Acceleration of heavy multicharged ions up to 1 MeV from a cleaned solid target irradiated by a femtosecond laser pulse with an intensity of 10<Superscript>16</Superscript> W/cm<Superscript>2</Superscript>

A noticeable increase in the charge and energy of ions accelerated from a solid tungsten target irradiated by a femtosecond laser pulse with an intensity higher than 10¹⁶W/cm² has been found when the target surface is precleaned by a nanosecond laser pulse with an energy density of 3 J/cm². Tungsten ions with charges up to +29 and energies up to 1 MeV were detected in this case, while the charge and energy of tungsten ions from a target with an uncleaned surface do not exceed +3 and 12 keV, respectively.     

Tungsten ions produced by infrared pulsed laser irradiation

Energetic ions have been obtained irradiating a tungsten target with a Q-switched Nd:Yag laser, 1064?nm wavelength, 9?ns pulse width, 900?mJ maximum pulse energy and power density of the order of 10¹⁰?W/cm². The laser-target interaction induces a strong metal etching with production of plasma in front of the target. The plasma contains neutrals and ions with high charge state. Time-of-flight measurements are presented for qualitative analysis of the ion production. A cylindrical electrostatic ion analyzer permits measuring of the yield of emitted ions, the charge state of detected ions and the ion energy distribution. Measurements indicate that, at a laser fluence of the order of 100?J/cm², the charge state may reach 9+ and the ion energy reaches about 5?keV. The ion energy distribution is given as a function of the charge state. Experimental results indicate that an electrical field is developed along the normal to the plane of the target surface, which accelerates the ions up to high velocity. The ion velocity distributions follow a “shifted Maxwellian distribution”, which the author has corrected for the Coulomb interactions occurring inside the plasma.     

Evidence of post field ionization and observation of novel features in the energy distribution of field evaporated ions

Ion energy distributions in low temperature field evaporation obtained by pulsed-laser time-of-flight atom-probe, in general, show a FWHM of the spatial zone of ion formation to be 0.3–0.5 Å; post field ionization is not responsible for the ion formation. However, when ions of two or more charge states coexist a low energy tail can be found for the higher charge state ions, similar to those found for gas ions in field ionization. This tail can extend as far as 10 Å above the surface. Ions in the tail can only be produced by post field ionization. Double peak structures are found in the energy distributions of some ion species such as Mo²⁺; the origin of which is not yet understood. At a constant rate of field evaporation, as the field is gradually reduced by continued field evaporation and the laser power density appropriately increased, the charge states shift to the lower ones. For Mo, however, Mo²⁺₂ ions are formed before Mo⁺ ions can be detected. The narrowness of the energy distributions shows that they are stable. This finding has an important implication to the study of the stability or Coulomb explosion of multiple charged cluster ions, and also the theory of field evaporation. Under intense laser irradiation, higher charge state ions can reappear and a large fraction of ions may have an excess energy of a few hundred eV. These may be produced by multiphoton ionization and also by interaction with the over-heated electrons in laser-solid interactions.     

强激光与高密度气体相互作用中电子和离子加速的数值模拟

在现有的一维粒子模拟程序的基础上发展了带光电离和碰撞电离及蒙特卡罗两体碰撞的模拟程序(1D PIC-MCC). 用此程序模拟研究了短脉冲激光与He气靶相互作用时电子和离子的加速过程. 研究表明当强激光与过临界密度的微米厚度的平面靶相互作用时，靶前表面物质将被激光脉冲前沿迅速离化；新生的电子被激光场有质动力加速成为高能电子，这些电子穿入到靶内，通过电子碰撞电离离化靶内物质；一部分高能电子穿透靶后，会在靶的后表面形成强的电荷分离场，该场迅速离化靶后表面物质，同时使得后表面离子得到加速. 部分穿透靶的超热电子将被电荷分离场重新拉回靶内，在靶的前后表面振荡. 一些振荡电子在此过程中得到电荷分离场加速，离开前表面，在前表面也形成电荷分离场，使前表面离子得到加速. 关键词： 激光等离子体 光电离和碰撞电离 电子加速 离子加速     

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.     

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.     

Charge Composition of Ions in a Cluster Plasma Formed under the Action of a High-Power Laser Pulse

A model describing the ionization of atoms and ions in a cluster under irradiation by a short laser pulse has been constructed. It is shown that the electron-impact ionization weakly affects the final charge composition, and the main mechanism of ion formation in the cluster is the over-barrier ionization by an electric field. The electric field acting on atoms and ions is the result of combined action of the external laser field and the intrinsic electric field of the cluster. The key parameters of the cluster beam and the laser pulse, which determine the properties of the charge composition of the cluster plasma, have been established.     

Ionization and electron capture in neon K vacancy production from NNe collisions

Our measurements of Ne K and N K X-ray cross sections for N^{3+,4+,5+,6+,7+,} ions incident on a thin Ne target at energies from 9 to 54 MeV indicate that charge exchange plays a minor role compared to ionization in producing Ne K vacancies over that energy range.     

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°.     

Enhanced production of fast multi-charged ions from plasmas formed at cleaned surface by femtosecond laser pulse

We present atomic, energy, and charge spectra of ions accelerated at the front surface of a silicon target irradiated by a high-contrast femtosecond laser pulse with an intensity of 3×10¹⁶ W/cm², which is delayed with respect to a cleaning nanosecond laser pulse of 3-J/cm² energy density. A tremendous increase in the number of fast silicon ions and a significant growth of their maximum charge in the case of the cleaned target from 5+ to 12+ have been observed. The main specific features of the atomic, energy, and charge spectra have been analyzed by means of one-dimensional hydrodynamic transient-ionization modeling. It is shown that fast highly charged silicon ions emerge from the hot plasma layer with a density a few times less than the solid one, and their charge distribution is not deteriorated during plasma expansion.This revised version was published online in August 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

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.     

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.     

Influence of field ionization on the efficiency of neutron generation

The results of experiments on neutron generation caused by nanosecond discharges in a deuterium medium are presented. The experiments are performed using two types of potential electrodes (anodes). One of them is fabricated from steel foil, and the other is composed of tungsten wires with split ends. In both cases, a deuterium-saturated zirconium plate is employed as a flat grounded cathode. With a tungsten anode, deuterium ions generated by field ionization are demonstrated to constitute the determining part of ions involved in the acceleration process and the neutron yield arising from the reaction ²H(d, n)³He is about four times greater than that inherent to the steel-foil anode. In this case, the maximum neutron yield is 1.2 × 10⁴ neutron/ shot, and the duration of neutron emission from the cathode is 1.5 ns.     

超短超强激光脉冲辐照超薄碳膜电离状态研究

为了进一步理解极端条件下物质的电离特性, 特别是超短超强激光脉冲辐照超薄靶时等离子体的形成与分布, 本文以超薄碳膜为例, 细致研究了超短超强激光脉冲辐照下原子的离化过程. 分析和比较了强激光场直接作用电离和靶内静电场电离等两种场致电离形式, 在碰撞电离可以忽略的情况下, 发现更多的电离份额是来自靶内静电场的电离方式. 研究了激光脉冲强度对电离的影响, 发现激光脉冲强度越强, 电离速度越快, 产生的高价态离子所占比例也越高.当激光强度为1×10²⁰ W/cm²时, 尽管该强度高于电离生成C⁺⁶所需要的激光强度阈值, 但该激光脉冲并不能将整个靶电离成C⁺⁶离子, 对此本文进行了详细的分析. 在研究激光脉冲宽度的影响时, 发现激光脉宽越小, 电离速度越快, 但越小的激光脉冲电离获得的高价态离子越少.     

Multiple charge states of titanium ions in laser produced plasma

An intense laser radiation (10¹² to 10¹¹ W/cm⁻²) focused on the solid target creates a hot (≥1 keV) and dense plasma having high ionization state. The multiple charged ions with high current densities produced during laser matter interaction have potential application in accelerators as an ion source. This paper presents generation and detection of highly stripped titanium ions (Ti) in laser produced plasma. An Nd:glass laser (KAMETRON) delivering 50 J energy (λ=0.53 μm) in 2.5 ns was focused onto a titanium target to produce plasma. This plasma was allowed to drift across a space of ∼3 m through a diagnostic hole in the focusing mirror before ions are finally detected with the help of electrostatic ion analyzer. Maximum current density was detected for the charge states of +16 and +17 of Ti ions for laser intensity of ∼10¹¹ W/cm⁻².     

纳秒激光电离分子团簇产生高离化离子的激光波长效应

 利用脉冲分子束-激光电离-飞行时间质谱仪，在10⁹～10¹² W·cm^-2激光功率密度条件下，考察了Nd：YAG激光器输出的1 064，532，266 nm波长的激光与苯、氨、硫化氢等团簇的相互作用。发现1 064 nm的激光可以电离分子束产生高离化态的C⁴⁺，N⁵⁺，S⁶⁺等离子；波长为532 nm的激光则电离产生价态较低的C³⁺，C²⁺，N³⁺，N²⁺， S⁴⁺，S³⁺以及S²⁺ 等离子；在266 nm波长条件下进行实验，没有产生任何高价离子。提出了一个“多光子电离引发-逆轫致吸收加热-电子碰撞电离”模型来解释高价离子的产生。激光场下电子在团簇内部的逆轫致加热是整个过程的关键步骤，电子被加热的速度正比于激光波长的平方。这可以解释为何长波长的激光有利于更高价态离子的产生。     

Non-equilibrium plasma production by pulsed laser ablation of gold

A gold target has been irradiated with a Q-switched Nd:Yag laser having 1064?nm wavelength, 9?ns pulse width, 900?mJ maximum pulse energy and a maximum power density of the order of 10¹⁰?W/cm². The laser–target interaction produces a strong gold etching with production of a plasma in front of the target. The plasma contains neutrals and ions having a high charge state. Time-of-flight (TOF) measurements are presented for the analysis of the ion production and ion velocity. A cylindrical electrostatic deflection ion analyzer permits measurement of the yield of the emitted ions, their charge state and their ion energy distribution. Measurements indicate that the ion charge state reaches 6⁺ and 10⁺ at a laser fluence of 100?J/cm² and 160?J/cm², respectively. The maximum ion energy reaches about 2?keV and 8?keV at these low and high laser fluences, respectively. Experimental ion energy distributions are given as a function of the ion charge state. Obtained results indicate that electrical fields, produced in the plume, along the normal to the plane of the target surface, exist in the unstable plasma. The electrical fields induce ion acceleration away from the target with a final velocity dependent on the ion charge state. The ion velocity distributions follow a “shifted Maxwellian distribution”, which the authors have corrected for the Coulomb interactions occurring inside the plasma.     

Effect of the emitter temperature and emitter atom ionization potential on field evaporation

The field evaporation of nickel, nichrome alloy, and tungsten carbide at different temperatures is studied with a time-of-flight atomic probe and a field emission microscope. The charge of evaporating ions does not depend on the emitter temperature: it decreases with decreasing evaporating field F _ev. If F _ev does not vary with temperature, so does the charge of the ions. In the case of multicomponent emitters with different ionization potentials of the components, the components evaporate at the same values of F _ev in the form of atoms and ionized clusters. The reason for such behavior is that the initial evaporation of the easily ionizable component decreases the binding energy of harder-to-ionize ones to the point where they can evaporate at the same field.     

Generation of a fast-ion beam upon the interaction of a multiterawatt picosecond laser pulse with a solid target

The parameters of fast particles generated upon the interaction of 10¹⁹ W/cm² laser pulses with solid targets are studied. The spatial and energy parameters of fast ions are investigated. It is found that approximately 1–3% of the laser energy is transformed to the energy of mega-and submegaelectronvolt ions at laser pulse intensities ≥10¹⁸ W/cm². It is shown experimentally that an ion beam is directed perpendicular to the target surface. The analytic and numerical simulations agree with experimental results and predict the propagation of fast electrons in the mirror direction with respect to the incident laser beam and of ions perpendicular to the target. The theoretical calculations are compared with the experimental output and spectra of fast electrons and ions.     

Cluster-assisted generation of multi-charged ions in nanosecond laser ionization of pulsed hydrogen sulfide beam at 1064 and 532nm

The multi-charged sulfur ions of S^q= (q\le 6) have been generated when hydrogen sulfide cluster beams are irradiated by a nanosecond laser of 1064 and 532,nm with an intensity of 10¹⁰\sim 10¹²W1\cdotcm^-2. S⁶⁺ is the dominant multi-charged species at 1064nm, while S⁴⁺, S³⁺ and S²⁺ ions are the main multi-charged species at 532nm. A three-step model (i.e., multiphoton ionization triggering, inverse bremsstrahlung heating, electron collision ionizing) is proposed to explain the generation of these multi-charged ions at the laser intensity stated above. The high ionization level of the clusters and the increasing charge state of the ion products with increasing laser wavelength are supposed mainly due to the rate-limiting step, i.e., electron heating by absorption energy from the laser field via inverse bremsstrahlung, which is proportional to \lambda ², \lambda being the laser wavelength.