纳秒激光脉冲在空气中聚焦的临界自由电子密度问题

实验研究了高功率纳秒量级激光脉冲在空气中聚焦时的能量透过率随输入激光脉冲能量变化的规律,发现在纳秒激光脉冲聚焦半径相同的情况下,激光脉冲的能量透过率随入射激光脉冲能量的变化可分为三种情况：当入射激光脉冲能量较低时,激光脉冲能量全部通过;当入射激光脉冲能量增大后,激光脉冲的能量透过率由近100%迅速减小;当入射激光脉冲的能量进一步增加时,激光脉冲的能量透过率继续缓慢变小.用临界自由电子密度以及所对应的临界时间点对上述实验现象进行了理论分析得到了如下结论：当自由电子密度未达到临界自由电子密度时,多光子电离过程起主要作用,而当自由电子密度超过临界自由电子密度后,逆韧致吸收过程起主要作用,临界时间点是入射激光脉冲与空气作用过程中自由电子密度达到临界自由电子密度的时刻.入射激光脉冲能量决定了临界时间点在脉冲作用时间上的位置,临界时间点的位置决定了激光脉冲的能量透过率.可以通过测量激光脉冲的能量透过率来计算出临界自由电子密度,从而确定出激光脉冲在空气中聚焦时的能量透过特性. 关键词： 临界自由电子密度 临界时间点 多光子电离 逆韧致吸收     

Further Acceleration of MeV Electrons by a Relativistic Laser Pulse

With the development of photocathode rf electron gun, electrons with high-brightness and mono-energy can be obtained easily. By numerically solving the relativistic equations of motion of an electron generated from this facility in laser fields modelled by a circular polarized Gaussian laser pulse, we find the electron can obtain high energy gain from the laser pulse. The corresponding acceleration distance for this electron driven by the ascending part of the laser pulse is much longer than the Rayleigh length, and the light amplitude experienced on the electron is very weak when the laser pulse overtakes the electron. The electron is accelerated effectively and the deceleration can be neglected. For intensities around 10¹⁹ W•μm²/cm², an electron's energy gain near 0.1 GeV can be realized when its initial energy is 4.5 MeV, and the final velocity of the energetic electron is parallel with the propagation axis. The energy gain can be up to 1 GeV if the intensity is about 10²¹ W•μm²/cm². The final energy gain of the electron as a function of its initial conditions and the parameters of the laser beam has also been discussed.     

Laser-driven relativistic electron dynamics in a cylindrical plasma channel

The energy and trajectory of the electron, which is irradiated by a high-power laser pulse in a cylindrical plasma channel with a uniform positive charge and a uniform negative current, have been analyzed in terms of a single-electron model of direct laser acceleration. We find that the energy and trajectory of the electron strongly depend on the positive charge density, the negative current density, and the intensity of the laser pulse. The electron can be accelerated significantly only when the positive charge density, the negative current density, and the intensity of the laser pulse are in suitable ranges due to the dephasing rate between the wave and electron motion. Particularly, when their values satisfy a critical condition,the electron can stay in phase with the laser and gain the largest energy from the laser. With the enhancement of the electron energy, strong modulations of the relativistic factor cause a considerable enhancement of the electron transverse oscillations across the channel, which makes the electron trajectory become essentially three-dimensional, even if it is flat at the early stage of the acceleration.     

激光脉冲宽度对有质动力加速电子的影响

基于真空中单电子运动模型,编程计算得到了高斯激光脉冲与初始位于激光传播轴上电子的相互作用结果。不同激光参鼍条件下,得到了电子的能量增益与激光强度、焦斑大小和脉冲宽度关系。结果表明,高斯激光脉冲焦斑较大时,电子没有明显的能量增益,高斯激光脉冲焦斑太小时,电子也没有明显的能量增益。电子的能量增益有一个最佳焦斑大小。在相同激光强度下,电子能量增益的最佳焦斑大小随脉冲宽度的增大而增大,但最佳焦斑大小与脉冲宽度的比值基本上是不变的。     

电子在激光驻波场中运动产生的太赫兹及X射线辐射研究

采用单电子模型和经典辐射理论分别对低能和高能电子在线偏振激光驻波场中的运动和辐射过程进行了研究. 结果表明: 垂直于激光电场方向入射的低速电子在激光驻波场中随着光强的增大, 逐渐从一维近周期运动演变为二维折叠运动, 并产生强的微米量级波长的太赫兹辐射; 高能电子垂直或者平行于激光电场方向入射到激光驻波场中, 都会产生波长在几个纳米的高频辐射; 低能电子与激光驻波场作用中, 激光强度影响着电子的运动形式、辐射频率以及辐射强度; 高能电子入射时, 激光强度影响了电子高频辐射的强度, 电子初始能量影响着辐射的频率; 电子能量越高, 产生的辐射频率越大. 研究表明可以由激光加速电子的方式得到不同能量的电子束, 并利用电子束在激光驻波场的辐射使之成为太赫兹和X射线波段的小型辐射源. 研究结果可以为实验研究和利用激光驻波场中的电子辐射提供依据.     

紧聚焦的飞秒激光脉冲在真空中对电子的加速

研究了紧聚焦的圆偏振飞秒相对论高斯激光脉冲与电子的相互作用，提出了一种激光加速电子的新机制.利用束腰小、强度大的激光脉冲上升沿加速电子，束腰大、强度小的脉冲下降沿减速电子，当光脉冲和电子分离时，电子获得了能量增益.研究发现，初始静止的电子与强度高于10¹⁹Wμm^{2/cm2的光脉冲作用以后，可以获得MeV量级的能量.初始位于焦点附近的电子被加速的效果较好，而远离焦点的电子几乎不能获得能量增益. 关键词： 电子加速 能量增益 高斯脉冲 束腰}     

相对论飞秒激光脉冲在真空中对预加速电子的加速

通过求解电子运动的相对论方程，发现预加速电子在超强超短激光脉冲的作用下可以获得很高的能量增益. 飞秒激光脉冲的上升沿在焦点附近的区域有效加速电子后，电子和光脉冲一起传播一段距离（远大于瑞利长度）后，激光强度变得很弱，从而使脉冲下降沿对电子的减速作用可以忽略不计，因此电子只经历加速过程而没有被减速，当电子和光脉冲分离时，电子获得了很高的能量增益. 当光强为10¹⁹Ｗ／cm² ，电子的初始能量为MeV量级时，电子的能量增益可以达到01GeV. 进一步讨论了电子的能量增益与电子的初始条件与激光脉冲的参数之间的关系. 关键词： 电子加速 飞秒激光脉冲 能量增益     

超短脉冲强激光场中电子剩余能计算

为了控制光场感应电离等离子体的温度以使得基于光场感应电离机制的X射线激光辐射获得更高的增益值,利用准静态隧道电离模型,定量计算了电子剩余能量与激光偏振参量、波长(频率)、激光强度以及电离介质电离能的变化关系。计算结果表明线偏振短波长激光以及高电离能介质产牛的等离子体中电子剩余能比较低,因此适合用作复合机制X射线激光;对于低价离子存偏振度α介于0～1之间的某一处最高,因此,可以通过调整偏振度α,获得某一椭圆偏振光,会更有利于基于光场感应电离电子碰撞机制X射线激光增益的提高。     

激光作用下纳米限域介质材料中的电子加速过程

采用蒙特卡罗方法模拟了1064 nm,GW/cm²级脉冲激光辐照下,纳米尺度材料中电子迁移及加速过程.电子在激光场中迁移的过程涉及晶格散射、表面散射以及碰撞电离等作用.结果表明:材料的尺度小到一定程度后,表面散射作用主导电子散射过程,小尺寸限制效应表现明显,电子很难有效地吸收激光能量.研究结果对分析具有纳米尺度微结构材料的激光损伤行为提供了依据.同时,根据该小尺寸限制效应可以设计出具有新型纳米微结构的高激光损伤阈值薄膜. 关键词： 激光辐照 小尺度效应 电子加速 蒙特卡罗模拟     

Surface scattering resonance absorption of free electron in nano structured materials

A physical model has been established for calculating the electronic transportation in nano structured material when it is irradiated by a laser pulse with a power density in a magnitude of GW/cm². The Monte Carlo technique has been selected to deal with the electron scattering process. In the process of electrons absorbing laser energy, a surface scattering resonance absorption mechanism and a small-size effect can be found. The regularities of electron energy changes with laser wavelength, structure dimension, and orientation of nano-line have been analyzed.     

Ultrafast laser-based thermal X-ray sources

The effects of hot electrons on the thermal radiative properties (brightness, duration and spectral shape) and dynamics of solid density plasmas, generated during the interaction of a femtosecond laser and a solid target, are assessed. Line and broadband thermal emissions with duration between 500 fs and 700 fs, have been successfully produced with peak power between 1 and 10 MW, when the fraction of laser energy in the hot electron population was less than 2%, and when the hot electron energy density at the target surface was less than 1 KJ / cm ² .     

不同实验条件对激光诱导等离子体的影响机理研究

常温常压下,采用波长532 nm的Nd:YAG纳秒激光器激发诱导空气中的铝合金,由高分辨率的光谱仪和ICCD对等离子体发射光谱采集和实现光电转换。研究激光能量、ICCD门延迟和聚焦透镜到样品表面的距离(lens-to-sample distance,LTSD)对谱线信号强度和等离子体电子温度的影响,并分析了产生影响的物理机制。结果表明,固定ICCD门延迟和LTSD,随着激光能量的增大,谱线强度和电子温度均增大;计算结果表明,当激光能量从20 mJ增加到160 mJ时,原子谱线Al I 396.15 nm,Mg I 518.36 nm,离子谱线Mg II 279.54 nm谱线强度相较于20 mJ分别提高了12.83,6.45,10.56倍。固定激光能量和LTSD,ICCD门延迟在100~4000 ns范围内变化时,随着延迟的增加,谱线强度和等离子体电子温度均呈指数形式衰减。固定ICCD门延迟和激光能量,采用焦距为75 mm的聚焦透镜,研究了LTSD对等离子体参数的影响机理。结果表明,聚焦透镜到样品的距离对等离子体的谱线强度和电子温度有较大的影响。等离子体的特征谱线强度和等离子体的电子温度的变化规律基本一致,分别在聚焦透镜到样品表面的距离为73 mm和79 mm处取得峰值,并在73 mm处对应最大值。     

太赫兹量子级联激光器中有源区上激发态电子向高能级泄漏的研究

利用热力学统计理论和激光器输出特性理论,建立了太赫兹量子级联激光器(THz QCL)有源区中上激发态电子往更高能级电子态泄漏的计算模型,以输出功率度量电子泄漏程度研究分析了晶格温度和量子阱势垒高度对电子泄漏的影响.数值仿真结果表明,晶格温度上升会加剧电子泄漏,并且电子从上激发态泄漏到束缚态的数量大于泄漏到阱外连续态,同时温度的上升也会降低激光输出功率.增加量子阱势垒高度能抑制电子泄漏,并且有源区量子阱结构中存在一个最优量子阱势垒高度. THz QCL经过最优量子阱势垒高度优化后,工作温度得到提升,其输出功率相比于以往的结果也有所提高.研究结果对优化THz QCL有源区结构、抑制电子泄漏和改善激光器输出特性有指导作用.     

Electron Acceleration and Bunch Generation by Intense Femtosecond Laser Pulse in Preplasma of a Target

We present analytical studies of electron acceleration in the low-density preplasma of a thin solid target by an intense femtosecond laser pulse. Electrons in the preplasma are trapped and accelerated by the ponderomotive force as well as the wake field. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that when the laser pulse is stopped by the target, electrons trapped in the laser pules can be extracted and move forward inertially. The energeticelectron bunch in the bubble is unaffected by the reflected pulse and passes through the target with small energy spread and emittance. There is an optimal preplasma density for the generation of the monoenergetic electron bunch if a laser pulse is given. The maximum electron energy is inverse proportion to the preplasma density.     

Particle simulation on electron acceleration process by the laser ponderomotive force in inhomogeneous underdense plasma layers

The mechanism of electron ponderomotive acceleration due to increasing group velocity of laser pulse in inhomogeneous underdense plasma layers is studied by two-dimensional relativistic parallel particle-in-cell code. The electrons within the laser pulse move with it and can be strongly accelerated ponderomotively when the duration of laser pulse is much shorter than the duration of optimum condition for acceleration in the wake. The extra energy gain can be attributed to the change of laser group velocity. More high energy electrons are generated in the plasma layer with descending density profile than that with ascending density profile. The process and character of electron acceleration in three kinds of underdense plasma layers are presented and compared.     

A new ignition hohlraum design for indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion

In this paper,a six-cylinder-port hohlraum is proposed to provide high symmetry flux on capsule.It is designed to ignite a capsule with 1.2-mm radius in indirect-drive inertial confinement fusion(ICF).Flux symmetry and laser energy are calculated by using three-dimensional view factor method and laser energy balance in hohlraum.Plasma conditions are analyzed based on the two-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamic simulations.There is no Y_(lm)(l≤4) asymmetry in the six-cylinder-port hohlraum when the influences of laser entrance holes(LEHs) and laser spots cancel each other out with suitable target parameters.A radiation drive with 300 eV and good flux symmetry can be achieved by using a laser energy of 2.3 MJ and peak power of 500 TW.According to the simulations,the electron temperature and the electron density on the wall of laser cone are high and low,respectively,which are similar to those of outer cones in the hohlraums on National Ignition Facility(NTF).And the laser intensity is also as low as those of NIF outer cones.So the backscattering due to laser plasma interaction(LPI) is considered to be negligible.The six-cyliner-port hohlraum could be superior to the traditional cylindrical hohlraum and the octahedral hohlraum in both higher symmetry and lower backscattering without supplementary technology at an acceptable laser energy level.It is undoubted that the hohlraum will add to the diversity of ICF approaches.     

多光子非线性Compton散射的能量转换

研究了多光子非线性Compton散射中电子与光子的能量转换及其转换效率.结果表明:散射光子频率随电子吸收光子数n的增大而增大,随碰撞非弹性成分ξ的增大而迅速减小.在超强激光场中,当极端相对论性电子与光子发生多光子非线性Compton散射且被光场俘获时,能量转换效率趋于无限大,即电子可以从超强激光场中获得巨大的加速能量.用高速电子束入射并与光子发生多光子非线性Compton散射,是提高非线性Compton散射能量转换效率的重要途径.     

Parametric amplification of laser-driven electron acceleration in underdense plasma

A new mechanism is reported that increases electron energy gain from a laser beam of ultrarelativistic intensity in underdense plasma. The increase occurs when the laser produces an ion channel that confines accelerated electrons. The frequency of electron oscillations across the channel is strongly modulated by the laser beam, which causes parametric amplification of the oscillations and enhances the electron energy gain. This mechanism has a threshold determined by a product of beam intensity and ion density.     

Quantitative studies of copper plasma using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

In the present work, we present the spatial evolution of the copper plasma produced by the fundamental harmonic (1064 nm) and second harmonic (532 nm) of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The experimentally observed line profiles of neutral copper have been used to extract the electron temperature using the Boltzmann plot method, whereas, the electron number density has been determined from the Stark broadening. Besides we have studied the variation of electron temperature and electron number density as a function of laser energy at atmospheric pressure. The Cu I lines at 333.78, 406.26, 465.11 and 515.32 nm are used for the determination of electron temperature. The relative uncertainty in the determination of electron temperature is ≈10%. The electron temperature calculated for the fundamental harmonic (1064 nm) of Nd:YAG laser is 10500–15600 K, and that for the second harmonic (532 nm) of Nd:YAG laser is 11500–14700 K at a Q Switch delay of 40 μs. The electron temperature has also been calculated as a function of laser energy from the target surface for both modes of the laser. We have also studied the spatial behavior of the electron number density in the plume. The electron number densities close to the target surface (0.05 mm), in the case of fundamental harmonic (1064 nm) of Nd:YAG laser having pulse energy 135 mJ and second harmonic (532 nm) of Nd:YAG laser with pulse energy 80 mJ are 2.50×10¹⁶ and 2.60×10¹⁶ cm⁻³, respectively.     

Lasing from an electron-beam-excited nonchain HF laser

The lasing parameters of a nonchain chemical HF laser (an active volume of 20 l) excited by a fast electron beam are studied at different energies delivered to the gas. It is shown that the laser operates efficiently when the energy deposited is below 30 J/l. Above specific excitation energies of 60–70 J/l, both the lasing efficiency and the laser output decrease.