Laser-plasma accelerator group

Abstract:

A blind variant of digital holographic microscopy is presented that removes the requirement for a well-characterized, highly divergent reference beam. This is achieved by adopting an off-axis recording geometry where a sequence of holograms is recorded as the reference is tilted, and an iter ative algorithm that estimates the amplitudes and phases of both beams while simultaneously enhancing the numerical aperture. Numerical simulations have demonstrated the accuracy and robustness of this approach when applied to the coherent imaging problem.

Abstract:

To drive a laser-plasma wakefield, high peak-power laser pulses are required. For useful accelerator applications, it is also necessary to have driving lasers with high efficiency, repetition rates, and average power. The coherent combination of Ytterbium-doped fibre laser amplifiers is a promising potential solution, and previous work has demonstrated the successful combination of near-identical ultrafast fibre lasers. We report here the combination of significantly mismatched Ytterbium-doped photonic crystal fibre amplifiers with a combined efficiency of 96%, while the locked power output remained stable for 6 hours. The combined output of the system had a total gain of 12 dB, with no detrimental effect on the compressed pulse width observed.

Abstract:

We report the operation of an optical parametric amplifier (OPA) capable of producing gigawatt peak-power laser pulses with tunable wavelength in either the visible or near-infrared spectrum. The OPA has two distinct operation modes (i) generation of > 350 μJ, sub 100 fs pulses, tunable between 1250 - 1550 nm; (ii) generation of > 170 μJ, sub 150 fs pulses tunable between 490 - 530 nm. We have recorded high-order harmonic spectra over a wide range of driving wavelengths. This flexible source of femtosecond pulses presents a useful tool for exploring the wavelength-dependence of strong-field phenomena, in both the multi-photon and tunnel ionization regimes.

Abstract:

We describe in detail a low power Compact Marx Bank (CMB) circuit that can provide 20 kV, 500A pulses of approximately 100–200 ns duration. One application is the generation of capillary discharge plasmas of density ≈ 1018 cm􀀀3 used in laser plasma accelerators. The CMB is tiggered with a high speed solid state switch and gives a HV output pulse with a ns scale rise time into a 50Ω load (coaxial cable) with < 4 ns voltage jitter. Its small size (10 cm × 25 cm × 5 cm) means that it can be placed right next to the capillary discharge in the target chamber so avoiding the need to impedance match. The electrical energy required per discharge is < 1 J and the CMB can be run at shot repetition rates of >∼ 1 Hz. This low power requirement means the circuit can easily be powered by a small lead acid battery and so therefore can be floated relative to laboratory earth. The CMB is readily scalable and pulses > 45 kV are demonstrated in air discharges.