Laser-Plasma Interaction

Part II

Outline

Driving a plasma wave with high stability and efficiency

(a)
Laser Wake Field Accelerator

(b)

Plasma Beat Wave Accelerator

(c)

SM-LWFA

(d)

Resonant Laser Plasma Accelerator

(a) drive a plasma wave with one single laser pulse of optimal pulse duration. (b) drive a plasma wave with a beat pattern produced by two collinear laser pulses of different wavelength. (d) drive a plasma wave with a train of laser pulses of optimal duration and separation.

Driving a plasma wave with one single laser pulse of optimal pulse duration
Ponderomotive force of the laser pulse pushes the plasma electrons to form a plasma wave.

laser ponderomotive force laser pulse electron ion plasma wave electric field

Plasma wave tailoring by temporal pulse shaping

driving plasma wave with high efficiency

single-bucket plasma wave

PRL 72, 1225 (1994) PRL 76, 2073 (1996)

PRE 70, 056410 (2004)

Separatrix for electron motion in an electron plasma wave

Ne N e0 + + F e+ z-ct
log scale

vp

untrapped electrons

max p min

separatrix

trapped electrons

untrapped electrons

z - ct

Trapping threshold and maximum energy

Maximum plasma wave amplitude and electron acceleration distance

1-D cold relativistic wavebreaking limit

Maximum electron energy limited by wavebreaking

Electron detuning length (maximum acceleration distance) 1-D limit

Injection of electrons by using the transverse ponderomotive force of an injection pulse

Injection of electrons by using colliding laser pulses of different wavelengths

Esarey et al., PRL (1997).

Injection of electrons by a longitudinal density ramp in a laser wakefield accelerator

Self-injection of electrons by a sharp downward density ramp

Ne eplasma wave

density scale length < p

P When a plasma wave is generated across a sharp density down-

ramp, electrons near the boundary moves toward the higher density region and then oscillate back into the lower density region. Since the oscillation period is longer in this region, these electrons are dephased with respect to the background plasma-wave electrons and thus become trapped. For significant self-injection to occur, the scale length of the ramp should be close to or less than the plasma-wave wavelength.

Simulation of self-injection of electrons by a sharp negative density ramp

Suk et al., JOSA B (2004)

Production of a sharp downward density ramp by laser machining

neutral gas density plasma electron density plasma electron density after ionization by pump pulse

hole in the neutral gas drilled by optical field ionization and heating t = 0 ns t = 0 ps

plasma waveguide driven by Coulomb explosion

density ramp area

t = 1.3 ns

t = 25 ps

t = 2.6 ns

t = 50 ps

t = 4 ns

t = 75 ps

P A sharp density gradient on the order of 10 m can be produced

by another laser pulse before the arrival of the main pulse.

Experimental setup

Experimental setup

Number of electrons injected vs. vertical position of the depressed gas channel
prepulse: 7 mJ, 55 fs pump pulse: 210 mJ, 260 fs pump delay: 4 ns helium density: 2x1019 m-3

electron beam 90 side imaging 18 side imaging

P Injection of electrons is observed when the hollow gas channel

intersects the propagation path of the pump beam. Enhancement of self-trapping of electrons by enhanced Raman forward scattering is ruled out since there is no increase of RFS signal.

Number of electrons injected vs. timing of the drilling pulse

prepulse: 7 mJ, 55 fs pump pulse: 210 mJ, 260 fs vertical position of the drilling pulse: 0 helium density: 2x1019 m-3 electron beam 90 side imaging 18 side imaging

P The density ramp become sharper with increasing delay, leading to

increased number of injected electrons.

Number of electrons injected vs. vertical position of the plasma waveguide

electron beam 90 side imaging 18 side imaging

prepulse: 80 mJ, 55 fs pump pulse: 210 mJ, 260 fs pump delay: 67 ps helium density: 2x1019 m-3

P Injection of electrons is observed when the plasma waveguide

intersects the propagation path of the pump beam. Enhancement of self-trapping of electrons by enhanced Raman forward scattering is ruled out since there is no increase of RFS signal.

Number of electrons injected vs. timing of the waveguide-driving pulse

prepulse: 80 mJ, 55 fs pump pulse: 210 mJ, 260 fs vertical position of the waveguidedriving pulse: 0 helium density: 2x1019 m-3

P The time scale of occurrence of electron injection is consistent with

that of plasma waveguide formation driven by Coulomb explosion, which forms within 1 ps and lasts over 100 ps.

Electron energy spectrum

prepulse: 7 mJ, 55 fs pump pulse: 210 mJ, 260 fs pump delay: 4 ns vertical position of the drilling pulse: 0 helium density: 2x1019 m-3

P The electrons self-injected by a density ramp also show a

spectrum of continuous Maxwellian distribution.

Landau damping and beam loading

Landau damping

Langmuir decay instability

Physics of Plasmas 7, 403 (2000)

Langmuir decay instability cascade

Setup for measuring angle-resolved Raman scattering and Thomson scattering spectra

pump & probe gas jet aperture high reflection mirror for pump light

glass fibers of 1mm core

k0 kAS kIAW

k0 kAS kIAW
spectrometer
CCD camera

* The fiber array is removed from the entrance slit of the spectrometer when the
direct forward channel is used.

Temporal evolution of collective Thomson scattering spectra from electron plasma waves and ion acoustic waves toward near-forward directions
Scattered by electron plasma waves toward the 15 direction
10 10 10
28 26

Scattered by ion acoustic waves toward the 25 direction

13 12 11 10 9 60 ps 48 ps 40 ps 28 ps 17 ps 10 ps 6 ps 5 ps 4 ps 3 ps 2 ps 1 ps 0 ps
5240 5250 5260 5270 5280 5290 5300

+2.4 ps +2.2 ps +2.0 ps +1.8 ps +1.6 ps

24

intensity (a.u.)

intensity (a.u.)

10 10 10 10 10 10 10

22

20

+1.4 ps +1.2 ps +1.0 ps +0.6 ps +0.4 ps +0.2 ps +0 ps -0.2 ps -0.4 ps -0.6 ps -1.0 ps

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

18

16

14

12

10

wavelength (A) * For electron plasma waves, the anti-Stokes satellite is observed only at near the delays when (x1014 rad/sec)

-6

3 TW, N e = 3.7x10 19 cm -3 -4 -2 0 2 4

the Stokes satellite reaches its peak. For ion acoustic waves, the Stokes satellite is observed only near when the anti-Stokes satellite reaches its peak. * The frequency shift of the Thomson satellites scattered by ion acoustic waves varies with probe delay as a result of the temporal evolution of the plasma temperature.

Spectra of collective Thomson scattering from ion acoustic waves for various angles of observation
Shift of the anti-Stokes satelliteas a function of scattering angle
5

1200 1000

25

intensity (a.u.)

800 600 400 200 0

(A)

3 2 1 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 angle (degrees)

3 TW 3.7x1019 cm -3 20 ps delay

35

45 55 65 165
5280 5300

5240

5260

wavelength (A)

Temporal distributions of the amplitudes of the electron plasma wave and the ion acoustic wave
Temporal distribution of the amplitude of the electron plasma wave for various laser powers 0, N = 3.7x10 19 cm -3
e 0.30

Temporal distribution of the scattering efficiency of the probe pulse by ion acoustic waves 25, N e = 3.7x1019 cm -3
30

scattering efficiency (a.u.)

3.2 TW

25 20 15 10 5 0 0 20 40 60

epw amplitude (n/n0)

0.25 0.20

1 TW 3 TW

1.9 TW
0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00

1 TW

-1

80

100

time ( ps) The num ber of electrons that are in the beam is 107 , 108 , and 10 9 for 1 TW , 1.9 TW , and 3.2 TW , respectively.

delay (ps)

-1 rate *The growth-1 of the electron plasma wave increases with increase of laser power (2.4 ps at 1 -1

TW , 4.4 ps at 1.9 TW , and 5.2 ps at 3.2 TW ).

* The growth rate of the ion acoustic wave is invariant with variation of laser power (the peak of the

scattering efficiency occurs at T+20 ps delay invariantly). This is consistent with the fact that the decay rate of the electron plasma wave is 1.8 ps-1 regardless of change of laser power.

Temporal evolution of plasma temperature for various laser powers

N e = 3.7x10 19 cm -3

electron temperature (eV)

10 4

3 TW

10 3
1 TW

20

40

60

80

100

time (ps)
* The effective electron temperature increases while the original electron plasma
wave (epw) damps. The position of the maximum electron temperature coincides with the complete extinction of the original epw. This position is at about T+3 ps for both 1-TW and 3-TW cases. This is also consistent with the damping of the epw.

Control of laser beam propagation and absorption in a nanoplasma gas by programming of transient complex refractive index with a prepulse

Physical Review E 69, 035403(R) (2004)

Cluster formation

high pressure gas

What is cluster?
gas atom / molecule valve supersonic nozzle cluster held together by van der Waals force

P Clusters are formed by adiabatic cooling in a rapidly expanding gas jet.

Their sizes are determined by the atom species, nozzle geometry and backing pressure.

Nanoplasma generation

intense laser pulse

multi-photon ionization

collisional absorption, excitation, and ionization x-ray emission nanoplasma expansion

cluster

nanoplasma

P Nanoplasmas are generated by multi-photon ionization, and the

subsequent interaction with laser pulses is dominated by collisional processes.

Nanoplasma polarizability

P The polarizability of a single nanoplasma is determined by its electron

density and temperature. Both can be controlled by using a prepulse for ionization and driving its expansion.

Optical properties of a bulk nanoplasma gas

P When nanoplasma expands from supercritical density to subcritical

density, the real part of its polarizability varies from positive to negative. Therefore the refractive index varies from > 1 to < 1.

Transient lens in a nanoplasma gas

prepulse propagation
edge: slow nanoplasma expansion due to low intensity center: fast nanoplasma expansion due to high intensity spatial distribution of the prepulse intensity

focusing defocusing force force

edge

center

creation of nanoplasmas by the prepulse

time

P A laser pulse can be focused or guided by the nanoplasma gas if it

arrives at the moment the central part of the nanoplasma gas has a larger refractive index than the wing.

Resonant absorption in a nanoplasma

resonant absorption at ne = ncr layer

incident pulse

maximum absorption

P The absorption of a laser pulse can be maximized if it arrives at the

moment the critical density layer in the nanoplasma has the largest volume.

Optimal pulse duration for maximum absorption

incident pulse

ne >> 3 ncr optimal duration

ne = 3 ncr maximum efficiency

Prepulse main pulse configuration

A prepulse ignites the nanoplasma expansion.

A main pulse arrives at various delays to experience the focusing effect and resonant absorption effect of the nanoplasma gas.

Experimental setup
30 cm

(d) (c) (b)

cham pressure: ber ~1 m rr to O : AP o ff-axis parabo m r lic irro f = 318 m m

(a)
O P A
Ar gas jet probe pulse prepulse main pulse

Experimental setup

Nanoplasma expansion

sectio n-integrated R ayleigh scattering signal (arb units) .

R ayleigh scattering im age

m ain-pulse delay 0.00 ps 0.93 ps 4.00 ps A B C D E m pro pagatio 0.5 m n

1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0

A B C D E

prepulse: 2.0 mJ, 70 fs main pulse: 11 mJ, 70 fs initial cluster radius: 17 nm

m ain-pulse dela (ps) y

P When nanoplasmas expand to critical density (ne ~ ncr), the Rayleigh

scattering reaches maximum. The downstream movement of the bright area indicates that nanoplasmas at the rear expand slower, resulting from the attenuation of the prepulse.

Propagation of the main pulse

m ain-pulse pro pagatio n delay 0.00 ps

transverse interfero gram s

m ain-pulse pro at the file exit plane o the gas jet f prepulse: 2.2 m 540 fs J, m pulse: 11 m 55 fs ain J, initial cluster radius: ~20 nm

1.00 ps

10.0 ps 1.0 m m 100 m

P The prepulse-created nanoplasma gas can serve as a transient lens to

control the propagation of the following main pulse.

Microscopic polarizability and macroscopic optical property

R ayleigh scattering signal (arb units) .

80

m ain-pulse beam diam eter (m )

1.0 60 40 20 0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0 5 10 15 m ain-pulse delay (ps) 20 0.2

prepulse: 2.2 m 540 fs J, m pulse: ain 11 m 55 fs J, initial cluster radius: ~20 nm m beam diam ain eter R ayleigh scattering

P The strong correlation between the beam convergence and Rayleigh

scattering provides direct evidence of the relation between the microscopic polarizability and the macroscopic optical property.

Rayleigh scattering and x-ray emission

1.2

no alized signal rm (arb units) .

1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

11~14 nm x-ray em issio n m pulse abso ain rptio n prepulse: 10 m 70 fs J, m pulse: 40 m 70 fs ain J, initial cluster radius: ~20 nm 11~14 nm x-ray em issio n R ayleigh scattering

m ain-pulse delay (ps)

P The optimal delay for maximum Rayleigh scattering is larger than that for

maximum absorption. This verifies the prediction of the 1-D hydrodynamic nanoplasma model, in which Im() is proportional to the volume of the critical density shell and Re() is determined by the competition between the supercritical density shell ( Re() > 0 ) and subcritical density shell ( Re() < 0 ).

Optimal pulse duration for maximum x-ray emission

Optimal pulse duration vs. gas-jet backing pressure

optimal duration R (fs)

1000

nano-plasma model*:

R p
400 300 200 100 200 300 1000

0.77

our result : slope = 0.8 0.1

R p

0.8 0.1

backing pressure p (psi)

intensity (a.u.)

4 6 8

2
Si L-absorption edge 5d-3p (7+) 5s-3p (7+) 2p-2s (11+) 2p-2s (11+) 2p-2s (11+) 2p-2s (11+) 2p-2s (8+), 2p-2s (9+) 2p-2s (9+) 4p-3s (6+), 2p-2s (11+) 5d-3p (6+), 2p-2s (10+) 5d-3p (6+) 4d-3s (7+)

Efficient x-ray production in nanoplasmas

0 12 14 16 wavelength (nm) 18 20
4d-3p (7+), 2p-2s (13+) 5f-3d (7+)

conversion efficiency = 13%

conversion efficiency (11-16 nm) 12%
Opt. Comm. 231, 375 (2004)

pumped by a 100-mJ, 500-fs pulse

Laser-plasma incoherent x-ray emission

X-ray emission from laser-cluster interaction

Continuum and line emissions from plasma

bremsstrahlung radiation

transition

recombination

X-ray emission from laser-solid interaction

high power laser pulse strong emission from EUV to hard x-ray

target

hot and dense plasma

X-ray emission from laser-solid interaction a b

X-ray emission from laser-solid interaction

laser beam

pin-hole camera

x-ray diodes

parabolic mirror target 4-m Au on Si

vacuum chamber

Image of x-ray source

150

intensity (a.u.)

100

50 m

50

actual diameter < 25 m

-200

-100

100

200

distance (m)

X-ray lasers

Energy diagram of collisional excitation soft x-ray laser

3p, J = 0

soft x-ray laser

3s, J = 1

fast decay

collisional excitation

2p6 ground state

Ne-like Ar

Energy diagram of Pd-like xenon

4d9 5f 24.3 eV 1.4 eV 29.7 eV 4d9 5d (upper) 4d9 4f

41.8-nm lasing

4d9 5p (lower) radiative transition collisional transition

104 eV

16.53 nm

4d (ground)

10

Solid-target x-ray laser

Gain Region

X-ray Laser

Solid Target

Pump Laser

Gain Electron Density

~ 50

OFI soft x-ray laser

OFI to specific ion stage

ATI heating of electrons

electron-ion collisional excitation

population inversion and lasing

single circularly-polarized pump pulse (duration < 100 fs)

time scale:
ionization and electron heating (<100 fs) < collisional excitation (5~10 ps)

upper-state lifetime (1~10 ps)

Longitudinally pumped OFI soft x-ray laser

optical-field-ionization collisional-excitation scheme

pump pulse gas target

hot plasma x-ray pulse

Optical-field-ionization collisional-excitation x-ray laser with a cluster gas jet

OFI x-ray laser with clustered gas jet

dissociation of clusters

ionization and ATI heating

collisional excitation

population inversion and lasing

prepulse

pump pulse

Experimental setup

to side-scattering imaging system

spherical mirror

to near-field imaging system transverse probe pulse x-ray spectrometer

gas jet

prepulse and pump pulse

to interferogram

5 inch

Preformed plasma column

xenon cluster jet main pulse

6 mm

prepulse

0.4 mm

5.6 mm

prepulse intensity = 6.6 x 10 W/cm

14

X-ray spectra
circularly-polarized pump pulse
intensity (arb. units)
3 2 1 0 1 0

lasing signal (41.8 nm) prepulse: 17 mJ, 60 fs pump pulse: 350 mJ, 60 fs pump-pulse delay: 3.8 ns atom density: 17 -3 ~ 6 10 cm cluster radius: ~ 50 nm

raw image recorded by x-ray spectrometer

linearly-polarized pump pulse

Al absorption edge (second order, 34.1 nm)

Al absorption edge (third order, 51.2 nm)

50 55 60

0 30

35

40

45

circularly-polarized pump pulse only, prepulse turned off

wavelength (nm)

X-ray lasing vs. pump-pulse delay

lasing signal (arb. units)

4 3 2 1 0 2.0

prepulse intensity
4.3x10 W/cm 6.7x10 W/cm 8.6x10 W/cm 1.7x10 W/cm
15 14 14 14 2 2 2 2

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

pump-pulse delay (ns) atom density = 5 10 cm

17 -3

pump-pulse energy = 350 mJ

Nanoplasma expansion
Rayleigh scattering from 18-mJ probe pulse
Rayleigh scattering (arb. units)
6
2.2x10 W/cm
14 14 14 14 2 2 2 2

5 4 3 2 1 0 50

4.3x10 W/cm 6.7x10 W/cm 8.6x10 W/cm

With this measured expansion velocity,

the time for mixing of adjacent ionized clusters to form a uniform plasma was estimated to be a few nanoseconds, consistent with the delay required for appearance of strong lasing signal. was essential for x-ray lasing.

The uniformity of the plasma distribution

probe-pulse delay (ps)
100 150
200~ 500 nm m

initial clusters

delay = 50 ps critical nanoplasma

delay = 1~2 ns expanded nanoplasma

delay = 3.5 ns uniform plasma

Nanoplasma expansion
Rayleigh scattering from 350-mJ pump pulse
Rayleigh scattering (arb. units)

pump-pulse delay = 3.5 ns

0 0 5 10
14

15
2

20

prepulse intensity ( 10 W/cm )

With a fixed pump-pulse delay, the Rayleigh scattering of the pump

pulse decreased as the prepulse intensity was increased, indicating the plasma becomes more uniform with higher prepulse intensity.

Optimal atom density for efficient lasing

800 600 400 lasing signal diameter 1 2 3 4 5 6 200 0 7

lasing signal (arb. units)

6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0

interfreogram at various atom densities 7.6 1017 cm-3

plasma column diameter (m)

3.2 10 cm
18

-3

6.4 1018 cm-3

atom density ( 1018 cm-3 )

Maximum lasing signal was obtained at an atom density of 7.6x1017 cm-3, close to that found in previous experiments[1,2] using a gas cell. The diameter of the plasma column created by the pump pulse increased with increasing average atom density, as a result of the ionization induced refraction.
[1] S. Sebban et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 304 (2001), [2] S. Sebban et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 253901 (2002)

Output energy and divergence angle

lasing beam profile

lasing intensity (arb. units)
1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 -10 -5 0 5 10

output energy = 95 nJ divergence angle = 5.2 mrad peak spectral brightness = 32 2 7.4 10 photons/cm /nm/sec/sr

position (mm)

measured data fitted curve

Proton acceleration
Target Normal Sheath Acceleration mechanism

ion acceleration at the sharp back surface

electron acceleration at the front surface

Laser-plasma synchrotron radiation channel betatron resonance

Laser-plasma synchrotron radiation ion ripple laser

Coherent relativistic harmonic generation

Laser-induced nuclear fusion

Laboratory astrophysics

Laboratory astrophysics

Laboratory astrophysics

Laboratory astrophysics

Physics towards the extreme Ultrastrong magnetic field

Magnetic field above 240 MG was observed. This is the highest ever produced in a lab.

Nonlinear QED, vacuum breakdown, and vacuum nonlinearity