: 1. To examine, whether laser steered electron wavepackets can be used for laser induced electron diffraction (LIED) on molecules. 2. To demonstrate, that the double ionization of H{sub 2} can be followed with sub laser cycle temporal resolution (the molecular clock). Laser induced electron diffraction needs linearly polarized light since its mechanism relies on rescattering of the ionized electron in the molecular potential. With rescattering occurring within a few hundred attoseconds, LIED is really a process of attosecond physics. In principle, two extreme scattering geometries are possible for a homonuclear diatomic molecule like H{sub 2}: the perpendicular geometry, which corresponds to the classical double slit experiment where the electron microbunch is steered transversely to the molecular axis, and the tangential geometry with the electron moving parallel to the molecular axis. Experimental restrictions prevented us to investigate the perpendicular geometry. The molecular clock, on the other hand, employs circularly polarized light to map the absolute phase of the laser electric field onto the spatial direction of the electron momentum. Thereby, a full laser cycle is mapped onto 360 in momentum space. Thus, different electron ejection angles in the laboratory frame correspond to different ejection times. Together with the correlated kinetic energy release of the Coulomb exploding molecules an unambiguous clock running from 0-8 fs with a few 100 as resolution can be envisioned. In direct relation to this experiment, we studied the influence of the long range
Few-cycle nonlinear mid-IR pulse generated with cascaded quadratic nonlinearities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bache, Morten; Liu, Xing; Zhou, Binbin

Generating few-cycle energetic and broadband mid-IR pulses is an urgent current challenge in nonlinear optics. Cascaded second-harmonic generation (SHG) gives access to an ultrafast and octave-spanning self-defocusing nonlinearity: when ΔkL >> 2π the pump experiences a Kerr-like nonlinear index...
Relativistic electron mirrors from high intensity laser nanofoil interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiefer, Daniel

2012-12-21

The reflection of a laser pulse from a mirror moving close to the speed of light could in principle create an X-ray pulse with unprecedented high brightness owing to the increase in photon energy and accompanying temporal compression by a factor of 4γ{sup 2}, where γ is the Lorentz factor of the mirror. While this scheme is theoretically intriguingly simple and was first discussed by A. Einstein more than a century ago, the generation of a relativistic structure which acts as a mirror is demanding in many different aspects. Recently, the interaction of a high intensity laser pulse with a nanometer thin foil has raised great interest as it promises the creation of a dense, attosecond short, relativistic electron bunch capable of forming a mirror structure that scatters counter-propagating light coherently and shifts its frequency to higher photon energies. However, so far, this novel concept has been discussed only in theoretical studies using highly idealized interaction parameters. This thesis investigates the generation of a relativistic electron mirror from a nanometer foil with current state-of-the-art high intensity laser pulses and demonstrates for the first time the reflection from those structures in an experiment. To achieve this result, the electron acceleration from high intensity laser nanometer foil interactions was studied in a series of experiments using three inherently different high power laser systems and free-standing foils as thin as 3nm. A drastic increase in the electron energies was observed when reducing the target thickness from the micrometer to the nanometer scale. Quasi-monoenergetic electron beams were measured for the first time from ultrathin (≤5nm) foils, reaching energies up to ∝35MeV. The acceleration process was studied in simulations well-adapted to the experiments, indicating the transition from plasma to free electron dynamics as the target thickness is reduced to the few nanometer range. The experience gained from those
Dynamics of a multiple-pulse-driven x-ray laser plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan, A.S.; Da Silva, L.B.; Moreno, J.C.; Cauble, R.; Celliers, P.; Dalhed, H.E. Jr.; Koch, J.A.; Nilsen, J.

1996-01-01

In this paper we describe experimental and computational studies of multiple-pulse-driven laser plasma, which is the gain medium for a neon-like yttrium x-ray laser. Near-field emission profiles have been measured both with and without reinjection of the x-ray laser photons to couple with the amplifying medium created by later pulses using an external multilayer mirror. From the temporal and spatial evolution of the near-field emission profiles we can examine the pulse-to-pulse variation of the x-ray laser plasma due to changes in the hydrodynamics, laser deposition, and the injecting of x-ray laser photons back into an amplifying x-ray laser plasma. Using a combination of radiation hydrodynamics, atomic kinetics, and ray propagation codes, reasonable agreement has been obtained between simulations and the experimental results. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics
Undulators and free-electron lasers

CERN Document Server

Luchini, P

1990-01-01

This book is a reference text for all those working in free-electron laser research as well as being a learning aid for physicists and graduate students who wish an introduction to this field. Only a basic understanding of relativistic mechanics and electromagnetism is presupposed. After an overview of early developments and general principles of operation, the different models that can be used to describe free-electron lasers are presented, organized according to their range of applicability. The relevent conceptual and mathematical constructs are built up from first principles with attention to obtaining the practically important results in a simple but rigorous way. Interaction of the undulator with the driving electron accelerator and the laser cavity and design of undulator magnets are treated and an overview is given of some typical experiments.

Analysis and comparison between electric and magnetic power couplers for accelerators in Free Electron Lasers (FEL)

Science.gov (United States)

Serpico, C.; Grudiev, A.; Vescovo, R.

2016-10-01

Free-electron lasers represent a new and exciting class of coherent optical sources possessing broad wavelength tunability and excellent optical-beam quality. The FERMI seeded free-electron laser (FEL), located at the Elettra laboratory in Trieste, is driven by a 200 m long, S-band linac: the high energy part of the linac is equipped with 6 m long backward traveling wave (BTW) structures. The structures have small iris radius and a nose cone geometry which allows for high gradient operation. Development of new high-gradient, S-band accelerating structures for the replacement of the existing BTWs is under consideration. This paper investigates two possible solutions for the RF power couplers suitable for a linac driven FEL which require reduced wakefields effects, high operating gradient and very high reliability. The first part of the manuscript focuses on the reduction of residual field asymmetries, while in the second analyzes RF performances, the peak surface fields and the expected breakdown rate. In the conclusion, two solutions are compared and pros and cons are highlighted.
Analysis and comparison between electric and magnetic power couplers for accelerators in Free Electron Lasers (FEL)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Serpico, C., E-mail: claudio.serpico@elettra.eu [Elettra - Sincrotrone Trieste, Trieste (Italy); Grudiev, A. [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland); Vescovo, R. [University of Trieste, Trieste (Italy)

2016-10-11

Free-electron lasers represent a new and exciting class of coherent optical sources possessing broad wavelength tunability and excellent optical-beam quality. The FERMI seeded free-electron laser (FEL), located at the Elettra laboratory in Trieste, is driven by a 200 m long, S-band linac: the high energy part of the linac is equipped with 6 m long backward traveling wave (BTW) structures. The structures have small iris radius and a nose cone geometry which allows for high gradient operation. Development of new high-gradient, S-band accelerating structures for the replacement of the existing BTWs is under consideration. This paper investigates two possible solutions for the RF power couplers suitable for a linac driven FEL which require reduced wakefields effects, high operating gradient and very high reliability. The first part of the manuscript focuses on the reduction of residual field asymmetries, while in the second analyzes RF performances, the peak surface fields and the expected breakdown rate. In the conclusion, two solutions are compared and pros and cons are highlighted.
Laser-driven polarized H/D sources and targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clasie, B.; Crawford, C.; Dutta, D.; Gao, H.; Seely, J.; Xu, W.

2005-01-01

Traditionally, Atomic Beam Sources are used to produce targets of nuclear polarized hydrogen (H) or deuterium (D) for experiments using storage rings. Laser-Driven Sources (LDSs) offer a factor of 20-30 gain in the target thickness (however, with lower polarization) and may produce a higher overall figure of merit. The LDS is based on the technique of spin-exchange optical pumping where alkali vapor is polarized by absorbing circularly polarized laser photons. The H or D atoms are nuclear-polarized through spin-exchange collisions with the polarized alkali vapor and through subsequent hyperfine interactions during frequent H-H or D-D collisions
Laser driven shock wave experiments for equation of state studies at megabar pressures

CERN Document Server

Pant, H C; Senecha, V K; Bandyopadhyay, S; Rai, V N; Khare, P; Bhat, R K; Gupta, N K; Godwal, B K

2002-01-01

We present the results from laser driven shock wave experiments for equation of state (EOS) studies of gold metal. An Nd:YAG laser chain (2 J, 1.06 mu m wavelength, 200 ps pulse FWHM) is used to generate shocks in planar Al foils and Al + Au layered targets. The EOS of gold in the pressure range of 9-13 Mbar is obtained using the impedance matching technique. The numerical simulations performed using the one-dimensional radiation hydrodynamic code support the experimental results. The present experimental data show remarkable agreement with the existing standard EOS models and with other experimental data obtained independently using laser driven shock wave experiments.
Laser driven shock wave experiments for equation of state studies at megabar pressures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pant, H C; Shukla, M; Senecha, V K; Bandyopadhyay, S; Rai, V N; Khare, P; Bhat, R K; Gupta, N K; Godwal, B K

2002-01-01

We present the results from laser driven shock wave experiments for equation of state (EOS) studies of gold metal. An Nd:YAG laser chain (2 J, 1.06 μm wavelength, 200 ps pulse FWHM) is used to generate shocks in planar Al foils and Al + Au layered targets. The EOS of gold in the pressure range of 9-13 Mbar is obtained using the impedance matching technique. The numerical simulations performed using the one-dimensional radiation hydrodynamic code support the experimental results. The present experimental data show remarkable agreement with the existing standard EOS models and with other experimental data obtained independently using laser driven shock wave experiments
On the Acceleration and Transport of Electrons Generated by Intense Laser-Plasma Interactions at Sharp Interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

May, Joshua Joseph

The continued development of the chirped pulse amplification technique has allowed for the development of lasers with powers of in excess of 10 15W, for pulse lengths with durations of between .01 and 10 picoseconds, and which can be focused to energy densities greater than 100 giga-atmospheres. When such lasers are focused onto material targets, the possibility of creating particle beams with energy fluxes of comparable parameters arises. Such interactions have a number of theorized applications. For instance, in the Fast Ignition concept for Inertial Confinement Fusion [1], a high-intensity laser efficiently transfers its energy into an electron beam with an appropriate spectra which is then transported into a compressed target and initiate a fusion reaction. Another possible use is the so called Radiation Pressure Acceleration mechanism, in which a high-intensity, circularly polarized laser is used to create a mono-energetic ion beam which could then be used for medical imaging and treatment, among other applications. For this latter application, it is important that the laser energy is transferred to the ions and not to the electrons. However the physics of such high energy-density laser-matter interactions is highly kinetic and non-linear, and presently not fully understood. In this dissertation, we use the Particle-in-Cell code OSIRIS [2, 3] to explore the generation and transport of relativistic particle beams created by high intensity lasers focused onto solid density matter at normal incidence. To explore the generation of relativistic electrons by such interactions, we use primarily one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D), and a few three-dimensional simulations (3D). We initially examine the idealized case of normal incidence of relatively short, plane-wave lasers on flat, sharp interfaces. We find that in 1D the results are highly dependent on the initial temperature of the plasma, with significant absorption into relativistic electrons only
Photonic Crystal Laser-Driven Accelerator Structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cowan, B

2004-01-01

The authors discuss simulated photonic crystal structure designs for laser-driven particle acceleration. They focus on three-dimensional planar structures based on the so-called ''woodpile'' lattice, demonstrating guiding of a speed-of-light accelerating mode by a defect in the photonic crystal lattice. They introduce a candidate geometry and discuss the properties of the accelerating mode. They also discuss the linear beam dynamics in the structure present a novelmethod for focusing the beam. In addition they describe ongoing investigations of photonic crystal fiber-based structures
A laser-driven source of polarized hydrogen and deuterium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, L.; Holt, R.J.; Gilman, R.A.; Kowalczyk, R.; Coulter, K.

1989-01-01

A novel laser-driven polarized source of hydrogen and deuterium which operates on the principle of spin-exchange optical pumping is being developed. This source is designed to operate as an internal target in an electron storage ring for fundamental studies of spin-dependent structure of nuclei. It has the potential to exceed the flux from existing conventional sources (3 times 10 16/ s) by an order of magnitude. Currently, the source delivers hydrogen at a flux of 8 times 10 16 atoms/s with an atomic polarization of 24% and deuterium at 6 times 10 16 atoms/s with a polarization of 29%. Technical obstacles which have been overcome, with varying degrees of success are complete Doppler-coverage in the optical-pumping stage without the use of a buffer gas, wall-induced depolarization and radiation-trapping. Future improvements should allow achievement of the design goals of 4 times 10 17 atoms/s with a polarization of 50%. 8 refs., 2 figs
Construction and characterization of a laser-driven proton beamline at GSI

OpenAIRE

Busold, Simon

2014-01-01

The thesis includes the first experiments with the new 100 TW laser beamline of the PHELIX laser facility at GSI Darmstadt to drive a TNSA (Target Normal Sheath Acceleration) proton source at GSI's Z6 experimental area. At consecutive stages a pulsed solenoid has been applied for beam transport and energy selection via chromatic focusing, as well as a radiofrequency cavity for energy compression of the bunch. This novel laser-driven proton beamline, representing a central experiment of the...
Seeded free-electron and inverse free-electron laser techniques for radiation amplification and electron microbunching in the terahertz range

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Sung

2006-12-01

Full Text Available A comprehensive analysis is presented that describes amplification of a seed THz pulse in a single-pass free-electron laser (FEL driven by a photoinjector. The dynamics of the radiation pulse and the modulated electron beam are modeled using the time-dependent FEL code, GENESIS 1.3. A 10-ps (FWHM electron beam with a peak current of 50–100 A allows amplification of a ∼1 kW seed pulse in the frequency range 0.5–3 THz up to 10–100 MW power in a relatively compact 2-m long planar undulator. The electron beam driving the FEL is strongly modulated, with some inhomogeneity due to the slippage effect. It is shown that THz microbunching of the electron beam is homogeneous over the entire electron pulse when saturated FEL amplification is utilized at the very entrance of an undulator. This requires seeding of a 30-cm long undulator buncher with a 1–3 MW of pump power with radiation at the resonant frequency. A narrow-band seed pulse in the THz range needed for these experiments can be generated by frequency mixing of CO_{2} laser lines in a GaAs nonlinear crystal. Two schemes for producing MW power pulses in seeded FELs are considered in some detail for the beam parameters achievable at the Neptune Laboratory at UCLA: the first uses a waveguide to transport radiation in the 0.5–3 THz range through a 2-m long FEL amplifier and the second employs high-gain third harmonic generation using the FEL process at 3–9 THz.
Regulation of electron temperature gradient turbulence by zonal flows driven by trapped electron modes

Science.gov (United States)

Asahi, Y.; Ishizawa, A.; Watanabe, T.-H.; Tsutsui, H.; Tsuji-Iio, S.

2014-05-01

Turbulent transport caused by electron temperature gradient (ETG) modes was investigated by means of gyrokinetic simulations. It was found that the ETG turbulence can be regulated by meso-scale zonal flows driven by trapped electron modes (TEMs), which are excited with much smaller growth rates than those of ETG modes. The zonal flows of which radial wavelengths are in between the ion and the electron banana widths are not shielded by trapped ions nor electrons, and hence they are effectively driven by the TEMs. It was also shown that an E × B shearing rate of the TEM-driven zonal flows is larger than or comparable to the growth rates of long-wavelength ETG modes and TEMs, which make a main contribution to the turbulent transport before excitation of the zonal flows.
Electron-beam initiated HF lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerber, R.A.; Patterson, E.L.

1975-01-01

Electron beams were used to ignite hydrogen/fluorine mixtures, producing laser energies up to 4.2 kJ, and giving hope that this approach may soon produce energy levels suitable for laser-fusion studies. (auth)
Routes to formation of highly excited neutral atoms in the break-up of strongly driven hydrogen molecule

Science.gov (United States)

Emmanouilidou, Agapi

2012-06-01

We present a theoretical quasiclassical treatment of the formation, during Coulomb explosion, of highly excited neutral H atoms for strongly-driven hydrogen molecule. This process, where after the laser field is turned off, one electron escapes to the continuum while the other occupies a Rydberg state, was recently reported in an experimental study in Phys. Rev. Lett 102, 113002 (2009). We find that two-electron effects are important in order to correctly account for all pathways leading to highly excited neutral hydrogen formation [1]. We identify two pathways where the electron that escapes to the continuum does so either very quickly or after remaining bound for a few periods of the laser field. These two pathways of highly excited neutral H formation have distinct traces in the probability distribution of the escaping electron momentum components. [4pt] [1] A. Emmanouilidou, C. Lazarou, A. Staudte and U. Eichmann, Phys. Rev. A (Rapid) 85 011402 (2012).
X-band rf driven free electron laser driver with optics linearization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yipeng Sun (孙一鹏

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a compact hard X-ray free electron lasers (FEL design is proposed with all X-band rf acceleration and two stage bunch compression. It eliminates the need of a harmonic rf linearization section by employing optics linearization in its first stage bunch compression. Quadrupoles and sextupoles are employed in a bunch compressor one (BC1 design, in such a way that second order longitudinal dispersion of BC1 cancels the second order energy correlation in the electron beam. Start-to-end 6-D simulations are performed with all the collective effects included. Emittance growth in the horizontal plane due to coherent synchrotron radiation is investigated and minimized, to be on a similar level with the successfully operating Linac coherent light source (LCLS. At a FEL radiation wavelength of 0.15 nm, a saturation length of 40 meters can be achieved by employing an undulator with a period of 1.5 cm. Without tapering, a FEL radiation power above 10 GW is achieved with a photon pulse length of 50 fs, which is LCLS-like performance. The overall length of the accelerator plus undulator is around 250 meters which is much shorter than the LCLS length of 1230 meters. That makes it possible to build hard X-ray FEL in a laboratory with limited size.
Curvature-driven instabilities in a hot-electron plasma: radial analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berk, H.L.; Van Dam, J.W.; Rosenbluth, M.N.; Spong, D.A.

1981-12-01

The theory of unfavorable curvature-driven instabilities is developed for a plasma interacting with a hot electron ring whose drift frequencies are larger than the growth rates predicted from conventional magnetohydrodynamic theory. A z-pinch model is used to emphasize the radial structure of the problem. Stability criteria are obtained for the five possible modes of instability: the conventional hot electron interchange, a high-frequency hot electron interchange (at frequencies larger than the ion cyclotron frequency), a compressional instability, a background pressure-driven interchange, and an interacting pressure-driven interchange
Laser-pump/X-ray-probe experiments with electrons ejected from a Cu(111) target: space-charge acceleration.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiwietz, G; Kühn, D; Föhlisch, A; Holldack, K; Kachel, T; Pontius, N

2016-09-01

A comprehensive investigation of the emission characteristics for electrons induced by X-rays of a few hundred eV at grazing-incidence angles on an atomically clean Cu(111) sample during laser excitation is presented. Electron energy spectra due to intense infrared laser irradiation are investigated at the BESSY II slicing facility. Furthermore, the influence of the corresponding high degree of target excitation (high peak current of photoemission) on the properties of Auger and photoelectrons liberated by a probe X-ray beam is investigated in time-resolved pump and probe measurements. Strong electron energy shifts have been found and assigned to space-charge acceleration. The variation of the shift with laser power and electron energy is investigated and discussed on the basis of experimental as well as new theoretical results.
Design optimization and transverse coherence analysis for an x-ray free electron laser driven by SLAC LINAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, M.

1995-01-01

I present a design study for an X-ray Free Electron Laser driven by the SLAC linac, the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). The study assumes the LCLS is based on Self-Amplified Spontaneous Emission (SASE). Following a brief review of the fundamentals of SASE, I will provide without derivation a collection of formulas relating SASE performance to the system parameters. These formulas allow quick evaluation of FEL designs and provide powerful tools for optimization in multi-dimensional parameter space. Optimization is carried out for the LCLS over all independent system parameters modeled, subjected to a number of practical constraints. In addition to the optimizations concerning gain and power, another important consideration for a single pass FEL starting from noise is the transverse coherence property of the amplified radiation, especially at short wavelength. A widely used emittance criteria for FELs requires that the emittance is smaller than the radiation wavelength divided by 4π. For the LCLS the criteria is violated by a factor of 5, at a normalized emittance of 1.5 mm-mrad, wavelength of 1.5 angstrom, and beam energy of 15 GeV. Thus it is important to check quantitatively the emittance effect on the transverse coherence. I will examine the emittance effect on transverse coherence by analyzing different transverse modes and show that full transverse coherence can be obtained even at the LCLS parameter regime
Isolated sub-100-attosecond pulse generation via controlling electron dynamics

OpenAIRE

Lan, Pengfei; Lu, Peixiang; Cao, Wei; Li, Yuhua; Wang, Xinlin

2007-01-01

A new method to coherently control the electron dynamics is proposed using a few-cycle laser pulse in combination with a controlling field. It is shown that this method not only broadens the attosecond pulse bandwidth, but also reduces the chirp, then an isolated 80-as pulse is straightforwardly obtained and even shorter pulse is achievable by increasing the intensity of the controlling field. Such ultrashort pulses allow one to investigate ultrafast electronic processes which have never be a...
The Two-Beam Free Electron Laser Oscillator

CERN Document Server

Thompson, Neil R

2004-01-01

A one-dimensional model of a free-electron laser operating simultaneously with two electron beams of different energies [1] is extended to an oscillator configuration. The electron beam energies are chosen so that an harmonic of the lower energy beam is at the fundamental radiation wavelength of the higher energy beam. Potential benefits over a single-beam free-electron laser oscillator are discussed.
Electron acceleration by CO/sub 2/ laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, H.; Kitagawa, Y.; Daido, H.

1986-01-01

Experiments on electron acceleration have been performed by LEKKO VIII CO/sub 2/ laser system. The laser light was focused by an off-axis parabolic mirror with the F-number of 1.5 and irradiated to thin foil and pipe targets in order to obtain uniform underdense plasmas. Energy spectrum of electrons was measured by an electron spectrometer in the range of 0.3-1.1 MeV. In the single frequency case, electrons up to 1 MeV were observed in the direction of the laser axis for the laser intensity above 1.6 x 10/sup 14/ W/cm/sup 2/ which was equal to the estimated threshold for forward Raman scattering. Amount of high energy electrons depended on the interaction length and the background hot electron temperature. More electrons could resonate with the plasma wave for the higher hot electron temperature. This was confirmed by particle simulation. In most experiments, the plasma density was estimated of about 0.1 n/sub c/. When the plasma density was reduced to 0.01 n/sub c/ using pre-pulse, high energy electrons were not observed because of the low background hot electron temperature and the higher instability threshold. In the two frequency case, energetic electron beam injection is planned for efficient coupling with fast plasma wave. Pipe target seems to be hopeful because 1) the laser light is confined by the plasma fiber and 2) the phase velocity of the plasma wave is controlled by the transverse mode

Quantification of uncertainty in photon source spot size inference during laser-driven radiography experiments at TRIDENT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tobias, Benjamin John [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Palaniyappan, Sasikumar [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Gautier, Donald Cort [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Mendez, Jacob [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Burris-Mog, Trevor John [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Huang, Chengkun K. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Favalli, Andrea [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hunter, James F. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Espy, Michelle E. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Schmidt, Derek William [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Nelson, Ronald Owen [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Sefkow, Adam [Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States); Shimada, Tsutomu [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Johnson, Randall Philip [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Fernandez, Juan Carlos [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-10-24

Images of the R2DTO resolution target were obtained during laser-driven-radiography experiments performed at the TRIDENT laser facility, and analysis of these images using the Bayesian Inference Engine (BIE) determines a most probable full-width half maximum (FWHM) spot size of 78 μm. However, significant uncertainty prevails due to variation in the measured detector blur. Propagating this uncertainty in detector blur through the forward model results in an interval of probabilistic ambiguity spanning approximately 35-195 μm when the laser energy impinges on a thick (1 mm) tantalum target. In other phases of the experiment, laser energy is deposited on a thin (~100 nm) aluminum target placed 250 μm ahead of the tantalum converter. When the energetic electron beam is generated in this manner, upstream from the bremsstrahlung converter, the inferred spot size shifts to a range of much larger values, approximately 270-600 μm FWHM. This report discusses methods applied to obtain these intervals as well as concepts necessary for interpreting the result within a context of probabilistic quantitative inference.
Status of the Northrop Grumman Compact Infrared Free-Electron Laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehrman, I.S.; Krishnaswamy, J.; Hartley, R.A. [Northrop Grumman Advanced Technology & Development Center, Princeton, NJ (United States)] [and others

1995-12-31

The Compact Infrared Free Electron Laser (CIRFEL) was built as part of a joint collaboration between the Northrop Grumman Corporation and Princeton University to develop FEL`s for use by researchers in the materials, medical and physical sciences. The CIRFEL was designed to lase in the Mid-IR and Far-IR regimes with picosecond pulses, megawatt level peak powers and an average power of a few watts. The micropulse separation is 7 nsec which allows a number of relaxation phenomenon to be observed. The CIRFEL utilizes an RF photocathode gun to produce high-brightness time synchronized electron bunches. The operational status and experimental results of the CERFEL will be presented.
Status of the Northrop Grumman Compact Infrared Free-Electron Laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehrman, I.S.; Krishnaswamy, J.; Hartley, R.A.

1995-01-01

The Compact Infrared Free Electron Laser (CIRFEL) was built as part of a joint collaboration between the Northrop Grumman Corporation and Princeton University to develop FEL's for use by researchers in the materials, medical and physical sciences. The CIRFEL was designed to lase in the Mid-IR and Far-IR regimes with picosecond pulses, megawatt level peak powers and an average power of a few watts. The micropulse separation is 7 nsec which allows a number of relaxation phenomenon to be observed. The CIRFEL utilizes an RF photocathode gun to produce high-brightness time synchronized electron bunches. The operational status and experimental results of the CERFEL will be presented
Recent developments in laser-driven polarized sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, L.; Coulter, K.P.; Holt, R.J.; Kinney, E.R.; Kowalczyk, R.S.; Potterveld, D.H.; Zghiche, A.

1990-01-01

Recent progress in the performance of laser-driven sources of polarized hydrogen and deuterium is described. The current status of the prototype source, I = 2.5 x 10 17 s -1 , polarization = 0.29 (including atomic fraction), is comparable to classical Stern-Gerlach sources. A scheme to improve source performance by approximately an order of magnitude, using a combination of optical-pumping spin-exchange and RF transitions, is outlined. 8 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab
Design Features of a Planar Hybrid/Permanent Magnet Strong Focusing Undulator for Free Electron Laser (FEL) And Synchrotron Radiation (SR) Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tatchyn, Roman; /SLAC

2011-09-09

Insertion devices for Angstrom-wavelength Free Electron Laser (FEL) amplifiers driven by multi-GeV electron beams generally require distributed focusing substantially stronger than their own natural focusing fields. Over the last several years a wide variety of focusing schemes and configurations have been proposed for undulators of this class, ranging from conventional current-driven quadrupoles external to the undulator magnets to permanent magnet (PM) lattices inserted into the insertion device gap. In this paper we present design studies of a flexible high-field hybrid/PM undulator with strong superimposed planar PM focusing proposed for a 1.5 Angstrom Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) driven by an electron beam with a 1 mm-mr normalized emittance. Attainable field parameters, tuning modes, and potential applications of the proposed structure are discussed.
Active Interrogation of Sensitive Nuclear Material Using Laser Driven Neutron Beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Favalli, Andrea; Roth, Markus

2015-01-01

An investigation of the viability of a laser-driven neutron source for active interrogation is reported. The need is for a fast, movable, operationally safe neutron source which is energy tunable and has high-intensity, directional neutron production. Reasons for the choice of neutrons and lasers are set forth. Results from the interrogation of an enriched U sample are shown.
Study of the Betatron and Compton X-ray sources produced in laser wakefield acceleration of electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferri, Julien

2016-01-01

An ultra-short and ultra-intense laser pulse propagating in a low-density gas can accelerate in its wake a part of the electrons ionized from the gas to relativistic energies of a few hundreds of MeV over distances of a few millimeters only. During their acceleration, as a consequence of their transverse motion, these electrons emit strongly collimated X-rays in the forward direction, which are called betatron radiations. The characteristics of this source turn it into an interesting tool for high-resolution imagery.In this thesis, we explore three different axis to work on this source using simulations on the Particles-In-Cells codes CALDER and CALDER-Circ. We first study the creation of a betatron X-ray source with kilo-joule and pico-second laser pulses, for which duration and energy are then much higher than usual in this domain. In spite of the unusual laser parameters, we show that X-ray sources can still be generated, furthermore in two different regimes.In a second study, the generally observed discrepancies between experiments and simulations are investigated. We show that the use of realistic laser profiles instead of Gaussian ones in the simulations strongly degrades the performances of the laser-plasma accelerator and of the betatron source. Additionally, this leads to a better qualitative and quantitative agreement with the experiment. Finally, with the aim of improving the X-ray emission, we explore several techniques based on the manipulation of the plasma density profile used for acceleration. We find that both the use of a transverse gradient and of a density step increases the amplitude of the electrons transverse motions, and then increases the radiated energy. Alternatively, we show that this goal can also be achieved through the transition from a laser wakefield regime to a plasma wakefield regime induced by an increase of the density. The laser wakefield optimizes the electron acceleration whereas the plasma wakefield favours the X
Direct Laser-Driven Quasi-Isentropic Compression on HEAVEN-I Laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Pin-Liang; Tang Xiu-Zhang; Li Ye-Jun; Wang Zhao; Tian Bao-Xian; Yin Qian; Lu Ze; Xiang Yi-Huai; Gao Zhi-Xing; Li Jing; Hu Feng-Ming; Gong Zi-Zheng

2015-01-01

The HEAVEN-I laser is used for direct drive quasi-isentropic compression up to ∼18 GPa in samples of aluminum without being temporal pulse shaped. The monotonically increasing loading is with a rise time over 17 ns. The compression history is well reproduced by the 1D radiation hydrodynamics simulation. We find that a small shock precursor where the backward integration method cannot process is formed at the beginning of illumination. We compare the loading process of HEAVEN-I with the typical profile (concave down, prefect pulse shape), the results show that a typical profile can obtain more slowly rising and higher pressure, and the shock precursor has significant effects on temperature and entropy production. However, it is demonstrated that the HEAVEN-I is an excellent optical source for direct laser-driven quasi-isentropic compression, even if it produces more temperature rise and entropy than the typical profile. (paper)
Laser-driven shock-wave propagation in pure and layered targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salzmann, D.; Eliezer, S.; Krumbein, A.D.; Gitter, L.

1983-01-01

The propagation properties of laser-driven shock waves in pure and layered polyethylene and aluminum slab targets are studied for a set of laser intensities and pulse widths. The laser-plasma simulations were carried out by means of our one-dimensional Lagrangian hydrodynamic code. It is shown that the various parts of a laser-driven compression wave undergo different thermodynamic trajectories: The shock front portion is on the Hugoniot curve whereas the rear part is closer to an adiabat. It is found that the shock front is accelerated into the cold material till troughly-equal0.8tau (where tau is the laser pulse width) and only later is a constant velocity propagation attained. The scaling laws obtained for the pressure and temperature of the compression wave in pure targets are in good agreement with those published in other works. In layered targets, high compression and pressure were found to occur at the interface of CH 2 on Al targets due to impedance mismatch but were not found when the layers were reversed. The persistence time of the high pressure on the interface in the CH 2 on Al case is long enough relative to the characteristic times of the plasma to have an appreciable influence on the shock-wave propagation into the aluminum layer. This high pressure and compression on the interface can be optimized by adjusting the CH 2 layer thickness
Experimental measurements of bifurcations, chaos and three cycle behaviour on a neutralized electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boswell, R.W.

1984-01-01

An experiment involving the natural oscillations on an electron beam propagating parallel to a magnetic field in a low pressure gas is described. Increasing the beam current, Isub(b), increases the frequency and amplitude of the oscillation until period doubling occurs. With a further small increase many more period doublings occur in rapid succession until the spectrum of the oscillations is essentially flat out to the original frequency fsub(o) above which it rapidly decreases. This state remains as Isub(b) is increased until, suddenly, a perfectly coherent three cycle oscillation appears with a periodicity three times that of fsub(o); with a small further increase of Isub(b), the three cycle becomes a six cycle and then the chaotic regime returns. The frequency fsub(o) agrees well with the ion plasma frequency of the neutralized electron beam and is probably driven by some form of shear instability. The behaviour of the system is remarkably well modelled by a simple, one-dimensional quadratic difference equation
Towards a petawatt-class few-cycle infrared laser system via dual-chirped optical parametric amplification.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Yuxi; Midorikawa, Katsumi; Takahashi, Eiji J

2018-05-16

Expansion of the wavelength range for an ultrafast laser is an important ingredient for extending its range of applications. Conventionally, optical parametric amplification (OPA) has been employed to expand the laser wavelength to the infrared (IR) region. However, the achievable pulse energy and peak power have been limited to the mJ and the GW level, respectively. A major difficulty in the further energy scaling of OPA results from a lack of suitable large nonlinear crystals. Here, we circumvent this difficulty by employing a dual-chirped optical parametric amplification (DC-OPA) scheme. We successfully generate a multi-TW IR femtosecond laser pulse with an energy of 100 mJ order, which is higher than that reported in previous works. We also obtain excellent energy scaling ability, ultrashort pulses, flexiable wavelength tunability, and high-energy stability, which prove that DC-OPA is a superior method for the energy scaling of IR pulses to the 10 J/PW level.
Integration of the Aurora KrF ICF laser system at Los Alamos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosocha, L.A.; Blair, L.S.

1988-01-01

The Aurora laser system, under construction at the Los Alamos National Laboratory for the past few years, is now being integrated into a working system for examining the applicability of high-power KrF lasers to inertial confinement fusion (ICF). The design principles of the system have been described in detail in earlier publications and conferences. Multikilojoule 248-nm 5-ns duration laser pulses, which have been derived from angular-multiplexed electron-beam-driven KrF amplifiers, are to be delivered to ICF targets when the system is fully integrated. The authors describe the progress of the Aurora system toward the goal of delivering energy (MkJ/48 pulses stacked into one 5-ns pulse/200-μm spot) to ICF targets. Integrated performance to date of the front end optical multiplexer/demultiplexer e-beam-driven amplifiers and alignment hardware are discussed in particular. They have concentrated on the demonstration of system integration at a modest (--100-J) level of energy on-target (without the final amplifier stage). They discuss the amplifier gain measurements, the extraction of energy from a chain of three e-beam-driven machines, and progress toward the delivery of on-target energy
Laser vacuum acceleration of a relativistic electron bunch

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glazyrin, I V; Karpeev, A V; Kotova, O G; Nazarov, K S [E.I. Zababakhin All-Russian Scientific-Research Institute of Technical Physics, Russian Federal Nuclear Centre, Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk region (Russian Federation); Bychenkov, V Yu [P N Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2015-06-30

With regard to the problem of laser acceleration of a relativistic electron bunch we present a scheme of its vacuum acceleration directly by a relativistic intensity laser pulse. The energy of the electron bunch injected into the laser pulse leading edge increases during its coaxial movement to a thin, pulse-reflecting target. The laser-accelerated electrons continue to move free forward, passing through the target. The study of this acceleration scheme in the three-dimensional geometry is verified in a numerical simulation by the particle-in-cell method, which showed that the energy of a part of the electrons can increase significantly compared to the initial one. Restrictions are discussed, which impose limiting values of energy and total charge of accelerated electrons. (superstrong light fields)
Interaction of ultra-short ultra-intense laser pulses with under-dense plasmas; Interaction d'impulsions laser ultra-courtes et ultra-intenses avec des plasmas sous denses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solodov, A

2000-12-15

Different aspects of interaction of ultra-short ultra-intense laser pulses with underdense plasmas are studied analytically and numerically. These studies can be interesting for laser-driven electron acceleration in plasma, X-ray lasers, high-order harmonic generation, initial confinement fusion with fast ignition. For numerical simulations a fully-relativistic particle code WAKE was used, developed earlier at Ecole Polytechnique. It was modified during the work on the thesis in the part of simulation of ion motion, test electron motion, diagnostics for the field and plasma. The studies in the thesis cover the problems of photon acceleration in the plasma wake of a short intense laser pulse, phase velocity of the plasma wave in the Self-Modulated Laser Wake-Field Accelerator (SM LWFA), relativistic channeling of laser pulses with duration of the order of a plasma period, ion dynamics in the wake of a short intense laser pulse, plasma wave breaking. Simulation of three experiments on the laser pulse propagation in plasma and electron acceleration were performed. Among the main results of the thesis, it was found that reduction of the plasma wave phase velocity in the SM LWFA is crucial for electron acceleration, only if a plasma channel is used for the laser pulse guiding. Self-similar structures describing relativistic guiding of short laser pulses in plasmas were found and relativistic channeling of initially Gaussian laser pulses of a few plasma periods in duration was demonstrated. It was shown that ponderomotive force of a plasma wake excited by a short laser pulse forms a channel in plasma and plasma wave breaking in the channel was analyzed in detail. Effectiveness of electron acceleration by the laser field and plasma wave was compared and frequency shift of probe laser pulses by the plasma waves was found in conditions relevant to the current experiments. (author)
Feasibility of Optical Transition Radiation Imaging for Laser-driven Plasma Accelerator Electron-Beam Diagnostics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lumpkin, A. H. [Fermilab; Rule, D. W. [Unlisted, US, MD; Downer, M. C. [Texas U.

2017-10-09

We report the initial considerations of using linearly polarized optical transition radiation (OTR) to characterize the electron beams of laser plasma accelerators (LPAs) such as at the Univ. of Texas at Austin. The two LPAs operate at 100 MeV and 2-GeV, and they currently have estimated normalized emittances at ~ 1-mm mrad regime with beam divergences less than 1/γ and beam sizes to be determined at the micron level. Analytical modeling results indicate the feasibility of using these OTR techniques for the LPA applications.
Imaging femtosecond laser-induced electronic excitation in glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao Xianglei; Mao, Samuel S.; Russo, Richard E.

2003-01-01

While substantial progress has been achieved in understanding laser ablation on the nanosecond and picosecond time scales, it remains a considerable challenge to elucidate the underlying mechanisms during femtosecond laser material interactions. We present experimental observations of electronic excitation inside a wide band gap glass during single femtosecond laser pulse (100 fs, 800 nm) irradiation. Using a femtosecond time-resolved imaging technique, we measured the evolution of a laser-induced electronic plasma inside the glass and calculated the electron number density to be on the order of 10 19 cm -3
High energy gain electron beam acceleration by 100TW laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotaki, Hideyuki; Kando, Masaki; Kondo, Shuji; Hosokai, Tomonao; Kanazawa, Shuhei; Yokoyama, Takashi; Matoba, Toru; Nakajima, Kazuhisa

2001-01-01

A laser wakefield acceleration experiment using a 100TW laser is planed at JAERI-Kansai. High quality and short pulse electron beams are necessary to accelerate the electron beam by the laser. Electron beam - laser synchronization is also necessary. A microtron with a photocathode rf-gun was prepared as a high quality electron injector. The quantum efficiency (QE) of the photocathode of 2x10 -5 was obtained. A charge of 100pC from the microtron was measured. The emittance and pulse width of the electron beam was 6π mm-mrad and 10ps, respectively. In order to produce a short pulse electron beam, and to synchronize between the electron beam and the laser pulse, an inverse free electron laser (IFEL) is planned. One of problems of LWFA is the short acceleration length. In order to overcome the problem, a Z-pinch plasma waveguide will be prepared as a laser wakefield acceleration tube for 1 GeV acceleration. (author)
Stable, tunable, quasimonoenergetic electron beams produced in a laser wakefield near the threshold for self-injection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Banerjee

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Stable operation of a laser-plasma accelerator near the threshold for electron self-injection in the blowout regime has been demonstrated with 25–60 TW, 30 fs laser pulses focused into a 3–4 millimeter length gas jet. Nearly Gaussian shape and high nanosecond contrast of the focused pulse appear to be critically important for controllable, tunable generation of 250–430 MeV electron bunches with a low-energy spread, ∼10 pC charge, a few-mrad divergence and pointing stability, and a vanishingly small low-energy background. The physical nature of the near-threshold behavior is examined using three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Simulations indicate that properly locating the nonlinear focus of the laser pulse within the plasma suppresses continuous injection, thus reducing the low-energy tail of the electron beam.
Laser-driven strong magnetostatic fields with applications to charged beam transport and magnetized high energy-density physics

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Joao

2017-10-01

Powerful laser-plasma processes are explored to generate discharge currents of a few 100 kA in coil targets, yielding magnetostatic fields (B-fields) in the kTesla range. The B-fields are measured by proton-deflectometry and high-frequency bandwidth B-dot probes. According to our modeling, the quasi-static currents are provided from hot electron ejection from the laser-irradiated surface, accounting for the space charge neutralization and the plasma magnetization. The major control parameter is the laser irradiance Iλ2 . The B-fields ns-scale is long enough to magnetize secondary targets through resistive diffusion. We applied it in experiments of laser-generated relativistic electron transport into solid dielectric targets, yielding an unprecedented enhancement of a factor 5 on the energy-density flux at 60 µm depth, compared to unmagnetized transport conditions. These studies pave the ground for magnetized high-energy density physics investigations, related to laser-generated secondary sources of radiation and/or high-energy particles and their transport, to high-gain fusion energy schemes and to laboratory astrophysics. We acknowledge funding from French National Agency for Research (ANR), Grant TERRE ANR-2011-BS04-014, and from EUROfusion Consortium, European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Grant 633053.
Experimental results of laser wakefield acceleration using a femtosecond terawatt laser pulse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kando, Masaki; Ahn, Hyeyoung; Dewa, Hideki

1999-01-01

Laser wakefield acceleration (LWA) experiments have been carried out in an underdense plasma driven by a 2 TW, 90 fs laser pulse synchronized with a 17 MeV RF linac electron injector at 10 Hz. Around optimum plasma densities for LWA, we have observed electrons accelerated to 35 MeV. Wakefield excitation has been confirmed by measuring the electron density oscillation with a frequency domain interferometer. At plasma densities higher than the optimum density, we have also observed high energy electrons over 100 MeV up to 200 MeV. (author)

S-Matrix theory of laser-induced nonsequential double ionization: from electron-electron dynamics to absolute-phase diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Figueira de Morisson Faria, C.; Sanpera, A.; Lewenstein, M.; Schomerus, H.; Liu, X.; Becker, W.

2005-01-01

studies, in which a systematic analysis of the influence of the initial bound states of both electrons, and of the spatial extension of the electronic wave function, on the NSDI momentum distributions, has been performed. Such studies have shown that the best agreement with experiments should occur for highly localized bound states and an effective short-range interaction. In the above-stated studies, the external laser field has been approximated by a monochromatic wave. This is a reasonable assumption if the laser pulses in question are relatively long. For few-cycle pulses, however, one expects a very different behavior and, in particular, that the so-called absolute phase, i.e., the phase difference between the pulse envelope and its carrier oscillation, influences the momentum distributions in question. Within this context, we have shown that the differential momentum distributions are highly asymmetric and either concentrated in the first or the third quadrant of the (p 1II , p 2II ) plane. Around a critical value of the absolute phase, the distributions shift from one region to the other. Such a behavior can be explained in terms of the trajectories of an electron recombining inelastically with its parent ion, and the critical phase can be traced to a change in the dominant set of trajectories. This effect is present both in a classical and a quantum-mechanical framework, with the difference that, in the quantum-mechanical case, the distributions start to shift at a slightly smaller phase. This is due to the fact that, if NSDI is classically forbidden, the quantum mechanical distributions are exponentially decaying, whereas their classical counterparts vanish. This behavior is more extreme than those observed for other high-intensity phenomena, such as above-threshold ionization or high-harmonic generation, so that NSDI is an efficient tool for absolute-phase measurements. Refs. 3 (author)
Spin effects in strong-field laser-electron interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahrens, S; Bauke, H; Müller, T-O; Villalba-Chávez, S; Müller, C

2013-01-01

The electron spin degree of freedom can play a significant role in relativistic scattering processes involving intense laser fields. In this contribution we discuss the influence of the electron spin on (i) Kapitza-Dirac scattering in an x-ray laser field of high intensity, (ii) photo-induced electron-positron pair production in a strong laser wave and (iii) multiphoton electron-positron pair production on an atomic nucleus. We show that in all cases under consideration the electron spin can have a characteristic impact on the process properties and their total probabilities. To this end, spin-resolved calculations based on the Dirac equation in the presence of an intense laser field are performed. The predictions from Dirac theory are also compared with the corresponding results from the Klein-Gordon equation.
Laser-Neuron Interaction with Femtosecond Beat-Modulated 800-1200 nm Photon Beams, as the Treatment of Brain Cancer Tissue. Laser Neurophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Stefan, V. Alexander

2011-03-01

I propose a novel mechanism for the brain cancer tissue treatment: nonlinear interaction of ultrashort pulses of beat-photon, (ω1 -- ω2) , or double-photon, (ω1 +ω2) , beams with the cancer tissue. The multiphoton scattering is described via photon diffusion equation. The open-scull cerebral tissue can be irradiated with the beat-modulated photon pulses with the laser irradiances in the range of a few mW/cm2 , and repetition rate of a few 100s Hz generated in the beat-wave driven free electron laser. V. Stefan, B. I. Cohen, and C. Joshi, Nonlinear Mixing of Electromagnetic Waves in PlasmasScience 27 January 1989: V. Alexander Stefan, Genomic Medical Physics: A New Physics in the Making, (S-U-Press, 2008).} This highly accurate cancer tissue ablation removal may prove to be an efficient method for the treatment of brain cancer. Work supported in part by Nikola Tesla Laboratories (Stefan University), La Jolla, CA.
Towards external injection in laser wakefield acceleration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stragier, X.F.D.

2011-01-01

In laser wakefield acceleration (LWA) a plasma wave is driven by a high intensity ultra short laser pulse and the longitudinal electric fields in the plasma wave are used to accelerate electron bunches. Electrons with an appropriate kinetic energy, injected on the right phase of the plasma wave, get
Nitrogen plasma formation through terahertz-induced ultrafast electron field emission

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iwaszczuk, Krzysztof; Zalkovskij, Maksim; Strikwerda, Andrew

2015-01-01

Electron microscopy and electron diffraction techniques rely on electron sources. Those sources require strong electric fields to extract electrons from metals, either by the photoelectric effect, driven by multiphoton absorption of strong laser fields, or in the static field emission regime....... Terahertz (THz) radiation, commonly understood to be nonionizing due to its low photon energy, is here shown to produce electron field emission. We demonstrate that a carrier-envelope phase-stable single-cycle optical field at THz frequencies interacting with a metallic microantenna can generate...... and accelerate ultrashort and ultrabright electron bunches into free space, and we use these electrons to excite and ionize ambient nitrogen molecules near the antenna. The associated UV emission from the gas forms a novel THz wave detector, which, in contrast with conventional photon-counting or heat...
Multi-kiloampere, electron-beam generation using metal photo-cathodes driven by ArF and KrF lasers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlson, R L; Moya, S S; Ridlon, R N; Seitz, G J; Shurter, R P [Los Alamos Natl. Lab., Los Alamos, NM (United States)

1997-12-31

An electron-beam-pumped laser operating at ArF (193 nm) or KrF (248 nm) producing 35 MW (3.5 J in 100 ns) has been used to illuminate a micro-machined aluminum cathode. The cathode was pulsed to 2.75 MV at fields of 185 kV/cm (15-cm AK gap) using REX (a 4-MV, 5-kA, 85-ns) pulsed-diode machine. The extracted current versus incident laser power (the quantum efficiency) was measured for KrF at 5x10{sup -5} and for ArF which was significantly higher at 1x10{sup -3}. Current densities of 100 A/cm{sup 2} and total currents of 2 kA have been achieved, the latter by increasing the cathode area in proportion to the laser power. (author). 8 figs., 14 refs.
Development of a high brightness ultrafast Transmission Electron Microscope based on a laser-driven cold field emission source.

Science.gov (United States)

Houdellier, F; Caruso, G M; Weber, S; Kociak, M; Arbouet, A

2018-03-01

We report on the development of an ultrafast Transmission Electron Microscope based on a cold field emission source which can operate in either DC or ultrafast mode. Electron emission from a tungsten nanotip is triggered by femtosecond laser pulses which are tightly focused by optical components integrated inside a cold field emission source close to the cathode. The properties of the electron probe (brightness, angular current density, stability) are quantitatively determined. The measured brightness is the largest reported so far for UTEMs. Examples of imaging, diffraction and spectroscopy using ultrashort electron pulses are given. Finally, the potential of this instrument is illustrated by performing electron holography in the off-axis configuration using ultrashort electron pulses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Electron scattering and few nucleon systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frois, B.

1983-08-01

Recent result obtained by electron scattering in the few-nucleon systems (A 3 He charge and magnetic form factors are discussed. New theoretical results indicate that three body forces improve considerably the saturation properties of 3 He, 4 He and nuclear matter, but are not able to reconcile experiment and theory for the charge form factors of 3 He and 4 He. Calculations of meson exchange effects with different theoretical approaches bring the theory into reasonable agreement with the experimental charge and magnetic form factor fo 3 He. Recent results of the measurements of the two and three body break-up of 3 He are discussed
Biological applications of ultraviolet free-electron lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutherland, J.C.

1997-10-01

This review examines the possibilities for biological research using the three ultraviolet free-electron lasers that are nearing operational status in the US. The projected operating characteristics of major interest in biological research of the free-electron lasers at Brookhaven National Laboratory, the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, and Duke University are presented. Experimental applications in the areas of far- and vacuum ultraviolet photophysics and photochemistry, structural biology, environmental photobiology, and medical research are discussed and the prospects for advances in these areas, based upon the characteristics of the new ultraviolet free-electron lasers, are evaluated
Convection flows driven by laser heating of a liquid layer

OpenAIRE

Rivière , David; Selva , Bertrand; Chraibi , Hamza; Delabre , Ulysse; Delville , Jean-Pierre

2016-01-01

International audience; When a fluid is heated by the absorption of a continuous laser wave, the fluid density decreases in the heated area. This induces a pressure gradient that generates internal motion of the fluid. Due to mass conservation, convection eddies emerge in the sample. To investigate these laser-driven bulk flows at the microscopic scale, we built a setup to perform temperature measurements with a fluorescent-sensitive dye on the one hand, and measured the flow pattern at diffe...
Models of electron conductivity which lead to ablation stabilization of fluid instabilities in laser-driven implosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindl, J.D.; Mead, W.C.

1975-01-01

LASNEX calculations with a modified electron conductivity show the existence of a firepolishing stabilization effect. By modifying the thermal conductivity so that K α T/sup n//rho/sup m/, one is able to construct a situation in which the electrons deposit their energy in a thin layer at the ablation surface and closely match the zero order solutions assumed earlier. The firepolishing effect appears to require that a significant fraction of the total pressure be due to the ablation process itself rather than the thermal pressure in the corona gas. It also requires KL approximately 1 where L is the scale height for decay of thermal perturbations generated at the ablation surface. For classical electron conductivity, because the thermal flux depends linearly on the grams/cm 2 necessary to stop the electrons, (1/rho) nabla rho approximately (1/T) nabla T near the ablation surface so that the pressure is nearly constant across the ablation surface. Hence there is no ablation pressure as such and no firepolishing effect for electron-driven implosions
Monoenergetic and GeV ion acceleration from the laser breakout afterburner using ultrathin targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, L.; Albright, B. J.; Hegelich, B. M.; Bowers, K. J.; Flippo, K. A.; Kwan, T. J. T.; Fernandez, J. C.

2007-01-01

A new laser-driven ion acceleration mechanism using ultrathin targets has been identified from particle-in-cell simulations. After a brief period of target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) [S. P. Hatchett et al., Phys. Plasmas 7, 2076 (2000)], two distinct stages follow: first, a period of enhanced TNSA during which the cold electron background converts entirely to hot electrons, and second, the ''laser breakout afterburner'' (BOA) when the laser penetrates to the rear of the target where a localized longitudinal electric field is generated with the location of the peak field co-moving with the ions. During this process, a relativistic electron beam is produced by the ponderomotive drive of the laser. This beam is unstable to a relativistic Buneman instability, which rapidly converts the electron energy into ion energy. This mechanism accelerates ions to much higher energies using laser intensities comparable to earlier TNSA experiments. At a laser intensity of 10 21 W/cm 2 , the carbon ions accelerate as a quasimonoenergetic bunch to 100 s of MeV in the early stages of the BOA with conversion efficiency of order a few percent. Both are an order of magnitude higher than those realized from TNSA in recent experiments [Hegelich et al., Nature 441, 439 (2006)]. The laser-plasma interaction then evolves to produce a quasithermal energy distribution with maximum energy of ∼2 GeV
Interaction of ultra-short ultra-intense laser pulses with under-dense plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solodov, A.

2000-12-01

Different aspects of interaction of ultra-short ultra-intense laser pulses with underdense plasmas are studied analytically and numerically. These studies can be interesting for laser-driven electron acceleration in plasma, X-ray lasers, high-order harmonic generation, initial confinement fusion with fast ignition. For numerical simulations a fully-relativistic particle code WAKE was used, developed earlier at Ecole Polytechnique. It was modified during the work on the thesis in the part of simulation of ion motion, test electron motion, diagnostics for the field and plasma. The studies in the thesis cover the problems of photon acceleration in the plasma wake of a short intense laser pulse, phase velocity of the plasma wave in the Self-Modulated Laser Wake-Field Accelerator (SM LWFA), relativistic channeling of laser pulses with duration of the order of a plasma period, ion dynamics in the wake of a short intense laser pulse, plasma wave breaking. Simulation of three experiments on the laser pulse propagation in plasma and electron acceleration were performed. Among the main results of the thesis, it was found that reduction of the plasma wave phase velocity in the SM LWFA is crucial for electron acceleration, only if a plasma channel is used for the laser pulse guiding. Self-similar structures describing relativistic guiding of short laser pulses in plasmas were found and relativistic channeling of initially Gaussian laser pulses of a few plasma periods in duration was demonstrated. It was shown that ponderomotive force of a plasma wake excited by a short laser pulse forms a channel in plasma and plasma wave breaking in the channel was analyzed in detail. Effectiveness of electron acceleration by the laser field and plasma wave was compared and frequency shift of probe laser pulses by the plasma waves was found in conditions relevant to the current experiments. (author)
Free electron laser and coherent radiation. Working group summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gover, A.; Csonka, P.; Deacon, D.

1984-01-01

The planned development of a new storage ring at SSRL gives hope for the exciting possibility that an x-ray laser may become available in a users facility. Such a device would certainly be a unique and revolutionary tool for scientific research and industrial applications, which may take advantage of the spatial and temporal coherence, high power and high brightness of this device in a wavelength regime where no alternative coherent radiation sources exist. The feasibility of implementing such a device in the new ring should be examined carefully by the ring designers. If conclusions are positive, the ring design should take into account the special requirements which are set by the x-ray laser design parameters. Our working group made the first step in this examination process. Most of the emphasis was put on the consideration of an X-Ray Free Electron Laser (XR FEL). FEL technology has developed in the last few years and was recently demonstrated to operate successfully in the visible wavelength regime in the ACO storage ring in Orsay
High-power fiber lasers for photocathode electron injectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi Zhao

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Many new applications for electron accelerators require high-brightness, high-average power beams, and most rely on photocathode-based electron injectors as a source of electrons. To achieve such a photoinjector, one requires both a high-power laser system to produce the high average current beam, and also a system at reduced repetition rate for electron beam diagnostics to verify high beam brightness. Here we report on two fiber laser systems designed to meet these specific needs, at 50 MHz and 1.3 GHz repetition rate, together with pulse pickers, second harmonic generation, spatiotemporal beam shaping, intensity feedback, and laser beam transport. The performance and flexibility of these laser systems have allowed us to demonstrate electron beam with both low emittance and high average current for the Cornell energy recovery linac.
Generation of mega-electron-volt electron beams by an ultrafast intense laser pulse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaofang; Saleh, Ned; Krishnan, Mohan; Wang Haiwen; Backus, Sterling; Murnane, Margaret; Kapteyn, Henry; Umstadter, Donald; Wang Quandong; Shen Baifei

2003-01-01

Mega-electron-volt (MeV) electron emission from the interaction of an ultrafast (τ∼29 fs), intense (>10 18 W/cm 2 ) laser pulse with underdense plasmas has been studied. A beam of MeV electrons with a divergence angle as small as 1 deg. is observed in the forward direction, which is correlated with relativistic filamentation of the laser pulse in plasmas. A novel net-energy-gain mechanism is proposed for electron acceleration resulting from the relativistic filamentation and beam breakup. These results suggest an approach for generating a beam of femtosecond, MeV electrons at a kilohertz repetition rate with a compact ultrafast intense laser system
Operational Radiation Protection in Synchrotron Light and Free Electron Laser Facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, James C.; Rokni, Sayed H.; /SLAC; Vylet, Vaclav; /Jefferson Lab

2009-12-11

The 3rd generation synchrotron radiation (SR) facilities are storage ring based facilities with many insertion devices and photon beamlines, and have low injection beam power (< few tens of watts), but extremely high stored beam power ({approx} 1 GW). The 4th generation x-ray free electron laser (FEL) facilities are based on an electron Linac with a long undulator and have high injection beam power (a few kW). Due to its electron and photon beam characteristics and modes of operation, storage ring and photon beamlines have unique safety aspects, which are the main subjects of this paper. The shielding design limits, operational modes, and beam losses are first reviewed. Shielding analysis (source terms and methodologies) and interlocked safety systems for storage ring and photon beamlines (including SR and gas bremsstrahlung) are described. Specific safety issues for storage ring top-off injection operation and FEL facilities are discussed. The operational safety program, e.g., operation authorization, commissioning, training, and radiation measurements, for SR facilities is also presented.
Operational Radiation Protection in Synchrotron Light and Free Electron Laser Facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, James C.; Rokni, Sayed H.; Vylet, Vaclav

2009-01-01

The 3rd generation synchrotron radiation (SR) facilities are storage ring based facilities with many insertion devices and photon beamlines, and have low injection beam power (< few tens of watts), but extremely high stored beam power (∼ 1 GW). The 4th generation x-ray free electron laser (FEL) facilities are based on an electron Linac with a long undulator and have high injection beam power (a few kW). Due to its electron and photon beam characteristics and modes of operation, storage ring and photon beamlines have unique safety aspects, which are the main subjects of this paper. The shielding design limits, operational modes, and beam losses are first reviewed. Shielding analysis (source terms and methodologies) and interlocked safety systems for storage ring and photon beamlines (including SR and gas bremsstrahlung) are described. Specific safety issues for storage ring top-off injection operation and FEL facilities are discussed. The operational safety program, e.g., operation authorization, commissioning, training, and radiation measurements, for SR facilities is also presented.
Prospects for hybrid pixel detectors in electron microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faruqi, A.R.

2001-01-01

The current status of CCD-based detectors for cryo-electron microscopy of membrane and other proteins is described briefly, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the technique. Over the past few years CCD detectors have been used extensively in electron crystallography of membrane proteins, and in particular, in the study of the molecular transitions which take place during the photo-cycle of the light-driven proton pump bacteriorhodopsin. Direct-detection methods, which avoid the intermediate stages of converting the electron energy into light, offer the possibility of improved spatial resolution compared to CCD detectors; in addition, photon counting and noise-free readout should improve the signal-to-noise ratio
Numerical and Engine Cycle Analyses of a Pulse Laser Ramjet Vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Katsurayama, Hiroshi; Komurasaki, Kimiya; Momozawa, Ai; Arakawa, Yoshihiro

A preliminary feasibility study of a laser ramjet SSTO has been conducted using engine cycle analysis. Although a large amount of laser energy is lost due to chemically frozen flow at high altitudes, the laser ramjet SSTO was found to be feasible with 100 MW laser power for 100 kg vehicle mass and 1 m2 vehicle cross-section area. Obtained momentum coupling coefficient, Cm, was validated by means of CFD. As a result, the engine cycle analysis was under-estimating Cm. This would be because of the strong unsteady energy input in the actual heating process and the spatially localized pressure on the afterbody.

Ultra high-speed x-ray imaging of laser-driven shock compression using synchrotron light

Science.gov (United States)

Olbinado, Margie P.; Cantelli, Valentina; Mathon, Olivier; Pascarelli, Sakura; Grenzer, Joerg; Pelka, Alexander; Roedel, Melanie; Prencipe, Irene; Laso Garcia, Alejandro; Helbig, Uwe; Kraus, Dominik; Schramm, Ulrich; Cowan, Tom; Scheel, Mario; Pradel, Pierre; De Resseguier, Thibaut; Rack, Alexander

2018-02-01

A high-power, nanosecond pulsed laser impacting the surface of a material can generate an ablation plasma that drives a shock wave into it; while in situ x-ray imaging can provide a time-resolved probe of the shock-induced material behaviour on macroscopic length scales. Here, we report on an investigation into laser-driven shock compression of a polyurethane foam and a graphite rod by means of single-pulse synchrotron x-ray phase-contrast imaging with MHz frame rate. A 6 J, 10 ns pulsed laser was used to generate shock compression. Physical processes governing the laser-induced dynamic response such as elastic compression, compaction, pore collapse, fracture, and fragmentation have been imaged; and the advantage of exploiting the partial spatial coherence of a synchrotron source for studying low-density, carbon-based materials is emphasized. The successful combination of a high-energy laser and ultra high-speed x-ray imaging using synchrotron light demonstrates the potentiality of accessing complementary information from scientific studies of laser-driven shock compression.
On the fly quantum dynamics of electronic and nuclear wave packets

Science.gov (United States)

Komarova, Ksenia G.; Remacle, F.; Levine, R. D.

2018-05-01

Multielectronic states quantum dynamics on a grid is described in a manner motivated by on the fly classical trajectory computations. Non stationary electronic states are prepared by a few cycle laser pulse. The nuclei respond and begin moving. We solve the time dependent Schrödinger equation for the electronic and nuclear dynamics for excitation from the ground electronic state. A satisfactory accuracy is possible using a localized description on a discrete grid. This enables computing on the fly for both the nuclear and electronic dynamics including non-adiabatic couplings. Attosecond dynamics in LiH is used as an example.
The ELIMED transport and dosimetry beamline for laser-driven ion beams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romano, F., E-mail: francesco.romano@lns.infn.it [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Schillaci, F.; Cirrone, G.A.P.; Cuttone, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Scuderi, V. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); ELI-Beamlines Project, Institute of Physics ASCR, v.v.i. (FZU), 182 21 Prague (Czech Republic); Allegra, L.; Amato, A.; Amico, A.; Candiano, G.; De Luca, G.; Gallo, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Giordanengo, S.; Guarachi, L. Fanola [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, Torino (Italy); Universita' di Torino, Dipartimento di Fisica, Via P. Giuria 1, Torino (Italy); Korn, G. [ELI-Beamlines Project, Institute of Physics ASCR, v.v.i. (FZU), 182 21 Prague (Czech Republic); Larosa, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Leanza, R. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Universita' di Catania, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Via S. Sofia 64, Catania (Italy); Manna, R.; Marchese, V. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Marchetto, F. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Torino, Via P. Giuria 1, Torino (Italy); Margarone, D. [ELI-Beamlines Project, Institute of Physics ASCR, v.v.i. (FZU), 182 21 Prague (Czech Republic); and others

2016-09-01

A growing interest of the scientific community towards multidisciplinary applications of laser-driven beams has led to the development of several projects aiming to demonstrate the possible use of these beams for therapeutic purposes. Nevertheless, laser-accelerated particles differ from the conventional beams typically used for multiscipilinary and medical applications, due to the wide energy spread, the angular divergence and the extremely intense pulses. The peculiarities of optically accelerated beams led to develop new strategies and advanced techniques for transport, diagnostics and dosimetry of the accelerated particles. In this framework, the realization of the ELIMED (ELI-Beamlines MEDical and multidisciplinary applications) beamline, developed by INFN-LNS (Catania, Italy) and that will be installed in 2017 as a part of the ELIMAIA beamline at the ELI-Beamlines (Extreme Light Infrastructure Beamlines) facility in Prague, has the aim to investigate the feasibility of using laser-driven ion beams for multidisciplinary applications. In this contribution, an overview of the beamline along with a detailed description of the main transport elements as well as the detectors composing the final section of the beamline will be presented.
Micron-size hydrogen cluster target for laser-driven proton acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Jinno, S.; Kanasaki, M.; Uno, M.; Matsui, R.; Uesaka, M.; Kishimoto, Y.; Fukuda, Y.

2018-04-01

As a new laser-driven ion acceleration technique, we proposed a way to produce impurity-free, highly reproducible, and robust proton beams exceeding 100 MeV using a Coulomb explosion of micron-size hydrogen clusters. In this study, micron-size hydrogen clusters were generated by expanding the cooled high-pressure hydrogen gas into a vacuum via a conical nozzle connected to a solenoid valve cooled by a mechanical cryostat. The size distributions of the hydrogen clusters were evaluated by measuring the angular distribution of laser light scattered from the clusters. The data were analyzed mathematically based on the Mie scattering theory combined with the Tikhonov regularization method. The maximum size of the hydrogen cluster at 25 K and 6 MPa in the stagnation state was recognized to be 2.15 ± 0.10 μm. The mean cluster size decreased with increasing temperature, and was found to be much larger than that given by Hagena’s formula. This discrepancy suggests that the micron-size hydrogen clusters were formed by the atomization (spallation) of the liquid or supercritical fluid phase of hydrogen. In addition, the density profiles of the gas phase were evaluated for 25 to 80 K at 6 MPa using a Nomarski interferometer. Based on the measurement results and the equation of state for hydrogen, the cluster mass fraction was obtained. 3D particles-in-cell (PIC) simulations concerning the interaction processes of micron-size hydrogen clusters with high power laser pulses predicted the generation of protons exceeding 100 MeV and accelerating in a laser propagation direction via an anisotropic Coulomb explosion mechanism, thus demonstrating a future candidate in laser-driven proton sources for upcoming multi-petawatt lasers.
Current status and future perspectives of electron interactions with molecules, clusters, surfaces, and interfaces [Workshop on Fundamental challenges in electron-driven chemistry; Workshop on Electron-driven processes: Scientific challenges and technological opportunities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becker, Kurt H.; McCurdy, C. William; Orlando, Thomas M.; Rescigno, Thomas N.

2000-09-01

This report is based largely on presentations and discussions at two workshops and contributions from workshop participants. The workshop on Fundamental Challenges in Electron-Driven Chemistry was held in Berkeley, October 9-10, 1998, and addressed questions regarding theory, computation, and simulation. The workshop on Electron-Driven Processes: Scientific Challenges and Technological Opportunities was held at Stevens Institute of Technology, March 16-17, 2000, and focused largely on experiments. Electron-molecule and electron-atom collisions initiate and drive almost all the relevant chemical processes associated with radiation chemistry, environmental chemistry, stability of waste repositories, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, plasma processing of materials for microelectronic devices and other applications, and novel light sources for research purposes (e.g. excimer lamps in the extreme ultraviolet) and in everyday lighting applications. The life sciences are a rapidly advancing field where the important role of electron-driven processes is only now beginning to be recognized. Many of the applications of electron-initiated chemical processes require results in the near term. A large-scale, multidisciplinary and collaborative effort should be mounted to solve these problems in a timely way so that their solution will have the needed impact on the urgent questions of understanding the physico-chemical processes initiated and driven by electron interactions.
Fundamentals for a terahertz-driven electron gun

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lange, Simon Lehnskov; Olsen, Filip D.; Iwaszczuk, Krzysztof

2017-01-01

dipoles placed with a small gap in between. We conclude that it is possible to make ultra-bright electron bunches shorter than 1 ps and accelerate them to the low keV range over 15 mu m using only a single THz transient. Our results are fundamental to understand and build a THz-driven electron gun....
Time of Flight based diagnostics for high energy laser driven ion beams

Science.gov (United States)

Scuderi, V.; Milluzzo, G.; Alejo, A.; Amico, A. G.; Booth, N.; Cirrone, G. A. P.; Doria, D.; Green, J.; Kar, S.; Larosa, G.; Leanza, R.; Margarone, D.; McKenna, P.; Padda, H.; Petringa, G.; Pipek, J.; Romagnani, L.; Romano, F.; Schillaci, F.; Borghesi, M.; Cuttone, G.; Korn, G.

2017-03-01

Nowadays the innovative high power laser-based ion acceleration technique is one of the most interesting challenges in particle acceleration field, showing attractive characteristics for future multidisciplinary applications, including medical ones. Nevertheless, peculiarities of optically accelerated ion beams make mandatory the development of proper transport, selection and diagnostics devices in order to deliver stable and controlled ion beams for multidisciplinary applications. This is the main purpose of the ELIMAIA (ELI Multidisciplinary Applications of laser-Ion Acceleration) beamline that will be realized and installed within 2018 at the ELI-Beamlines research center in the Czech Republic, where laser driven high energy ions, up to 60 MeV/n, will be available for users. In particular, a crucial role will be played by the on-line diagnostics system, recently developed in collaboration with INFN-LNS (Italy), consisting of TOF detectors, placed along the beamline (at different detection distances) to provide online monitoring of key characteristics of delivered beams, such as energy, fluence and ion species. In this contribution an overview on the ELIMAIA available ion diagnostics will be briefly given along with the preliminary results obtained during a test performed with high energy laser-driven proton beams accelerated at the VULCAN PW-laser available at RAL facility (U.K.).
Time of Flight based diagnostics for high energy laser driven ion beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scuderi, V.; Margarone, D.; Schillaci, F.; Milluzzo, G.; Amico, A.G.; Cirrone, G.A.P.; Larosa, G.; Leanza, R.; Petringa, G.; Pipek, J.; Romano, F.; Alejo, A.; Doria, D.; Kar, S.; Borghesi, M.; Booth, N.; Green, J.; McKenna, P.; Padda, H.; Romagnani, L.

2017-01-01

Nowadays the innovative high power laser-based ion acceleration technique is one of the most interesting challenges in particle acceleration field, showing attractive characteristics for future multidisciplinary applications, including medical ones. Nevertheless, peculiarities of optically accelerated ion beams make mandatory the development of proper transport, selection and diagnostics devices in order to deliver stable and controlled ion beams for multidisciplinary applications. This is the main purpose of the ELIMAIA (ELI Multidisciplinary Applications of laser-Ion Acceleration) beamline that will be realized and installed within 2018 at the ELI-Beamlines research center in the Czech Republic, where laser driven high energy ions, up to 60 MeV/n, will be available for users. In particular, a crucial role will be played by the on-line diagnostics system, recently developed in collaboration with INFN-LNS (Italy), consisting of TOF detectors, placed along the beamline (at different detection distances) to provide online monitoring of key characteristics of delivered beams, such as energy, fluence and ion species. In this contribution an overview on the ELIMAIA available ion diagnostics will be briefly given along with the preliminary results obtained during a test performed with high energy laser-driven proton beams accelerated at the VULCAN PW-laser available at RAL facility (U.K.).
A plasma solenoid driven by an Orbital Angular Momentum laser beam

OpenAIRE

Nuter, R.; Korneev, Ph.; Thiele, I.; Tikhonchuk, V.

2018-01-01

A tens of Tesla quasi-static axial magnetic field can be produced in the interaction of a short intense laser beam carrying an Orbital Angular Momentum with an underdense plasma. Three-dimensional "Particle In Cell" simulations and analytical model demonstrate that orbital angular momentum is transfered from a tightly focused radially polarized laser beam to electrons without any dissipative effect. A theoretical model describing the balistic interaction of electrons with laser shows that par...
Multiple quasi-monoenergetic electron beams from laser-wakefield acceleration with spatially structured laser pulse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Y.; Li, M. H.; Li, Y. F.; Wang, J. G.; Tao, M. Z.; Han, Y. J.; Zhao, J. R.; Huang, K.; Yan, W. C.; Ma, J. L.; Li, Y. T. [Beijing National Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100080 (China); Chen, L. M., E-mail: lmchen@iphy.ac.cn [Beijing National Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100080 (China); Department of Physics and Astronomy and IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Li, D. Z. [Institute of High Energy Physics, CAS, Beijing 100049 (China); Chen, Z. Y. [Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, Sichuan 621999 (China); Sheng, Z. M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy and IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Department of Physics, Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG (United Kingdom); Zhang, J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy and IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2015-08-15

By adjusting the focus geometry of a spatially structured laser pulse, single, double, and treble quasi-monoenergetic electron beams were generated, respectively, in laser-wakefield acceleration. Single electron beam was produced as focusing the laser pulse to a single spot. While focusing the laser pulse to two spots that are approximately equal in energy and size and intense enough to form their own filaments, two electron beams were produced. Moreover, with a proper distance between those two focal spots, three electron beams emerged with a certain probability owing to the superposition of the diffractions of those two spots. The energy spectra of the multiple electron beams are quasi-monoenergetic, which are different from that of the large energy spread beams produced due to the longitudinal multiple-injection in the single bubble.
Long-Range Coulomb Effect in Intense Laser-Driven Photoelectron Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Quan, Wei; Hao, XiaoLei; Chen, YongJu; Yu, ShaoGang; Xu, SongPo; Wang, YanLan; Sun, RenPing; Lai, XuanYang; Wu, ChengYin; Gong, QiHuang; He, XianTu; Liu, XiaoJun; Chen, Jing

2016-06-03

In strong field atomic physics community, long-range Coulomb interaction has for a long time been overlooked and its significant role in intense laser-driven photoelectron dynamics eluded experimental observations. Here we report an experimental investigation of the effect of long-range Coulomb potential on the dynamics of near-zero-momentum photoelectrons produced in photo-ionization process of noble gas atoms in intense midinfrared laser pulses. By exploring the dependence of photoelectron distributions near zero momentum on laser intensity and wavelength, we unambiguously demonstrate that the long-range tail of the Coulomb potential (i.e., up to several hundreds atomic units) plays an important role in determining the photoelectron dynamics after the pulse ends.
Generation and transport of fast electrons in the interaction of high intensity laser with matter; Generation et transport des electrons rapides dans l'interaction laser-matiere a haut flux

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Popescu, H

2005-10-15

The general context of this study is the Inertial Confinement for thermonuclear controlled fusion and, more precisely, the Fast Igniter (FI). In this context the knowledge of the generation and transport of fast electrons is crucial. This thesis is an experimental study of the generation and transport of fast electrons in the interaction of a high intensity laser ({>=} 10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2}) with a solid target. The main diagnostic used here is the transition radiation. This radiation depends on the electrons which produce it and thus it gives important information on the electrons: energy, temperature, propagation geometry, etc. The spectral, temporal and spatial analysis permitted to put in evidence the acceleration of periodic electron bunches which, in this case, emit a Coherent Transition Radiation (CTR). During this thesis we have developed some theoretical models in order to explain the experimental results. We find this way two kinds of electron bunches, emitted either at the laser frequency ({omega}{sub 0}), either at the double of this frequency (2{omega}{sub 0}), involving several acceleration mechanisms: vacuum heating / resonance absorption and Lorentz force, respectively. These bunches are also observed in the PIC (particle-in-cell) simulations. The electron temperature is of about 2 MeV in our experimental conditions. The electrons are emitted starting from a point source (which is the laser focal spot) and then propagate in a ballistic way through the target. In some cases they can be re-injected in the target by the electrostatic field from the target edges. This diagnostic is only sensitive to the coherent relativistic electrons, which explains the weak total energy that they contain (about a few mJ). The CTR signal emitted by those fast electrons is largely dominating the signal emitted by the less energetic electrons, even if they contain the major part of the energy (about 1 J). (author)
Nuclear Material Detection by One-Short-Pulse-Laser-Driven Neutron Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Favalli, Andrea; Aymond, F.; Bridgewater, Jon S.; Croft, Stephen; Deppert, O.; Devlin, Matthew James; Falk, Katerina; Fernandez, Juan Carlos; Gautier, Donald Cort; Gonzales, Manuel A.; Goodsell, Alison Victoria; Guler, Nevzat; Hamilton, Christopher Eric; Hegelich, Bjorn Manuel; Henzlova, Daniela; Ianakiev, Kiril Dimitrov; Iliev, Metodi; Johnson, Randall Philip; Jung, Daniel; Kleinschmidt, Annika; Koehler, Katrina Elizabeth; Pomerantz, Ishay; Roth, Markus; Santi, Peter Angelo; Shimada, Tsutomu; Swinhoe, Martyn Thomas; Taddeucci, Terry Nicholas; Wurden, Glen Anthony; Palaniyappan, Sasikumar; McCary, E.

2015-01-01

Covered in the PowerPoint presentation are the following areas: Motivation and requirements for active interrogation of nuclear material; laser-driven neutron source; neutron diagnostics; active interrogation of nuclear material; and, conclusions, remarks, and future works.
Third-harmonic generation of a laser-driven quantum dot with impurity

Science.gov (United States)

Sakiroglu, S.; Kilic, D. Gul; Yesilgul, U.; Ungan, F.; Kasapoglu, E.; Sari, H.; Sokmen, I.

2018-06-01

The third-harmonic generation (THG) coefficient for a laser-driven quantum dot with an on-center Gaussian impurity under static magnetic field is theoretically investigated. Laser field effect is treated within the high-frequency Floquet approach and the analytical expression of the THG coefficient is deduced from the compact density-matrix approach. The numerical results demonstrate that the application of intense laser field causes substantial changes on the behavior of THG. In addition the position and magnitude of the resonant peak of THG coefficient is significantly affected by the magnetic field, quantum dot size and the characteristic parameters of the impurity potential.
An Electron Bunch Compression Scheme for a Superconducting Radio Frequency Linear Accelerator Driven Light Source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

C. Tennant, S.V. Benson, D. Douglas, P. Evtushenko, R.A. Legg

2011-09-01

We describe an electron bunch compression scheme suitable for use in a light source driven by a superconducting radio frequency (SRF) linac. The key feature is the use of a recirculating linac to perform the initial bunch compression. Phasing of the second pass beam through the linac is chosen to de-chirp the electron bunch prior to acceleration to the final energy in an SRF linac ('afterburner'). The final bunch compression is then done at maximum energy. This scheme has the potential to circumvent some of the most technically challenging aspects of current longitudinal matches; namely transporting a fully compressed, high peak current electron bunch through an extended SRF environment, the need for a RF harmonic linearizer and the need for a laser heater. Additional benefits include a substantial savings in capital and operational costs by efficiently using the available SRF gradient.
Low energy spread 100 MeV-1 GeV electron bunches from laser wakefield acceleration at LOASIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geddes, C.G.R.; Esarey, E.; Michel, P.; Nagler, B.; Nakamura, K.; Plateau, G.R.; Schroeder, C.B.; Shadwick, B.A.; Toth, Cs.; Van Tilborg, J.; Leemans, W.P.; Hooker, S.M.; Gonsalves, A.J.; Michel, E.; Cary, J.R.; Bruhwiler, D.

2006-01-01

Experiments at the LOASIS laboratory of LBNL recently demonstrated production of 100 MeV electron beams with low energy spread and low divergence from laser wakefield acceleration. The radiation pressure of a 10 TW laser pulse guided over 10 diffraction ranges by a plasma density channel was used to drive an intense plasma wave (wakefield), producing acceleration gradients on the order of 100 GV/m in a mm-scale channel. Beam energy has now been increased from 100 to 1000 MeV by using a cm-scale guiding channel at lower density, driven by a 40TW laser, demonstrating the anticipated scaling to higher beam energies. Particle simulations indicate that the low energy spread beams were produced from self trapped electrons through the interplay of trapping, loading, and dephasing. Other experiments and simulations are also underway to control injection of particles into the wake, and hence improve beam quality and stability further
Study of laser-driven shock wave propagation in Plexiglas targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhareshwar, L.J.; Naik, P.A.; Pant, H.C.; Kaushik, T.C.

1992-01-01

An experimental study of laser-driven shock wave propagation in a transparent material such as Plexiglas using a high-speed optical shadowgraphy technique is presented in this paper. A Nd: glass laser was used to produce laser intensity in the range 10 12 -10 14 W/cm 2 on the target. Optical shadowgrams of the propagating shock front were recorded with a second-harmonic (0.53-μm) optical probe beam. Shock pressures were measured at various laser intensities, and the scaling was found to agree with the theoretically predicted value. Shock pressure values have also been obtained from a one-dimensional Lagrangian hydrodynamic simulation, and they match well with experimental results. Shadowgrams of shock fronts produced by nonuniform spatial laser beam irradiation profiles have shown complete smoothing when targets with a thin coating of a material of high atomic number such as gold were used. Shock pressures in such coated targets are also found to be considerably higher compared with those in uncoated targets. (Author)
Suppressing Two-Plasmon Decay with Laser Frequency Detuning

Science.gov (United States)

Follett, R. K.; Shaw, J. G.; Myatt, J. F.; Palastro, J. P.; Short, R. W.; Froula, D. H.

2018-03-01

Three-dimensional laser-plasma interaction simulations show that laser frequency detuning by an amount achievable with current laser technology can be used to suppress the two-plasmon decay (TPD) instability and the corresponding hot-electron generation. For the plasma conditions and laser configuration in a direct-drive inertial confinement fusion implosion on the OMEGA laser, the simulations show that ˜0.7 % laser frequency detuning is sufficient to eliminate TPD-driven hot-electron generation in current experiments. This allows for higher ablation pressures in future implosion designs by using higher laser intensities.
Bandwidth Dependence of Laser Plasma Instabilities Driven by the Nike KrF Laser

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, J. L.; Oh, J.; Seely, J.; Kehne, D.; Brown, C. M.; Obenschain, S.; Serlin, V.; Schmitt, A. J.; Phillips, L.; Lehmberg, R. H.; McLean, E.; Manka, C.; Feldman, U.

2011-10-01

The Nike krypton-fluoride (KrF) laser at the Naval Research Laboratory operates in the deep UV (248 nm) and employs beam smoothing by induced spatial incoherence (ISI). In the first ISI studies at longer wavelengths (1054 nm and 527 nm) [Obenschain, PRL 62, 768(1989);Mostovych, PRL, 59, 1193(1987); Peyser, Phys. Fluids B 3, 1479(1991)], stimulated Raman scattering, stimulated Brillouin scattering, and the two plasmon decay instability were reduced when wide bandwidth ISI (δν / ν ~ 0.03-0.19%) pulses irradiated targets at moderate to high intensities (1014-1015W/cm2) . Recent Nike work showed that the threshold for quarter critical instabilities increased with the expected wavelength scaling, without accounting for the large bandwidth (δν ~ 1-3 THz). New experiments will compare laser plasma instabilities (LPI) driven by narrower bandwidth pulses to those observed with the standard operation. The bandwidth of KrF lasers can be reduced by adding narrow filters (etalons or gratings) in the initial stages of the laser. This talk will discuss the method used to narrow the output spectrum of Nike, the laser performance for this new operating mode, and target observations of LPI in planar CH targets. Work supported by DoE/NNSA.
Proposal for a study of laser acceleration of electrons using micrograting structures at ATF (Phase 1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, W.; Claus, J.; Fernow, R.C.

1989-01-01

We propose to investigate new methods of particle acceleration using a short-pulse CO 2 laser as the power source and grating-like structures as accelerator ''cavities''. Phase I of this program is intended to demonstrate the principle of the method. We will focus the laser light to a 3 mm line on the surface of the microstructure. The structure is used to transform the electric field pattern of the incoming transversely polarized laser beam to a mode which has a component along the electron beam direction in the vicinity of the surface. With 6 mJ of laser energy and a 6 ps pulse length, the electric field in the spot will be around 1 GV/m. The electron beam from the Brookhaven Accelerator Test Facility (ATF) will be focused transversely within the few micron transverse dimension of the microstructure. The maximum expected acceleration for a 1 GV/m field and a 3 mm acceleration length is 3 MeV. 17 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs

Diagnostic measurements related to laser driven inertial confinement fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, D.E.

1979-01-01

Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory have been conducting laser driven inertial confinement fusion experiments for over five years. The first proof of the thermonuclear burn came at the Janus target irradiation facility in the spring of 1975. Since that time three succeedingly higher energy facilities have been constructed at Livermore, Cyclops, Argus and Shiva, where increased fusion efficiency has been demonstrated. A new facility, called Nova, is now in the construction phase and we are hopeful that scientific break even (energy released compared to incident laser energy on target) will be demonstrated here in early 1980's. Projected progress of the Livermore program is shown
Development of laser heated high current DC electron gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, Srutarshi; Bhattacharjee, Dhruva; Kandaswamy, E.; Ghodke, S.R.; Tiwari, Rajnish; Bakhtsingh, R.I.

2015-01-01

The paper deals with the development of a Laser heated cathode for Electron Accelerator. The electron gun is meant for Megawatt-class DC Accelerator for Electron Beam Flue Gas Treatment applications. Conventionally, LaB 6 cathode is indirectly heated by tungsten filaments whereas in the newly proposed gun, Laser is utilized for heating. A Nd:YAG Laser is used to heat the LaB 6 cathode to emission temperatures. The characterization of cathode heating at various Laser powers has been carried out. In initial trials, it has been observed that with 125 W of Laser power, the LaB 6 pellet was heated to 1315 ° C. Based on these experimental results, an electron gun rated for 30 kV, 350 mA CW has been designed. The optimization of gun electrode geometry has been done using CST Particle Studio in order to tune the various electron gun parameters. The beam diameter obtained in simulation is 8 mm at 100 mm from the LaB 6 cathode. The perveance obtained is 7.1 x 10 -8 A/V 3/2 . The Laser heated cathode has the advantages of eliminating the magnetic field effects of filament on the electron beam, electrical isolation needed for gun filament power supplies and better electron beam emittances. (author)
Smith-Purcell free-electron laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, K.J.; Walsh, J.E.

1995-01-01

The term Smith-Purcell free electron laser can be employed generally to describe any coherent radiation source in which a diffraction grating is used to couple an electron beam with the electromagnetic field. To date, most practical developments of this concept have focused on devices which operate in the millimeter spectral regime. In this paper construction of a Smith-Purcell free-electron laser operating in the far-infrared (FIR) region using a novel resonator cavity design and the electron beam from a low energy (0.5-5 MeV) radio-frequency accelerator will be discussed. A tunable source in this region would have many applications and since the beam energy is low, the small size and low overall cost of such a device would make it a laboratory instrument. Current projects which are progressing towards developing a FIR source are the programs at Stanford and CREOL. Both of these projects are using permanent magnet undulators to couple the electron beam with the electromagnetic field. An alternative approach is to use an electron beam passing over a diffraction grating as the radiating mechanism. This phenomenon is known as Smith-Purcell radiation and was first demonstrated for incoherent emission at visible wavelengths. The addition of feedback enhances the stimulated component of the emission which leads to the growth of coherence. Recent calculations for spontaneous emission have shown that the wiggler parameter and the grating efficiency are analogous. This result has important implications for the development of a Smith-Purcell FEL because a grating based free-electron laser would offer a greater range of tunability at a lower cost than its wiggler based counterpart
Rayleigh scattering in few-mode optical fibers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhen; Wu, Hao; Hu, Xiaolong; Zhao, Ningbo; Mo, Qi; Li, Guifang

2016-10-24

The extremely low loss of silica fibers has enabled the telecommunication revolution, but single-mode fiber-optic communication systems have been driven to their capacity limits. As a means to overcome this capacity crunch, space-division multiplexing (SDM) using few-mode fibers (FMF) has been proposed and demonstrated. In single-mode optical fibers, Rayleigh scattering serves as the dominant mechanism for optical loss. However, to date, the role of Rayleigh scattering in FMFs remains elusive. Here we establish and experimentally validate a general model for Rayleigh scattering in FMFs. Rayleigh backscattering not only sets the intrinsic loss limit for FMFs but also provides the theoretical foundation for few-mode optical time-domain reflectometry, which can be used to probe perturbation-induced mode-coupling dynamics in FMFs. We also show that forward inter-modal Rayleigh scattering ultimately sets a fundamental limit on inter-modal-crosstalk for FMFs. Therefore, this work not only has implications specifically for SDM systems but also broadly for few-mode fiber optics and its applications in amplifiers, lasers, and sensors in which inter-modal crosstalk imposes a fundamental performance limitation.
Ultra fast imaging of a laser wake field accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saevert, Alexander; Schnell, Michael; Nicolai, Maria; Reuter, Maria; Schwab, Matthew B.; Moeller, Max [Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet, Jena (Germany); Mangles, Stuart P.D.; Cole, Jason M.; Poder, Kristjan; Najmudin, Zulfikar [The John Adams Institute Imperial College, London (United Kingdom); Jaeckel, Oliver; Paulus, Gerhard G.; Spielmann, Christian; Kaluza, Malte C. [Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet, Jena (Germany); Helmholtz Institut Jena, Jena (Germany)

2014-07-01

Ultra intense laser pulses are known to excite plasma waves with a relativistic phase velocity. By harnessing these waves it is possible to generate quasi-monoenergetic, ultra-short electron pulses with kinetic energies from 0.1 to 2 GeV by guiding the laser pulse over several Rayleigh lengths. To further improve the stability of these particle pulses and ultimately to be able to tailor the energy spectrum toward their suitability for various applications, the physics underlying the different acceleration scenarios need to be understood as completely as possible. To be able to resolve the acceleration process diagnostics well-suited for this plasma environment need to be designed and realized. By using sub-10 fs probe pulses we were able to freeze the transient accelerating structure in the plasma. We will present the first results of an experiment which was carried out with the 30 TW JETi Laser and a few cycle probe pulse at the Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics Jena. The resulting snapshots show unprecedented details from the laser plasma interaction and allow a direct comparison to computer simulations.
Review on Recent Developments in Laser Driven Inertial Fusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ghoranneviss

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Discovery of the laser in 1960 hopes were based on using its very high energy concentration within very short pulses of time and very small volumes for energy generation from nuclear fusion as “Inertial Fusion Energy” (IFE, parallel to the efforts to produce energy from “Magnetic Confinement Fusion” (MCF, by burning deuterium-tritium (DT in high temperature plasmas to helium. Over the years the fusion gain was increased by a number of magnitudes and has reached nearly break-even after numerous difficulties in physics and technology had been solved. After briefly summarizing laser driven IFE, we report how the recently developed lasers with pulses of petawatt power and picosecond duration may open new alternatives for IFE with the goal to possibly ignite solid or low compressed DT fuel thereby creating a simplified reactor scheme. Ultrahigh acceleration of plasma blocks after irradiation of picosecond (PS laser pulses of around terawatt (TW power in the range of 1020 cm/s2 was discovered by Sauerbrey (1996 as measured by Doppler effect where the laser intensity was up to about 1018 W/cm2. This is several orders of magnitude higher than acceleration by irradiation based on thermal interaction of lasers has produced.
Electron beam cooling by laser

CERN Document Server

Urakawa, J; Terunuma, N; Taniguchi, T; Yamazaki, Y; Hirano, K; Nomura, M; Sakai, I; Takano, M; Sasao, N; Honda, Y; Noda, A; Bulyak, E; Gladkikh, P; Mystykov, A; Zelinsky, A; Zimmermann, Frank

2004-01-01

In 1997, Z.Huang and R.Ruth proposed a compact laser-electron storage ring (LESR) for electron beam cooling or x-ray generation. Because the laser-wire monitor in the ATF storage ring has worked well and demonstrated the achievement of the world's smallest transverse emittance for a circulating electron beam, we have started the design of a small storage ring with about 10 m circumference and the development of basic technologies for the LESR. In this paper, we describe the design and experimental results of pulse stacking in a 42-cm long optical cavity. Since our primary purpose is demonstrating the proof-of-principle of the LESR, we will then discuss the future experimental plan at the KEK-ATF for the generation of high average-brilliance gamma-rays.
High-intensity-laser-electron scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyerhofer, D.D.

1997-01-01

In the field of an intense laser, photon-electron scattering becomes nonlinear when the oscillatory energy of the electron approaches its rest mass. The electron wave function is dressed by the field with a concomitant increase in the effective electron mass. When the photon energy in the electron rest frame is comparable to the electron rest mass, multiphoton Compton scattering occurs. When the photon energy is significantly lower than the electron rest mass, the electron acquires momentum from the photon field and emits harmonics. This paper reviews nonlinear photon-electron scattering processes and results from two recent experiments where they have been observed
Femtosecond-laser induced dynamics of CO on Ru(0001): Deep insights from a hot-electron friction model including surface motion

Science.gov (United States)

Scholz, Robert; Floß, Gereon; Saalfrank, Peter; Füchsel, Gernot; Lončarić, Ivor; Juaristi, J. I.

2016-10-01

A Langevin model accounting for all six molecular degrees of freedom is applied to femtosecond-laser induced, hot-electron driven dynamics of Ru(0001)(2 ×2 ):CO. In our molecular dynamics with electronic friction approach, a recently developed potential energy surface based on gradient-corrected density functional theory accounting for van der Waals interactions is adopted. Electronic friction due to the coupling of molecular degrees of freedom to electron-hole pairs in the metal are included via a local density friction approximation, and surface phonons by a generalized Langevin oscillator model. The action of ultrashort laser pulses enters through a substrate-mediated, hot-electron mechanism via a time-dependent electronic temperature (derived from a two-temperature model), causing random forces acting on the molecule. The model is applied to laser induced lateral diffusion of CO on the surface, "hot adsorbate" formation, and laser induced desorption. Reaction probabilities are strongly enhanced compared to purely thermal processes, both for diffusion and desorption. Reaction yields depend in a characteristic (nonlinear) fashion on the applied laser fluence, as well as branching ratios for various reaction channels. Computed two-pulse correlation traces for desorption and other indicators suggest that aside from electron-hole pairs, phonons play a non-negligible role for laser induced dynamics in this system, acting on a surprisingly short time scale. Our simulations on precomputed potentials allow for good statistics and the treatment of long-time dynamics (300 ps), giving insight into this system which hitherto has not been reached. We find generally good agreement with experimental data where available and make predictions in addition. A recently proposed laser induced population of physisorbed precursor states could not be observed with the present low-coverage model.
Laser frequency modulation with electron plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Burgess, T. J.; Latorre, V. R.

1972-01-01

When laser beam passes through electron plasma its frequency shifts by amount proportional to plasma density. This density varies with modulating signal resulting in corresponding modulation of laser beam frequency. Necessary apparatus is relatively inexpensive since crystals are not required.
Bright X-ray source from a laser-driven micro-plasma-waveguide

CERN Document Server

Yi, Longqing

2016-01-01

Bright tunable x-ray sources have a number of applications in basic science, medicine and industry. The most powerful sources are synchrotrons, where relativistic electrons are circling in giant storage rings. In parallel, compact laser-plasma x-ray sources are being developed. Owing to the rapid progress in laser technology, very high-contrast femtosecond laser pulses of relativistic intensities become available. These pulses allow for interaction with micro-structured solid-density plasma without destroying the structure by parasitic pre-pulses. The high-contrast laser pulses as well as the manufacturing of materials at micro- and nano-scales open a new realm of possibilities for laser interaction with photonic materials at the relativistic intensities. Here we demonstrate, via numerical simulations, that when coupling with a readily available 1.8 Joule laser, a micro-plasma-waveguide (MPW) may serve as a novel compact x-ray source. Electrons are extracted from the walls by the laser field and form a dense ...
Development of an energy selector system for laser-driven proton beam applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scuderi, V., E-mail: scuderiv@lns.infn.it [Department of Experimental Program at ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines project, Na Slovance 2, Prague (Czech Republic); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Bijan Jia, S. [Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Azadi Square, Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Carpinelli, M. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Cirrone, G.A.P. [Department of Experimental Program at ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines project, Na Slovance 2, Prague (Czech Republic); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Cuttone, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Korn, G. [Department of Experimental Program at ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines project, Na Slovance 2, Prague (Czech Republic); Licciardello, T. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Maggiore, M. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Viale dell' Universit 2, Legnaro (Pd) (Italy); Margarone, D. [Department of Experimental Program at ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines project, Na Slovance 2, Prague (Czech Republic); Pisciotta, P.; Romano, F. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Schillaci, F. [Department of Experimental Program at ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines project, Na Slovance 2, Prague (Czech Republic); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Stancampiano, C. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); and others

2014-03-11

Nowadays, laser-driven proton beams generated by the interaction of high power lasers with solid targets represent a fascinating attraction in the field of the new acceleration techniques. These beams can be potentially accelerated up to hundreds of MeV and, therefore, they can represent a promising opportunity for medical applications. Laser-accelerated proton beams typically show high flux (up to 10{sup 11} particles per bunch), very short temporal profile (ps), broad energy spectra and poor reproducibility. In order to overcome these limitations, these beams have be controlled and transported by means of a proper beam handling system. Furthermore, suitable dosimetric diagnostic systems must be developed and tested. In the framework of the ELIMED project, we started to design a dedicated beam transport line and we have developed a first prototype of a beam line key-element: an Energy Selector System (ESS). It is based on permanent dipoles, capable to control and select in energy laser-accelerated proton beams. Monte Carlo simulations and some preliminary experimental tests have been already performed to characterize the device. A calibration of the ESS system with a conventional proton beam will be performed in September at the LNS in Catania. Moreover, an experimental campaign with laser-driven proton beam at the Centre for Plasma Physics, Queens University in Belfast is already scheduled and will be completed within 2014.
Diode Laser Irradiation in Endodontic Therapy through Cycles - in vitro Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trišić Dijana

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim: The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate the influence of irradiation cycles and resting periods, on thermal effects on the external root surface during root canal irradiation of two diode laser systems (940 nm and 975 nm, at output powers of 1 W and 2 W in continuous mode. In previous studies the rising of temperature above 7°C has been reported as biologically accepted to avoid periodontal damage on the external root surface. Material and Methods: Twenty human inferior incisors were randomly distributed into four groups, the 940 nm, and the 975 nm diode laser irradiation, both with an output power of 1 W and 2 W, in continuous mode. The thermographic camera was used to detect temperature variations on the external root surface. Digital radiography of the samples was made. Results: After three cycles of irradiation, at apical third of the root, mean temperature variation by 940 nm diode laser irradiation was 2.88°C for output power of 1 W, and 6.52°C for output power of 2 W. The 975 nm laser caused a higher temperature increase in the apical region, with temperature variation of 13.56°C by an output power of 1 W, and 30.60°C at 2 W, with a statistical significance of p ≤ 0.0001 between two laser systems compared for the same power. The resting periods of 20 s between cycles were enough to lower temperature under 7°C in the case of 1 W and 2 W for 940 nm diode laser, while for 975 nm laser, after three irradiation cycles overheating occurred at both output power rates. Conclusion: Three cycles irradiation of 940 nm diode laser, with resting periods of 20 seconds, allowed safe usage of 1 W and 2 W in CW for endodontic treatment. For 975 nm at a power rate of 1 W, the last resting period drop the temperature near the safe limit and it came under 7°C in a period less than a minute, while at the power of 2 W the resting periods were not long enough for the safe temperature decrease.
Measuring implosion velocities in experiments and simulations of laser-driven cylindrical implosions on the OMEGA laser

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, E. C.; Barnak, D. H.; Betti, R.; Campbell, E. M.; Chang, P.-Y.; Davies, J. R.; Glebov, V. Yu; Knauer, J. P.; Peebles, J.; Regan, S. P.; Sefkow, A. B.

2018-05-01

Laser-driven magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) on OMEGA involves cylindrical implosions, a preheat beam, and an applied magnetic field. Initial experiments excluded the preheat beam and magnetic field to better characterize the implosion. X-ray self-emission as measured by framing cameras was used to determine the shell trajectory. The 1D code LILAC was used to model the central region of the implosion, and results were compared to 2D simulations from the HYDRA code. Post-processing of simulation output with SPECT3D and Yorick produced synthetic x-ray images that were used to compare the simulation results with the x-ray framing camera data. Quantitative analysis shows that higher measured neutron yields correlate with higher implosion velocities. The future goal is to further analyze the x-ray images to characterize the uniformity of the implosions and apply these analysis techniques to integrated laser-driven MagLIF shots to better understand the effects of preheat and the magnetic field.
Nonlinear theory of the free-electron laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chian, A.C.-L.; Padua Brito Serbeto, A. de.

1984-01-01

A theory of Raman free-electron laser using a circularly polarized electromagnetic pump is investigated. Coupled wave equations that describe both linear and nonlinear evolution of stimulated Raman scattering are derived. The dispersion relation and the growth rate for the parametric instability are obtained. Nonlinear processes that may lead to saturation of the free-electron laser are discussed. (Author) [pt
Laser plasma acceleration of electrons with multi-PW laser beams in the frame of CILEX

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cros, B., E-mail: brigitte.cros@u-psud.fr [LPGP, CNRS and Université Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Paradkar, B.S. [LPGP, CNRS and Université Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Davoine, X. [CEA DAM DIF, Arpajon F-91297 (France); Chancé, A. [CEA IRFU-SACM, Gif-Sur-Yvette (France); Desforges, F.G. [LPGP, CNRS and Université Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Dobosz-Dufrénoy, S. [CEA DSM-IRAMIS-SPAM, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Delerue, N. [LAL, CNRS and Universit Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Ju, J.; Audet, T.L.; Maynard, G. [LPGP, CNRS and Université Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Lobet, M.; Gremillet, L. [CEA DAM DIF, Arpajon F-91297 (France); Mora, P. [CPhT, CNRS and Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau (France); Schwindling, J.; Delferrière, O. [CEA IRFU-SACM, Gif-Sur-Yvette (France); Bruni, C.; Rimbault, C.; Vinatier, T. [LAL, CNRS and Universit Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Di Piazza, A. [Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany); Grech, M. [LULI, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, CEA, UPMC, Palaiseau (France); and others

2014-03-11

Laser plasma acceleration of electrons has progressed along with advances in laser technology. It is thus expected that the development in the near-future of multi-PW-class laser and facilities will enable a vast range of scientific opportunities for laser plasma acceleration research. On one hand, high peak powers can be used to explore the extremely high intensity regime of laser wakefield acceleration, producing for example large amounts of electrons in the GeV range or generating high energy photons. On the other hand, the available laser energy can be used in the quasi-linear regime to create accelerating fields in large volumes of plasma and study controlled acceleration in a plasma stage of externally injected relativistic particles, either electrons or positrons. In the frame of the Centre Interdisciplinaire de la Lumière EXtrême (CILEX), the Apollon-10P laser will deliver two beams at the 1 PW and 10 PW levels, in ultra-short (>15fs) pulses, to a target area dedicated to electron acceleration studies, such as the exploration of the non-linear regimes predicted theoretically, or multi-stage laser plasma acceleration.
Free-electron lasers with magnetized ion-wiggler

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehdian, H.; Jafari, S.; Hasanbeigi, A.; Ebrahimi, F.

2009-01-01

Significant progress has been made using laser ionized channels to guide electron beams in the ion focus regime in a free-electron laser. Propagation of an electron beam in the ion focusing regime (IFR) allows the beam to propagate without expanding from space-charge repulsion. The ninth-degree polynomial dispersion relation for electromagnetic and space-charge waves is derived analytically by solving the electron momentum transfer and wave equations. The variation of resonant frequencies and peak growth rates with axial magnetic field strength has been demonstrated. Substantial enhancement in peak growth rate is obtained as the axial field frequency approaches the gyroresonance frequency.
First observation of density profile in directly laser-driven polystyrene targets for ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujioka, Shinsuke; Shiraga, Hiroyuki; Nishikino, Masaharu; Shigemori, Keisuke; Sunahara, Atsushi; Nakai, Mitsuo; Azechi, Hiroshi; Nishihara, Katsunobu; Yamanaka, Tatsuhiko

2003-01-01

The temporal evolution of the density profile of a directly laser-driven polystyrene target was observed for the first time using an x-ray penumbral imaging technique coupled with side-on x-ray backlighting at the GEKKO XII [C. Yamanaka et al., IEEE J. Quantum Electron. QE-17, 1639 (1981)]-High Intensity Plasma Experimental Research laser facility (I L =0.7x10 14 W/cm 2 , λ L =0.35 μm). This density measurement makes it possible to experimentally confirm all physical parameters [γ(k),k,g,m,ρ a ,L m ] appearing in the modified Takabe formula for the growth rate of the ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The measured density profiles were well reproduced by a one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation code. The density measurement contributes toward fully understanding the ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability
In situ laser processing in a scanning electron microscope

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roberts, Nicholas A.; Magel, Gregory A.; Hartfield, Cheryl D.; Moore, Thomas M.; Fowlkes, Jason D.; Rack, Philip D. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States) and Omniprobe, Inc., an Oxford Instruments Company, 10410 Miller Rd., Dallas, Texas 75238 (United States); Omniprobe, Inc., an Oxford Instruments Company, 10410 Miller Rd., Dallas, Texas 75238 (United States); Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States) and Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States)

2012-07-15

Laser delivery probes using multimode fiber optic delivery and bulk focusing optics have been constructed and used for performing materials processing experiments within scanning electron microscope/focused ion beam instruments. Controlling the current driving a 915-nm semiconductor diode laser module enables continuous or pulsed operation down to sub-microsecond durations, and with spot sizes on the order of 50 {mu}m diameter, achieving irradiances at a sample surface exceeding 1 MW/cm{sup 2}. Localized laser heating has been used to demonstrate laser chemical vapor deposition of Pt, surface melting of silicon, enhanced purity, and resistivity via laser annealing of Au deposits formed by electron beam induced deposition, and in situ secondary electron imaging of laser induced dewetting of Au metal films on SiO{sub x}.
Laser applications in the electronics and optoelectronics industry in Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Washio, Kunihiko

1999-07-01

This paper explains current status and technological trends in laser materials processing applications in electronics and optoelectronics industry in Japan. Various laser equipment based on solid state lasers or gas lasers such as excimer lasers or CO2 lasers has been developed and applied in manufacturing electronic and optoelectronic devices to meet the strong demands for advanced device manufacturing technologies for high-performance, lightweight, low power-consumption portable digital electronic appliances, cellular mobile phones, personal computers, etc. Representative applications of solid-state lasers are, opaque and clear defects repairing of photomasks for LSIs and LCDs, trimming of thick-film chip resistors and low resistance metal resistors, laser cutting and drilling of thin films for high-pin count semiconductor CSP packages, laser patterning of thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells, and laser welding of electronic components such as hard-disk head suspensions, optical modules, miniature relays and lithium ion batteries. Compact and highly efficient diode- pumped and Q-switched solid-state lasers in second or third harmonic operation mode are now being increasingly incorporated in various laser equipment for fine material processing. Representative applications of excimer lasers are, sub-quarter micron design-rule LSI lithography and low- temperature annealing of poly-silicon TFT LCD.

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