Application of snow nanograin targets for the generation of fast ions in femtosecond laser plasma

We have measured the energy of the directed motion of multiply charged ions produced when solid targets are exposed to low-contrast (10^?3–10^?2) femtosecond laser pulses with intensities 10¹⁵–10¹⁶ W cm^?2. The measurements are based on the recording of spatially resolved X-ray spectra for H-and He-like oxygen ions in the target plane. Analysis of the He_β and Ly_α line profiles has revealed fractions of accelerated ions in plasma with energies from several to several tens of kiloelectronvolts. We show that using a layer of frozen nanometer-size water droplets as the targets leads to an effective absorption of laser pulses and a twofold rise in the energy (to 0.1 MeV) of He-like oxygen ions compared to the use of solid targets.     

Generation of fast ions in femto-and picosecond laser plasmas at low intensities of the heating radiation

X-ray spectra from Teflon targets irradiated by laser pulses with a duration of 60 fs to 1 ps have been investigated experimentally. It is shown that, when the contrast of the laser pulse is sufficiently low, the effect of self-focusing of the main laser pulse in the plasma produced by the prepulse can significantly enhance the generation efficiency of fast particles. In this case, ions with energies as high as ～1 MeV are observed at relatively low laser intensities, q _las ≈ (4–6) × 10¹⁶ W/cm².     

Comment on the production of fast ions by laser light pressure

Since the laser light pressure can be written as a gradient of a potential, long pulses, i.e., of ns duration, cannot effectively accelerate a noticeable portion of ions to superthermal velocities.     

Effect of accumulation on the formation of multiply charged ions in solids under grazing incidence of multiple laser radiation

The effect of accumulation on the formation of multiply charged ions in optically opaque solids as a function of the number and the angle of incidence of laser pulses is investigated by mass spectrometry. It is revealed that the accumulation effect manifests itself at prethreshold power densities q = 10⁸–10⁹ W/cm² irrespective of the angle of incidence of laser radiation α = 18°–85° and at subthreshold power densities q > 10¹⁰ W/cm² in the case of grazing incidence of laser radiation at an angle α = 85°. The accumulation effect brings about an increase in the maximum charge multiplicity Z _max of tungsten ions and a decrease in the number of impurity ions and in their intensity. No accumulation effect is observed at subthreshold power densities when laser radiation is incident at an angle α = 18°.     

Influence of frequency modulation of IR femtosecond laser pulse on the generation efficiency of difference frequency radiation

The results of theoretical research and numerical simulation of the generation process of difference frequency radiation by the IR femtosecond laser pulse with the frequency modulation are presented. It is shown that to obtain the maximal generation efficiency of the difference frequency radiation, the instantaneous frequency of the femtosecond IR laser pulse should be the quadratic function of time. The obtained results are independent on the type of nonlinear crystal and can be used to develop and create the pulse source of difference frequency radiation.     

Influence of an ambipolar field and target boundary blurring on transition radiation from fast electrons of laser plasma

It is shown that the blurring of the rear side of a thin laser target leads to a decrease in the intensity of higher harmonics in the spectrum of coherent transition radiation and that the scale of the boundary inhomogeneity can be estimated from the amplitude ratio of harmonics. Deceleration of the electron flow in an ambipolar electric field at the rear boundary of a target leads to a decrease in the intensity of lower harmonics in the spectrum of coherent transition radiation, and the strength of the ambipolar field can be estimated from the amplitude ratio of harmonics. A change in the permittivity of a dielectric laser target with frequency can lead to an increase in the intensity of some harmonics in the spectrum due to the Vavilov-Cherenkov mechanism.     

Effect of laser beam incidence angle on the thermoelastic generation in semi-transparent materials

When a laser beam is absorbed in a semi-transparent material, a volume acoustic source is created owing to penetration of the laser beam inside the material and to thermoelastic transduction. Many experimental and theoretical studies have been conducted to better understand this ultrasound generation process with normal laser light incidence on the material surface. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of the asymmetry caused by oblique incidence of a laser line source on the generation of acoustic waves in semi-transparent isotropic materials. Experiments on a glass plate demonstrate that such an obliquely incident laser light strongly affects bulk acoustic waves generation. Compressional and shear waves are enhanced and the loss of symmetry of the acoustic source causes asymmetrical behavior of the acoustic waves. Surprisingly, compressional-wave amplitude decreases whereas shear-wave amplitude increases in the region where the electromagnetic energy is refracted. This feature is explained by semi-analytical calculations.     

Ionization of atoms and ions by intense laser radiation

The ionization of negative ions by ultrashort electromagnetic pulses, the multiphoton ionization of atoms beyond the perturbation theory taking into account the Coulomb interaction, and the relativistic theory of tunneling in application to the ionization problems have been analyzed. The main results have been obtained using the imaginary time method.     

Influence of laser beam profile on the generation of ultrasonic waves

The different ultrasonic fields generated in metallic materials by a laser beam with flat and Gaussian profile are investigated experimentally and using the finite element method (FEM). A high power laser beam irradiating a solid surface produces elastic waves with a mechanics that depends on many parameters, including the profile of the laser beam. The influence of the beam profile is investigated with the FEM analysis, considering the temperature dependence of material properties.     

Production and distribution function of fast ions in laser produced plasma

Fast ions theoretical distribution functions deduced from ponderomotive force mechanism are computed and compared to those obtained in laser plasma experiments. Within the limit of validity of the calculations, experimental and theoretical results are in good agreement.     

Parametric generation of multipole radiation in a gas laser

The conditions are investigated for the resonant parametric generation of coherent electromagnetic multipole radiation in a gas laser amplifier by two light waves which interact with two coupled atomic transitions. Cross susceptibility tensors are derived within a semiclassical model taking the polarization of light and atoms into account. Doppler broadening restricts the generation to a difference frequency in a “folded” array of levels. In a specific example an intensity of 10^?10 W/mm² is estimated.     

Charge composition of metal ions versus laser radiation density in laser mass spectrometry

From experimental data for the yield of differently ionized ions at laser mass spectrometry, the dependence of the charge composition of the ions on the laser radiation density is found for a number of metals. It is established that the amount of multiply charged ions predominates over low-charged ones when the radiation density grows. An explanation is given for the fact that singly charged ions prevail over multiply charged ones at the end of laser-induced plasma spread. The influence of recombination on the ion distribution in the mass spectrum is estimated.     

激光斜入射光阴极对束流质量的影响及其优化

 针对美国布鲁克海文国家实验室（BNL）型的光阴极微波电子枪,模拟了不同分布状态的驱动激光脉冲斜入射光阴极对束流质量的影响,给出了改变注入相位和补偿线圈磁场强度对发射度的优化结果。结果表明：光斑椭圆化将会导致发射度的大幅增长,优化效果不理想;波前不同步导致的发射度增长对于纵向高斯分布的脉冲可以得到理想的优化。对于斜入射引起的光斑椭圆化和波前不同步问题给出了光学校正方法及部分测量结果。此外,模拟结果显示,对于横向均匀分布的激光脉冲,适当椭圆度的光斑比圆形光斑更有利于提高电子束质量。     

激光斜入射光阴极对束流质量的影响及其优化

针对美国布鲁克海文国家实验室（BNL）型的光阴极微波电子枪,模拟了不同分布状态的驱动激光脉冲斜入射光阴极对束流质量的影响,给出了改变注入相位和补偿线圈磁场强度对发射度的优化结果。结果表明：光斑椭圆化将会导致发射度的大幅增长,优化效果不理想;波前不同步导致的发射度增长对于纵向高斯分布的脉冲可以得到理想的优化。对于斜入射引起的光斑椭圆化和波前不同步问题给出了光学校正方法及部分测量结果。此外,模拟结果显示,对于横向均匀分布的激光脉冲,适当椭圆度的光斑比圆形光斑更有利于提高电子束质量。     

Biomolecule desorption yields as a function of the angle of incidence of fast heavy ions

A time-of-flight mass spectrometer that allows variation of the angle of incidence of the primary ion beam in desorption experiments has been developed. It has been used with heavy-ion beams of MeV energies from the Uppsala EN-tandem accelerator in order to study the yield of molecular ions from samples of ergosterol, glycylglycine and cesium iodide. The general behaviour of the angular distributions is that the yield increases sharply when oblique incidence is approached. The shape of the angular distribution for ergosterol ions is found to depend on the stopping power of the primary ion. The results are discussed in terms of thermal spike models for the desorption process.     

Higher harmonic generation in laser plasma upon interaction of femtosecond laser pulses with doubly and singly charged ions under conditions of resonance frequency conversion of laser radiation

The higher harmonic generation (HHG) in plasmas formed on the surface of different solid targets (Pb, Ag, Ge, In, Au, Cr, Pt, V, Mn, Ga, Bi, Sb, Cu, Al, Ca, and Sn) by laser ablation is studied. The possibility of HHG upon interaction of femtosecond radiation with doubly charged ions is studied on the example of Mn plasma. This process allowed generation of higher harmonics of up to the 101st order. The results of investigation of individual enhanced harmonics in Sn, Sb, In, and Cr plasmas are presented. Comparison of the conditions of HHG in weakly and strongly excited plasmas showed that the latter is preferable for efficient frequency conversion. It is demonstrated that the use of laser plasma spectroscopy with high time resolution allows one to determine the optimal conditions for generation of harmonics with a plateaulike distribution in the far-UV spectral region.     

Influence of fast electrical discharge on expansion of laser produced plasma

For some applications of laser produced plasma it may be advantageous to implement some degree of control on the ion flux and velocity distribution in the plasma expansion. We have shown how a fast, high current discharge in a laser produced plasma leads to a dramatic increase in the plasma ionization and expansion velocity. These observations are consistent with a magnetohydrodynamic discharge model whereby the self-induced magnetic field causes radial compression of an open-ended plasma column.