Laser-Plasma Interaction

Part I

Outline

Nonlinear optics of plasmas in the relativistic regime

Definition: Interaction of electrons with a laser field which is highly intense such that the electron quiver motion in this field approaches the speed of light in vacuum. Physics: Nonlinear quiver motion of electrons (harmonic generation) when vc m0 m0 vB E Modification of refractive index

a0 (r , t ) = 8.5 10 10 [ m] I 2 [W / cm 2 ] for linear polarization Large ponderomotive force (optical pressure) intensity

p02 n = 1 (r , t ) 0 2

where

(r , t ) = 1 + a0 (r , t ) 2 / 2
1

Fpond

a0 m0 c 2 = 2 4 1 + a0 / 2
2

Dispersion relation of EM wave and refractive index

Dispersion relation of EM wave and refractive index

Index of refraction of plasma

plasma frequency p0 [rad/sec] = 5.64x104 ne[cm-3]1/2

phase velocity of a laser pulse in a plasma vp = /k = c/n group velocity of a laser pulse in a plasma vg = d/dk = cn

Plasma waves

plasma

ion electron

electron plasma wave

v

ion acoustic wave

v

Microscopic description of plasma dynamics and particle-in-cell simulation

Kinetic description of plasma dynamics and Vlasov simulation

and

Fluid description of plasma dynamics and plasma hydrodynamic simulation

inverse bremsstrahlung heating where local average electron quiver velocity

laser ponderomotive force

Collisional ionization is included via the atomic transition code.

high-intensity correction

Plasma radiation emission and atomic transition simulation

collisional-radiative model

non-LTE

With a given electron temperature and density, solve the transition rate equations including collisional ionization collisional recombination photo-ionization radiative recombination average atom model or not collisional excitation collisional deexcitaion photo-excitaion radiative decay and stimulated emission ........ Output: time-resolved x-ray emission spectrum The coefficients (cross sections) may be generated by another code (e.g., Cowan code).

Optical-field ionization and semiclassical simulation

in a single active electron approximation under the influence of the laser field Ecos() of linear polarization x is in the direction of laser polarization. Harmonic spectrum is obtained from Fourier transform of x(t)=<(x, t)| x | (x, t)|> The macroscopic effects including the evolution of the laser pulse with propagation and phase matching have to be included self-consistently for a good quantitative comparison with the experiments.

Nonlinear Thomson scattering

Principle

coordinates
x
scattered field n

figure-eight trajectory
1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 -0.2 -0.4 -0.6 -0.8 -1.0 -0.15 -0.10

z
incident field

electron

k0 x

a 0 = 0.1 a 0 = 0.3 a 0 = 0.6 a 0 = 0.9

-0.05

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

Setup for measuring the angular distribution and spectrum of harmonics

/2 plate

CCD camera

narrow bandpass filter ( 0 )

gas jet aperture

slit 1200 lines/mm grating spectrometer

CCD camera

narrow bandpass filter (2 0 or 3 0) CCD camera

Angular pattern of the harmonics

Scattered intensity as a function of for 0.8-J pulse energy and 6.210 19 -cm -3 plasma density
n = 1, = 90
90 120 60 120

n = 2, = 50
90 60

150

30

150

30

180

180

n = 2, = 90
90 120 60 120

n = 3, = 90
90 60

150

30

150

30

180

180

experiment

theory (v = 0)

theory (v = - 0.2 c)

Relativistic self-guiding

Relativistic self-guiding

Relativistic self-focusing resulting from relativistic modification of electron mass

Ponderomotive self-channeling resulting from expulsion of electrons on axis

Relativistic self-guiding

At

the combinational effect of relativistic self-focusing and ponderomotive self-channeling overcomes the natural diffraction, leading to the self-guiding of the laser pulse.

Setup for characterizing relativistic self-guiding and Raman forward scattering

Setup for characterizing relativistic self-guiding and Raman forward scattering

Side imaging of Thomson scattering for various laser powers

Transverse profiles of the self-guided laser beam

Waveguide formation by ponderomotive self-channeling

Formation of plasma waveguide driven by ponderomotive self-channeling

Electron Density Depression Ion Coulomb Explosion Plasma Waveguide Formation

laser intensity ion density electron density

r 0 Electrons are expelled outward by the laser ponderomotive force. Ions are not affected due to their much heavier mass.

r 0 While the laser pulse keeps electrons outside, the ions start to move out due to C ou lomb repulsion.

r 0 After the end of the laser pulse, ions continue to move away from the axis(due to its inertia) while dragging electrons with them.

The mean velocity of ions after the passage of the laser pulse is roughly given by
2 Zme c 2 dt ( r 1 + a 2 / 2) / mi Zme c 2 / mi ( 1 + a0 / 2 1) / r0

where Z is the ion charge, is the pulse duration and r 0 is the radius of the laser channel. At 2.5-TW laser power and 50% guiding, the mean ion velocity is about 1 m/ps. The maximum kinetic energy of ions is roughly determined by the laser ponderomotive potential, which in this case is about 200 keV. Because of the low collisional cross section at such higher energy, the motion of the ions are in a regime between pure hydrodynamic and free streaming. Prodution of ions with energy > 100 keV has been observed.

Inteferograms of the plasma at various probe delays

P The interferograms show the formation of a plasma waveguide on

axis and the radial expansion of the plasma column

Temporal evolution of plasma density distribution

3-D plasma density distribution
800 m T + 5 ps

Transverse lineout at the position indicated by an arrow

electron density (x 10 19 cm -3)

5 4 3 2 1 0 -100 -50 0 50 100

5 ps 15 ps 30 ps 40 ps

T + 15 ps

T + 30 ps

T + 40 ps

radial position (m)

6x1019 cm -3

P Both the radii of the plasma waveguide and the plasma column
expand with a velocity of ~1 m/ps.

Optical-field ionization (OFI)

multi-photon ionization x
energy

tunneling ionization

over-barrier ionization

bound state

Above-threshold ionization (ATI) heating

OFI by strong laser pulse

heating (accelerating) by the laser pulse

electron energy spectrum produced by different polarized laser pulse
electron distribution

electron velocity

linear polarization circular polarization

time

linear-polarized laser field

energy

Ion population and electron energy using ADK theory

1

0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2

dne / dE (arb. units)

relative population

1.0

(8+) Xe (1+)(2+) (3+) (4+) (6+) (5+) (7+) pulse wave form (810 nm, 60 fs)

0.1

0.01

0.0 -120

(9+)

-90

-60

time (fs)

-30

30

10

energy (eV)

100

1000

10000

Calculated evolution of the relative population of ion species and the electron energy spectrum under a laser pulse of 1.9x1017 W/cm2 peak intensity.

Interaction of laser pulse with solid target

peak intensity: 18 2 4.3 10 W/cm pedestal intensity: 13 2 ~10 W/cm pedestal

ionization threshold: 10 2 ~10 W/cm

plasma heating

plasma generation

target surface

Dominant heating mechanisms

a
-

electron

laser wavelength > plasma scale length L > e oscillation amplitude a

Inverse bremsstrahlung absorption Resonance absorption

Inverse bremsstrahlung absorption

Resonant absorption

ncrcos2

Plasma and electron plasma wave

pump pulse

electrons injected by Raman backscattering instability

plasma wave driven by Raman forward scattering instability

P Raman forward scattering instability can drive an electron plasma wave

with a phase velocity close to c. Electrons with initial energy higher than a threshold can be trapped and accelerated by the plasma wave.

Stimulated Raman scattering instability and Brillouin scattering instability

Raman forward scattering in a plasma

Raman forward scattering in a plasma

Spatially resolved Raman forward scattering spectra

The Raman satellites originate from a channel of <12 m FWHM.

Raman spectra for various plasma densities

attenuatio film n

plasm frequency (x1014 rad/s) a

sto kes peak

electro density n 19 -3 (x10 cm ) 0.5 0.9 1.3 1.7 2.1 2.5 2.9 3.3 3.7 -8

4 3 2 1 0 0 1 2 3 4

intensity (lo scale) g

-2

-4
14

-6

-3 electro density (x1019 cm ) n

(x10 rad/s)

P The frequency shift is equal to plasma frequency.

Raman spectra for various laser powers

P The frequency shift is independent of laser power. P We can conclude that the frequency shift is due to RFS.

Dependence of RFS on the chirp of a laser pulse

Raman forward scattering is expected to be assisted by a positively chirped pulse and suppressed by a negatively chirped pulse.

Raman intensity vs. laser pulse duration and chirp

Raman shift vs. laser pulse duration and chirp

Raman spectra vs. laser pulse duration and chirp