No Arabic abstract
Ultrahigh-power terahertz (THz) radiation sources are essential for many applications, such as nonlinear THz physics, THz-wave based compact accelerators, etc. However, until now none of THz sources reported, whether based upon large-scale accelerators or high power lasers, have produced THz pulses with energies above the millijoule (mJ) barrier. Here we report on the efficient generation of low-frequency (<3 THz) THz pulses with unprecedentedly high energies over 50 mJ. The THz radiation is produced by coherent transition radiation of a picosecond laser-accelerated ultra-bright bunch of relativistic electrons from a solid target. Such high energy THz pulses can not only trigger various nonlinear dynamics in matter, but also open up a new research field of relativistic THz optics.
A new regime in the interaction of a two-colour ($omega$,$2omega$) laser with a nanometre-scale foil is identified, resulting in the emission of extremely intense, isolated attosecond pulses - even in the case of multi-cycle lasers. For foils irradiated by lasers exceeding the blow-out field strength (i.e. capable of fully separating electrons from the ion background), the addition of a second harmonic field results in the stabilization of the foil up to the blow-out intensity. This is then followed by a sharp transition to transparency that essentially occurs in a single optical cycle. During the transition cycle, a dense, nanometre-scale electron bunch is accelerated to relativistic velocities and emits a single, strong attosecond pulse with a peak intensity approaching that of the laser field.
We report on the first successful proof-of-principle experiment to manipulate laser-matter interactions on the microscale using highly ordered Si microwire arrays. The interaction of a high contrast short pulse laser with a flat target via periodic Si microwires yields a substantial enhancement in both total and cut-off energies of the produced electron beam. The self generated electric and magnetic fields behave as an electromagnetic lens that confines and guides electrons between the microwires as they acquire relativistic energies via direct laser acceleration (DLA).
We propose a method to generate isolated relativistic terahertz (THz) pulses using a high-power laser irradiating a mirco-plasma-waveguide (MPW). When the laser pulse enters the MPW, high-charge electron bunches are produced and accelerated to ~ 100 MeV by the transverse magnetic modes. A substantial part of the electron energy is transferred to THz emission through coherent diffraction radiation as the electron bunches exit the MPW. We demonstrate this process with three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The frequency of the radiation is determined by the incident laser duration, and the radiated energy is found to be strongly correlated to the charge of the electron bunches, which can be controlled by the laser intensity and micro-engineering of the MPW target. Our simulations indicate that 100-mJ level relativistic-intense THz pulses with tunable frequency can be generated at existing laser facilities, and the overall efficiency reaches 1%.
Relativistic electrons generated by the interaction of petawatt-class short laser pulses with solid targets can be used to generate bright X-rays via bremsstrahlung. The efficiency of laser energy transfer into these electrons depends on multiple parameters including the focused intensity and pre-plasma level. This paper reports experimental results from the interaction of a high intensity petawatt-class glass laser pulses with solid targets at a maximum intensity of $10^{19}$ W/cm$^2$. In-situ measurements of specularly reflected light are used to provide an upper bound of laser absorption and to characterize focused laser intensity, the pre-plasma level and the generation mechanism of second harmonic light. The measured spectrum of electrons and bremsstrahlung radiation provide information about the efficiency of laser energy transfer.
Laser plasma amplification of sub-picosecond pulses above the Joule level is demonstrated, a major milestone for this scheme to become a solution for the next-generation of ultra-high intensity lasers. By exploring over 6 orders of magnitude the influence of the incident seed intensity on Brillouin laser amplification, we reveal the importance of a minimum intensity to ensure an early onset of the self-similar regime, and a large energy transfer with a very high efficiency, up to 20%. Evidence of energy losses of the seed by spontaneous backward Raman is found at high amplification. The first three-dimensional envelope simulations of the sub-picosecond amplification were performed, supplemented by one-dimensional PIC simulations. Comparisons with the experimental results demonstrate the capability of quantitative predictions on the transferred energy. The global behavior of the amplification process, is reproduced, including the evolution of the spatial profile of the amplified seed.