Microscopy of photoionisation processes
- Institute of Spectroscopy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Troitsk, Moscow (Russian Federation)
A method is demonstrated which combines the ionisation of free molecules by a sharply focused femtosecond laser beam and projection microscopy in a divergent electric field. The electric field is produced in vacuum between a metallic tip and a flat positionsensitive charged particle detector. The method enables investigation of photoionisation processes in low-density gases with a subdiffraction spatial resolution and can be used as well in profile measurements for sharply focused, intense laser beams. In a demonstration experiment, a femtosecond laser beam with a peak intensity of {approx}10{sup 14} W cm{sup -2} was focused to a 40-{mu}m-diameter waist in vacuum near a millimetre-size tip and {approx}2-{mu}m spatial resolution was achieved. According to our estimates, the use of a sharper tip will ensure a submicron spatial resolution, which is a crucial condition for the spatial diagnostics of sharply focused short-wavelength VUV radiation and X-rays. (extreme light fields and their applications)
- OSTI ID:
- 22113684
- Journal Information:
- Quantum Electronics (Woodbury, N.Y.), Vol. 43, Issue 4; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-7818
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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