Mechanisms for second harmonic generation in the interaction of a superintense ultrashort laser pulse with cluster plasma

The effects of the interaction of an intense femtosecond laser pulse with large atomic clusters are considered. The pulse intensity is of the order of 10¹⁸ W cm^?2. New effects appear when the magnetic component of the Lorentz force is taken into account. The second harmonic of laser radiation is generated. The second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency is proportional to the square of the number of atoms in a cluster and the square of the laser radiation intensity. The resonance increase in the SHG efficiency at the Mie frequencies (both at the second harmonic frequency and fundamental frequency) proved to be insignificant because of the fast passage through the resonance during cluster expansion. The mechanisms of the expansion and accumulation of energy by electrons and ions in the cluster are discussed in detail. The energy accumulation by electrons mainly occurs due to stimulated inverse bremsstrahlung upon elastic reflection of the electrons from the cluster surface. The equations describing the cluster expansion take into account both the hydrodynamic pressure of heated electrons and the Coulomb explosion of the ionized cluster caused by outer shell ionization. It is assumed that both inner shell and outer shell ionization is described by the over barrier mechanism. It is shown that atomic clusters are more attractive for the generation of even harmonics than compared to solid and gas targets.     

乙醚团簇在纳秒激光场中的多价电离及其电子能量分布的研究

用5ns,1064nm的脉冲Nd:YAG激光,研究了乙醚团簇与纳秒激光的相互作用.在10¹¹ W/cm²量级光强下,观察到价电子完全剥离的O⁶⁺,C⁴⁺,且这些高价离子的强度比值基本不随激光能量而变化.用阻滞电压方法测量了电离过程中溢出电子能量分布,在最大激光能量4.0×10¹¹ W/cm²,溢出电子的平均能量为56eV,最大能量为102eV.实验结果支持了高价离子产生的“多 关键词： 高价离子 电子能量 纳秒激光 乙醚团簇     

Thermonuclear fusion in the irradiation of large clusters of deuterium iodide with a field of a superatomic femtosecond laser pulse

A theory of thermonuclear fusion caused by the irradiation of deuterium-iodide clusters with the field of a superatomic femtosecond laser pulse is developed. It is based on considering the process in which the sequential above-barrier multiple internal ionization of atomic ions within a cluster is accompanied by external field ionization. The theory is illustrated by taking the example of a cluster that is formed by 10⁶ molecules of deuterium iodide and which is irradiated with a laser pulse of duration 50 fs and intensity 2×10¹⁸ W/cm² at the peak. This case is dominated by I²⁶⁺ atomic ions. The yield of neutrons from thermonuclear fusion in a deuteron-deuteron collision upon the passage of a laser pulse is calculated. The result is 10⁵ neutrons per laser pulse. The mean kinetic energy of deuterons is estimated at 50 keV. Owing to induced inverse bremsstrahlung in scattering on multiply charged atomic ions, the electron temperature increases up to 28 keV. The role of the Mie resonance in the heating of the electron component is discussed.     

Rescattering of electrons at laser-cluster interactions

The goal of this work is to derive the angular distributions of electrons irradiated at the outer ionization of large atomic clusters from Xe atoms by relativistic laser pulses taking into account rescattering processes. Both the magnetic field of the laser pulse and the Coulomb field of the ionized cluster significantly influence the rescattering of ejected electrons. The multiply inner ionization of atoms occurs at the leading edge of the laser pulse. The atomic ions with charge multiplicities up to Z = 26 are subsequently produced (each atomic ion with the next charge multiplicity appears in 3–5 fs) when the laser intensity increases. The measurements of the angular distributions of electrons allow us to reproduce the imaging dynamics of outer ionization of the cluster at the leading edge of the relativistic femtosecond laser pulse.     

Charge composition of a cluster plasma upon irradiation of large atomic clusters by the field of a superatomic femtosecond laser pulse

A theory is developed for calculating the charge composition of a cluster plasma produced upon irradiation of large atomic clusters by the field of a superatomic femtosecond laser pulse. The theory is based on the overbarrier process of a successive multiple internal ionization of atomic ions inside a cluster accompanied by the external field ionization. Collision ionization is also taken into account in the calculations. The theory is illustrated by the example of a cluster consisting of 10⁶ xenon atoms irradiated by a 50-fs laser pulse with a peak intensity of 2×10¹⁸ W/cm². In this case, the Xe²⁶⁺ ions dominate. The amounts of atomic xenon ions with multiplicity up to 31 are calculated.     

Surface heating of deuterium clusters by the field of a superintense ultrashort laser pulse for implementing the nuclear reaction d+d → 3He+n

A new mechanism for heating the electron component of plasmas formed upon the application of a superintense ultrashort laser pulse to atomic clusters is proposed. Clusters considered here consist of deuterium atoms. Upon the emission of a large number of electrons, an irradiated cluster, which acquires a positive charge, explodes (Coulomb explosion). Deuterons that are ejected as the result of this possess high kinetic energies, so that collisions between them can result in ³He formation accompanied by neutron emission. The new mechanism of the heating of the electron plasma from clusters is based on the conjecture that, when an ionization electron is reflected from the inner surface of the cluster ion in the presence of a laser field, it predominantly absorbs (rather than emits) laser photons.     

Effects of the atomic structure and interference oscillations in the electron photorecombination spectrum in a strong laser field

Electron photorecombination in the presence of a strong low-frequency laser field has been analyzed using an exactly solvable quantum model. It has been shown that interference patterns in the electron photorecombination spectrum are more sensitive to the details of the atomic potential than those in the case of other non-linear processes. For electron photorecombination on Xe⁺ ions, the manifestation of the Ramsauer effect in the cross section for the elastic scattering of slow electrons on Xe⁺ ions has been predicted in the electron photorecombination spectrum modified by the laser field.     

原子团簇对飞秒激光的吸收

使用800nm飞秒脉冲激光研究了Xe,Ar,He等原子团簇对激光的吸收.实验结果表明,脉冲阀门的工作压力、所使用的气体种类等因素对团簇的尺寸及团簇对激光的吸收影响很大.在阀门工作压力为20×10⁵Pa、激光功率密度为1×10¹⁵W/cm²的条件下,Xe团簇对激光的吸收高达45%.激光预脉冲的存在会降低原子团簇对激光能量的吸收.离子能量测量结果表明,团簇对激光的高效吸收导致较高离子温度等离子体的生 关键词： 原子团簇 飞秒激光 能量吸收效率 高能离子     

Thermonuclear fusion in a strong laser field

Thermonuclear fusion induced by the irradiation of solid deuterated cluster targets and foils with fields of strong femtosecond and picosecond laser pulses is discussed. The thermonuclear-fusion process D(d, n)³He in a collision of two deuterons at an energy of 50 to 100 keV in a deuterium cluster target irradiated with a strong laser pulse is discussed. A theory of thermonuclear fusion proceeding upon the irradiation of clusters formed by deuterium iodide (DI) molecules with the field of a superintense femtosecond laser pulse is developed. This theory is based on an above-barrier process in which the sequential multiple inner ionization of atomic ions within a cluster is accompanied by field-induced outer ionization. The yield of neutrons from thermonuclear fusion in a deuteron-deuteron collision after the completion of a laser pulse is calculated. The yield of neutrons is determined for the thermonuclear-fusion reaction proceeding in the interaction of an intense picosecond laser pulse with thin TiD₂ foils. A multiple ionization of titanium atoms at the front edge of the laser pulse is considered. The heating of free electron occurs in induced inverse bremsstrahlung in the process of electron scattering on multiply charged titanium ions. The yield of alpha particles in the thermonuclear-fusion reaction involving protons and ¹¹B nuclei that is induced in microdrops by a strong laser field is determined. Experimental data on laser-induced thermonuclear fusion are discussed.     

Multiply charged clusters

We review progress made in understanding Coulomb explosion of multiply charged atomic clusters. Their collision with highly charged atomic ions leads to clusters in charge states as high as z=10 with little vibrational excess energy; these systems approach the Rayleigh limit. Phase transitions become evident at higher excess energies. Numerous studies have been devoted to C^z+₆₀, like collisions with surfaces, multi-coincidence fragmentation analysis and gas-phase reactions. Stability and decay of highly charged micrometer-sized droplets and of metal di- and trianions have been monitored in ion traps. Excitation by femtosecond laser pulses allows to unravel properties of highly charged transient cluster ions. To cite this article: O. Echt et al., C. R. Physique 3 (2002) 353–364.     

Neutron production in picosecond laser-generated plasma on a be target

Experimental data on neutron production in a plasma generated on a Be target by a picosecond laser of intensity 2 × 10¹⁸ W/cm² are presented. In contrast to previous measurements, a Ta converter is not used in this study to generate γ rays. The neutron yield is equal to 2 × 10³ over a solid angle of 4π steradians per laser pulse. A simultaneous measurement of the maximum energy of hard x rays gave E _γmax ～ 6 MeV, the number of these photons being 5 × 10⁸ over an angle of 4π steradians per laser pulse. The energy distributions of fast electrons and photons are estimated theoretically.     

Rates and channels of water ionization by a high-current high-voltage pulsed discharge

The experimentally observed growth of the plasma density in a high-current high-voltage pulsed discharge in a liquid medium is compared with the results of calculations based on the effective cross sections for electron-impact ionization and other elementary processes. It is found that, in the initial stage of the discharge, the plasma density grows linearly with time, whereas at densities above 3 × 10¹⁰ cm^?3, the growth becomes exponential due to the collective acceleration of plasma electrons. The gas-vapor fraction of the water medium is ionized by two groups of electrons: low-energy electrons, with energies about several tens of electronvolts, and high-energy ones, with energies in the kiloelectronvolt range. The energy spent on water ionization is estimated and is found to be several times higher than the energy required to ionize a rarefied gas.     

Distribution and evolution of electrons in a cluster plasma created by a laser pulse

We analyze the properties and the character of the evolution of an electron subsystem of a large cluster (with a number of atoms n～10⁴?10⁶) interacting with a short laser pulse of high intensity (10¹⁷?10¹⁹ W/cm²). As a result of ionization in a strong laser field, cluster atoms are converted into multicharged ions, part of the electrons being formed leaves the cluster, and the other electrons move in a self-consistent field of the charged cluster and the laser wave. It is shown that electron-electron collisions are inessential both during the cluster irradiation by the laser pulse and in the course of cluster expansion; the electron distribution in the cluster therefore does not transform into the Maxwell distribution even during cluster expansion. During cluster expansion, the Coulomb field of a cluster charge acts on cluster ions more strongly than the pressure resulting from electron-ion collisions. In addition, bound electrons remain inside the cluster in the course of its expansion, and cluster expansion therefore does not lead to additional cluster ionization.     

超短脉冲强激光与固体靶相互作用中Kα射线的实验研究

在相对论激光强度下，对p偏振30 fs激光与固体Cu靶相互作用中产生的Kα射线进行了实验研究.采用刀边成像技术和单光子计数X射线CCD相结合的探测装置，在单发激光脉冲打靶时同时得到X射线源的尺寸、能谱以及Kα光子的转换效率等多种信息.实验结果与Reich等人的理论计算结果有明显的差异，Kα光子的能量转换效率在激光功率密度为1.6×10¹⁸W/cm²的条件下达到最大值7.08×10^-6/sr.根据这一结果并结合蒙特卡罗程序，推断出在这一聚焦光强下激光能量转换为前向超热电子的效率约为10%.     

Emission of charged clusters during metal sputtering by ions

A method for simulating processes of metal sputtering by ion bombardment in the form of large neutral and charged clusters with a number of atoms N≥5 based on simple physical assumptions and in fair agreement with experiment is suggested. As an example, the ionization degrees and ionization coefficients, as well as the relative cluster yields, are calculated as a function of the number of atoms in clusters of different metals (Ag, Nb, and Ta) bombarded by singly charged Ar⁺¹ and Au⁻¹ ions. A fluctuation mechanism of charge state formation for large clusters, which describes the dependence of the charge state distributions on cluster size and target temperature, is developed.     

Thermal emission of electrons from highly excited sodium clusters

Positively charged sodium clusters can be easily ionized by a fs laser pulse of relatively low intensity (<10¹⁰ W/cm²), if the laser is in resonance with the plasmon excitation of the cluster. This ionization process was investigated in detail by measuring the kinetic energy distribution of electrons emitted from a size-selected Na₉₃ ⁺ as a function of the fs laser intensity. In all cases pure Boltzmann-like energy distributions were observed. A comparison with statistical theory shows that the emission is a purely thermal process. It is different to normal thermionic emission insofar as the electrons are emitted from a hot electron system which is only weakly coupled to a cold ionic background. The results demonstrate purely statistical behaviour of a small fermionic system even for very high excitation energy. Received: 25 May 2000 / Accepted: 6 November 2000 / Published online: 9 February 2001     

Untersuchung der Polarisationsebene von Photonen nach Compton-Streuung an polarisierten Elektronen

Two polarization phenomena in Compton scattering by polarized electrons were investigated. In the first experiment, the rotation of the polarization plane of photons passing through magnetized iron and gadolinium was measured. This effect arises from a spin dependence of the Compton forward scattering amplitude. For 228 and 333 keV photons and iron absorbers, the observed rotation angles areφ ₀=(3.90±0.57) ×10^?3 rad · cm^?2 and (4.75±0.58)×10^?3 rad · cm^?2, respectively. Secondly, the orientation of the photon polarization plane after scattering of unpolarized photons by polarized electrons was measured. This experiment tests time reversal invariance in quantum electrodynamics. No dependence of the polarization plane on the direction of the electron spin was found within 2×10^?3.     

Ionization of iridium ions in the Dresden EBIT studied by X-ray spectroscopy of direct excitation and radiative recombination processes

Ir^q+ ( 41≤q≤64) ions with open-shell configurations have been produced in the electron beam of the room-temperature Dresden Electron Beam Ion Trap (Dresden EBIT) at electron excitation energies from 2 keV to 13 keV. X-ray emission from direct excitation processes and radiative capture in krypton-like to aluminium-like iridium ions is measured with an energy dispersive Si(Li) detector. The detected X-ray lines are analyzed and compared with results from multiconfigurational Dirac-Fock (MCDF) atomic structure calculations. This allows to determine dominant produced ion charge states at different electron energies. The analysis shows that at the realized working gas pressure of 5×10^-9mbar for higher charged ions the maximum ion charge state is not preferently determined by the chosen electron beam energy needed for ionization of certain atomic substates, but by the balance between ionization and charge state reducing processes as charge exchange and radiative recombination. This behaviour is also discussed on the basis of model calculations for the resulting ion charge state distribution. Received 12 July 2001 and Received in final form 10 September 2001     

Effects of inverse bremsstrahlung in laser-induced plasmas from a graphite surface

The kinetic energy of electrons emitted due to laser interaction with a graphite surface was studied with a time-of-flight spectrometer. In addition the yields of carbon atomic and molecular ions were measured as a function of laser pulse energy. Pulse energy thresholds for ion emission are observed to correlate with the observed maximum electron energies. Furthermore, the data suggest that ionic carbon clusters can be dissociated by energetic electrons or photons created in the plasma. We believe that initially photoemitted electrons are accelerated by inverse bremsstrahlung to the energies required for electron impact ionization and dissociation     

Excitation and ionization of sodium clusters by a strong electromagnetic field

This paper reports on a study of the excitation and ionization of small sodium clusters by femtosecond light pulses with a maximum intensity of 5×10¹²–1×10¹⁴ W/cm² and photon energy from 1 to 3 eV made in terms of the density functional theory and jellium model through direct numerical solution of the Kohn-Sham time-dependent equation. The dependence of the degree of ionization on the intensity, duration, and frequency of the light pulses, as well as on the cluster size, is studied. The efficiency of the processes is shown to be determined primarily by the field intensity rather than by the total pulse energy.