Luminous, relativistic, directional electron bunches from an intense laser driven grating plasma.

Bright, energetic, and directional electron bunches are generated through efficient energy transfer of relativistic intense (~ 1019 W/cm2), 30 femtosecond, 800 nm high contrast laser pulses to grating targets (500 lines/mm and 1000 lines/mm), under surface plasmon resonance (SPR) conditions. Bi-directional relativistic electron bunches (at 40° and 150°) are observed exiting from the 500 lines/mm grating target at the SPR conditions. The surface plasmon excited grating target enhances the electron flux and temperature by factor of 6.0 and 3.6, respectively, compared to that of the plane substrate. Particle-in-Cell simulations indicate that fast electrons are emitted in different directions at different stages of the laser interaction, which are related to the resultant surface magnetic field evolution. This study suggests that the SPR mechanism can be used to generate multiple, bright, ultrafast relativistic electron bunches for a variety of applications.

Efficient second-harmonic generation of a high-energy, femtosecond laser pulse in a lithium triborate crystal.

We demonstrate the highest efficiency (∼80%) second harmonic generation of joule level, 27 fs, high-contrast pulses in a type-I lithium triborate (LBO) crystal. In comparison, potassium dihydrogen phosphate gives a maximum efficiency of 26%. LBO thus offers high-intensity (>1018-19W/cm2), ultra-high contrast femtosecond pulses, which have great potential for high energy density science and applications, particularly with nanostructured targets.

Measuring the lifetime of intense-laser generated relativistic electrons in solids via gating their Cherenkov emission.

Optical Kerr gating technique has been employed to investigate the life history of relativistic electrons in solids by temporally gating their Cherenkov emission. Mega-ampere currents of relativistic electrons are created during ultra-intense (2 × 1019 W/cm2) laser-solid interactions. In order to measure the lifetime of these relativistic electrons in solids, we temporally gate their Cherenkov emission using an optical Kerr gate (OKG). The OKG is induced in a nonlinear medium, namely, carbon-di-sulphide (CS2), with a measured gate-width (FWHM) of 2 ps. The gate femtosecond laser pulse is synchronized with the intense interaction pulse generating relativistic electrons. The arrival time of the gate laser pulse on the CS2 cell is varied with the help of a delay stage. We find that Cherenkov emission from relativistic electrons created with a ultra-short laser pulse (25 fs) lives as long as 120 ps, a few thousand times that of the incident light pulse.

Towards Remote Lightning Manipulation by Meters-long Plasma Channels Generated by Ultra-Short-Pulse High-Intensity Lasers.

Remote manipulation (triggering and guiding) of lightning in atmospheric conditions of thunderstorms has been the subject of intense scientific research for decades. High power, ultrashort-pulse lasers are considered attractive in generating plasma channels in air that could serve as conductors/diverters for lightning. However, two fundamental obstacles, namely the limited length and lifetime of such plasma channels prevented their realization to this date. In this paper, we report decisive experimental results of our multi-element broken wire concept that extends the generated plasma channels to the required tens of meters range. We obtain 13-meter-long plasma wire, limited only by our current experimental setup, with plasma conditions that could be sufficient for the leader initiation. This advance, coupled with our demonstrated method of laser heating for long time sustenance of the plasma channel, is a major, significant step towards controlling lightning.

Mapping the Damping Dynamics of Mega-Ampere Electron Pulses Inside a Solid.

We report the lifetime of intense-laser (2×10^{19} W/cm^{2}) generated relativistic electron pulses in solids by measuring the time evolution of their Cherenkov emission. Using a picosecond resolution optical Kerr gating technique, we demonstrate that the electrons remain relativistic as long as 50 picoseconds-more than 1000 times longer than the incident light pulse. Numerical simulations of the propagation of relativistic electrons and the emitted Cherenkov radiation with Monte Carlo geant4 package reproduce the striking experimental findings.

Highly efficient broadband terahertz generation from ultrashort laser filamentation in liquids.

Generation and application of energetic, broadband terahertz pulses (bandwidth ~0.1-50 THz) is an active and contemporary area of research. The main thrust is toward the development of efficient sources with minimum complexities-a true table-top setup. In this work, we demonstrate the generation of terahertz radiation via ultrashort pulse induced filamentation in liquids-a counterintuitive observation due to their large absorption coefficient in the terahertz regime. The generated terahertz energy is more than an order of magnitude higher than that obtained from the two-color filamentation of air (the most standard table-top technique). Such high terahertz energies would generate electric fields of the order of MV cm-1, which opens the doors for various nonlinear terahertz spectroscopic applications. The counterintuitive phenomenon has been explained via the solution of nonlinear pulse propagation equation in the liquid medium.

Micron-scale mapping of megagauss magnetic fields using optical polarimetry to probe hot electron transport in petawatt-class laser-solid interactions.

The transport of hot, relativistic electrons produced by the interaction of an intense petawatt laser pulse with a solid has garnered interest due to its potential application in the development of innovative x-ray sources and ion-acceleration schemes. We report on spatially and temporally resolved measurements of megagauss magnetic fields at the rear of a 50-µm thick plastic target, irradiated by a multi-picosecond petawatt laser pulse at an incident intensity of ~1020 W/cm2. The pump-probe polarimetric measurements with micron-scale spatial resolution reveal the dynamics of the magnetic fields generated by the hot electron distribution at the target rear. An annular magnetic field profile was observed ~5 ps after the interaction, indicating a relatively smooth hot electron distribution at the rear-side of the plastic target. This is contrary to previous time-integrated measurements, which infer that such targets will produce highly structured hot electron transport. We measured large-scale filamentation of the hot electron distribution at the target rear only at later time-scales of ~10 ps, resulting in a commensurate large-scale filamentation of the magnetic field profile. Three-dimensional hybrid simulations corroborate our experimental observations and demonstrate a beam-like hot electron transport at initial time-scales that may be attributed to the local resistivity profile at the target rear.

Magnetic turbulence in a table-top laser-plasma relevant to astrophysical scenarios.

Turbulent magnetic fields abound in nature, pervading astrophysical, solar, terrestrial and laboratory plasmas. Understanding the ubiquity of magnetic turbulence and its role in the universe is an outstanding scientific challenge. Here, we report on the transition of magnetic turbulence from an initially electron-driven regime to one dominated by ion-magnetization in a laboratory plasma produced by an intense, table-top laser. Our observations at the magnetized ion scale of the saturated turbulent spectrum bear a striking resemblance with spacecraft measurements of the solar wind magnetic-field spectrum, including the emergence of a spectral kink. Despite originating from diverse energy injection sources (namely, electrons in the laboratory experiment and ion free-energy sources in the solar wind), the turbulent spectra exhibit remarkable parallels. This demonstrates the independence of turbulent spectral properties from the driving source of the turbulence and highlights the potential of small-scale, table-top laboratory experiments for investigating turbulence in astrophysical environments.

Intense femtosecond laser driven collimated fast electron transport in a dielectric medium-role of intensity contrast.

Ultra-high intensity (> 1018 W/cm2), femtosecond (~30 fs) laser induced fast electron transport in a transparent dielectric has been studied for two laser systems having three orders of magnitude different peak to pedestal intensity contrast, using ultrafast time-resolved shadowgraphy. Use of a 400 nm femtosecond pulse as a probe enables the exclusive visualization of the dynamics of highest density electrons (> 7 × 1021 cm-3) observed so far. High picosecond contrast (~109) results in greater coupling of peak laser energy to the plasma electrons, enabling long (~1 mm), collimated (divergence angle ~2°) transport of fast electrons inside the dielectric medium at relativistic speeds (~0.66c). In comparison, the laser system with a contrast of ~106 has a large pre-plasma, limiting the coupling of laser energy to the solid and yielding limited fast electron injection into the dielectric. In the lower contrast case, bulk of the electrons expand as a cloud inside the medium with an order of magnitude lower speed than that of the fast electrons obtained with the high contrast laser. The expansion speed of the plasma towards vacuum is similar for the two contrasts.

Contrasting levels of absorption of intense femtosecond laser pulses by solids.

The absorption of ultraintense, femtosecond laser pulses by a solid unleashes relativistic electrons, thereby creating a regime of relativistic optics. This has enabled exciting applications of relativistic particle beams and coherent X-ray radiation, and fundamental leaps in high energy density science and laboratory astrophysics. Obviously, central to these possibilities lies the basic problem of understanding and if possible, manipulating laser absorption. Surprisingly, the absorption of intense light largely remains an open question, despite the extensive variations in target and laser pulse structures. Moreover, there are only few experimental measurements of laser absorption carried out under very limited parameter ranges. Here we present an extensive investigation of absorption of intense 30 femtosecond laser pulses by solid metal targets. The study, performed under varying laser intensity and contrast ratio over four orders of magnitude, reveals a significant and non-intuitive dependence on these parameters. For contrast ratio of 10(-9) and intensity of 2 × 10(19)W cm(-2), three observations are revealed: preferential acceleration of electrons along the laser axis, a ponderomotive scaling of electron temperature, and red shifting of emitted second-harmonic. These point towards the role of J × B absorption mechanism at relativistic intensity. The experimental results are supported by particle-in-cell simulations.

Terahertz acoustics in hot dense laser plasmas.

We present a hitherto unobserved facet of hydrodynamics, namely the generation of an ultrahigh frequency acoustic disturbance in the terahertz frequency range, whose origins are purely hydrodynamic in nature. The disturbance is caused by differential flow velocities down a density gradient in a plasma created by a 30 fs, 800 nm high-intensity laser (∼5×10(16) W/cm(2)). The picosecond scale observations enable us to capture these high frequency oscillations (1.9±0.6 THz) which are generated as a consequence of the rapid heating of the medium by the laser. Adoption of two complementary techniques, namely pump-probe reflectometry and pump-probe Doppler spectrometry provides unambiguous identification of this terahertz acoustic disturbance. Hydrodynamic simulations well reproduce the observations, offering insight into this process.

High-resolution measurements of the spatial and temporal evolution of megagauss magnetic fields created in intense short-pulse laser-plasma interactions.

A pump-probe polarimetric technique is demonstrated, which provides a complete, temporally and spatially resolved mapping of the megagauss magnetic fields generated in intense short-pulse laser-plasma interactions. A normally incident time-delayed probe pulse reflected from its critical surface undergoes a change in its ellipticity according to the magneto-optic Cotton-Mouton effect due to the azimuthal nature of the ambient self-generated megagauss magnetic fields. The temporal resolution of the magnetic field mapping is typically of the order of the pulsewidth, limited by the laser intensity contrast, whereas a spatial resolution of a few µm is achieved by this optical technique. High-harmonics of the probe can be employed to penetrate deeper into the plasma to even near-solid densities. The spatial and temporal evolution of the megagauss magnetic fields at the target front as well as at the target rear are presented. The µm-scale resolution of the magnetic field mapping provides valuable information on the filamentary instabilities at the target front, whereas probing the target rear mirrors the highly complex fast electron transport in intense laser-plasma interactions.

Macroscopic transport of mega-ampere electron currents in aligned carbon-nanotube arrays.

We demonstrate that aligned carbon-nanotube arrays are efficient transporters of laser-generated mega-ampere electron currents over distances as large as a millimeter. A direct polarimetric measurement of the temporal and the spatial evolution of the megagauss magnetic fields (as high as 120 MG) at the target rear at an intensity of (10(18)-10(19)) W/cm2 was corroborated by the rear-side hot electron spectra. Simulations show that such high magnetic flux densities can only be generated by a very well collimated fast electron bunch.

Direct observation of turbulent magnetic fields in hot, dense laser produced plasmas.

Turbulence in fluids is a ubiquitous, fascinating, and complex natural phenomenon that is not yet fully understood. Unraveling turbulence in high density, high temperature plasmas is an even bigger challenge because of the importance of electromagnetic forces and the typically violent environments. Fascinating and novel behavior of hot dense matter has so far been only indirectly inferred because of the enormous difficulties of making observations on such matter. Here, we present direct evidence of turbulence in giant magnetic fields created in an overdense, hot plasma by relativistic intensity (10(18) W/cm(2)) femtosecond laser pulses. We have obtained magneto-optic polarigrams at femtosecond time intervals, simultaneously with micrometer spatial resolution. The spatial profiles of the magnetic field show randomness and their k spectra exhibit a power law along with certain well defined peaks at scales shorter than skin depth. Detailed two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations delineate the underlying interaction between forward currents of relativistic energy "hot" electrons created by the laser pulse and "cold" return currents of thermal electrons induced in the target. Our results are not only fundamentally interesting but should also arouse interest on the role of magnetic turbulence induced resistivity in the context of fast ignition of laser fusion, and the possibility of experimentally simulating such structures with respect to the sun and other stellar environments.

A bright point source of ultrashort hard x-ray pulses using biological cells.

We demonstrate that the interaction of intense femtosecond light on a plain solid substrate can be substantially altered by a few micron layer coating of bacterial cells, live or dead. Using E. Coli cells, we show that at an intensity of 10(16)W cm(-2), the bremsstraahlung hard x-ray emission (up to 300 keV), is increased by more than two orders of magnitude as compared to a plain glass slab. Particle-in-cell simulations carried out by modeling the bacterial cells as ellipsoidal particles show that the hot electron generation is indeed enhanced by the presence of microstructures. This new methodology should pave way for using microbiological systems of varied shapes to control intense laser produced plasmas for EUV/x-ray generation.

Filamentation without intensity clamping.

We present measurements of the supercontinuum emission (SCE) from ultrashort Ti:Saph laser pulse filamentation in air in a tightly focused geometry. The spectral broadening of SCE indicates that peak intensities exceed the clamping value of a few 10(13) W/cm(2) obtained for filamentation in a loose focusing geometry by at least one order of magnitude. We provide an interpretation for this regime of filamenation without intensity clamping.

Doppler spectrometry for ultrafast temporal mapping of density dynamics in laser-induced plasmas.

We present high resolution measurements of the ultrafast temporal dynamics of the critical surface in moderately overdense, hot plasma by using two-color, pump-probe Doppler spectrometry. Our measurements clearly capture the initial inward motion of the plasma inside the critical surface of the pump laser which is followed by outward expansion. The measured instantaneous velocity and acceleration profiles are very well reproduced by a hybrid simulation that uses a 1D electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulation for the initial evolution and a hydrodynamics simulation for the later times. The combination of high temporal resolution and dynamic range in our measurements clearly provides quantitative unraveling of the dynamics in this important region, enabling this as a powerful technique to obtain ultrafast snapshots of plasma density and temperature profiles for providing benchmarks for simulations.

Direct, absolute, and in situ measurement of fast electron transport via Cherenkov emission.

We present direct measurements of the absolute energy distribution of relativistic electrons generated in intense, femtosecond laser interaction with a solid. Cherenkov emission radiated by these electrons in a novel prism target is spectrally dispersed to obtain yield and energy distribution of electrons simultaneously. A crucial advance is the observation of high density electron current as predicted by particle simulations and its transport as it happens inside the target. In addition, the strong sheath potential present at the rear side of the target is inferred from a comparison of the electron spectra derived from Cherenkov light observation with that from a magnet spectrometer.

Near-complete absorption of intense, ultrashort laser light by sub-lambda gratings.

We demonstrate near-100% light absorption and increased x-ray emission from dense plasmas created on solid surfaces with a periodic sub-lambda structure. The efficacy of the structure-induced surface plasmon resonance, responsible for enhanced absorption, is directly tested at the highest intensities to date (3 x 10{15} W cm{-2}) via systematic, correlated measurements of absorption and x-ray emission. An analytical grating model as well as 2D particle-in-cell simulations conclusively explain our observations. Our study offers a definite, quantitative way forward for optimizing and understanding the absorption process.

Mapping giant magnetic fields around dense solid plasmas by high-resolution magneto-optical microscopy.

We investigate the distribution of magnetic fields around dense solid plasmas generated by intense p-polarized laser approximately 10(16) W cm(-2), 100 fs) irradiation of magnetic tapes, using high sensitivity magneto-optical microscopy. By investigating the effect of irradiation on the magnetic tape, we present evidence for axial magnetic fields and map out the spatial distribution of these fields around the laser generated plasma. By using the axial magnetic field distribution as a diagnostic tool we uncover evidence for angular momentum associated with the plasma.