Prof Peter Norreys FInstP;

Abstract:

An intense laser pulse interacting with a near discontinuous plasma vacuum interface causes the plasma surface to perform relativistic oscillations. The reflected laser radiation then contains very high order harmonics of fundamental frequency and - according to current theory - must be bunched in radiation bursts of a few attoseconds duration. Recent experimental results have demonstrated x-ray harmonic radiation extending to 3.3 (3.8 keV, order n > 3200) with the harmonic conversion efficiency scaling as η(n) n -2.5 over the entire observed spectrum ranging from 17 nm to 3.3 . This scaling holds up to a maximum order, nRO 81/2γ 3, where γ is the peak value of the Lorentz factor, above which the harmonic efficiency decreases more rapidly. The coherent nature of the generated harmonics is demonstrated by the highly directional beamed emission, which for photon energy h ν > 1 keV is found to be into a cone angle ∼4°, significantly less than that of the incident laser cone (20°). © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Abstract:

The study of fast electrons generated in laser-matter interactions and their transport through matter is of great interest for the fast ignition concept in the inertial confinement fusion. A typical experimental approach is the interaction of intense laser radiation with foil targets. The transport of the electrons through the foil can be studied with several techniques including X-ray emission measurements and direct measurements on electrons leaving the foil. Some laser-matter interaction features can be monitored using spectroscopy in the visible range. Here we will focus our attention on some of the experimental techniques that have been used in laser-foil experiments at ILIL laboratory in Pisa and in a VULCAN Petawatt experiment at RAL. In particular we will describe high resolution X-ray spectroscopy with a bent crystal, K-alpha flux measurements, direct measurements of the angular distribution and spectrum of the electrons, and spectroscopy of the 3/2ω and 2ω harmonics of the laser radiation.

Abstract:

During the last few years laser-driven plasma accelerators have been shown to generate quasi-monoenergetic electron beams with energies up to several hundred MeV. Extending the output energy of laser-driven plasma accelerators to the GeV range requires operation at plasma densities an order of magnitude lower, i.e. 10(18) cm(-3), and increasing the distance over which acceleration is maintained from a few millimetres to a few tens of millimetres. One approach for achieving this is to guide the driving laser pulse in the plasma channel formed in a gas-filled capillary discharge waveguide. We present transverse interferometric measurements of the evolution of the plasma channel formed and compare these measurements with models of the capillary discharge. We describe in detail experiments performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in which plasma accelerators were driven within this type of waveguide to generate quasi-monoenergetic electron beams with energies up to I GeV.