Odd harmonic generation of ultra-intense laser pulses reflectedfrom an overdense plasma |
| |
Authors: | Wilks SC Kruer WL Mori WB |
| |
Institution: | Lawrence Livermore Nat. Lab., California Univ., CA ; |
| |
Abstract: | A method of generating odd harmonics from an intense laser incident upon a sharp vacuum-overdense plasma interface is presented. One- and two-dimensional simulations are used to investigate the interaction of ultra-intense laser pulses with a sharp vacuum-plasma interface. With an intensity greater than 1018 W/cm2 , these pulses have a pressure greater than 103 Mbar creating large density oscillations and relativistic electron velocities at the surface. This results in efficient odd harmonic generation. The author present is a physical model for this harmonic generation mechanism, along with some scaling of the power in the third harmonic. This is compared with relativistic particle-in-cell simulations that include mobile and immobile ions, as well as a variety of upper shelf densities. A discussion on how ion profile modifications influence the harmonics is also presented |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|