Relativistically Self-Channeled Femtosecond Terawatt Lasers for High-Field Physics and X-Ray Generation
Abstract
Optical channeling or refractive guiding processes involving the nonlinear interaction of intense femtosecond optical pulses with matter in the self-focussing regime has created exciting opportunities for next-generation laser plasma-based x-ray sources and directed energy applications. This fundamentally new form of extended paraxial electromagnetic propagation in nonlinear dispersive media such as underdense plasma is attributed to the interplay between normal optical diffraction and intensity-dependent nonlinear focussing and refraction contributions in the dielectric response. Superposition of these mechanisms on the intrinsic index profile acts to confine the propagating energy in a dynamic self-guiding longitudinal waveguide structure which is stable for power transmission and robust compression. The laser-driven channels are hypothesized to support a degree of solitonic transport behavior, simultaneously stable in the space and time domains (group velocity dispersion balances self-phase modulation), and are believed to be self-compensating for diffraction and dispersion over many Rayleigh lengths in contrast with the defining characteristics of conventional diffractive imaging and beamforming. By combining concentrated power deposition with well-ordered spatial localization, this phenomena will also create new possibilities for production and regulation of physical interactions, including electron beams, enhanced material coupling, and self-modulated plasma wakefields, over extended gain distances with unprecedented energy densities. Harmonious combination ofmore »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 2638
- Report Number(s):
- SAND98-2716
ON: DE00002638
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 66 PHYSICS; Lasers; Focusing; Plasma; Nonlinear Optics; X-Ray Sources; Uses; Modulation
Citation Formats
Borisov, A B, Boyer, K, Cameron, S M, Luk, T S, McPherson, A, Nelson, T, and Rhodes, C K. Relativistically Self-Channeled Femtosecond Terawatt Lasers for High-Field Physics and X-Ray Generation. United States: N. p., 1999.
Web. doi:10.2172/2638.
Borisov, A B, Boyer, K, Cameron, S M, Luk, T S, McPherson, A, Nelson, T, & Rhodes, C K. Relativistically Self-Channeled Femtosecond Terawatt Lasers for High-Field Physics and X-Ray Generation. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/2638
Borisov, A B, Boyer, K, Cameron, S M, Luk, T S, McPherson, A, Nelson, T, and Rhodes, C K. Fri .
"Relativistically Self-Channeled Femtosecond Terawatt Lasers for High-Field Physics and X-Ray Generation". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/2638. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/2638.
@article{osti_2638,
title = {Relativistically Self-Channeled Femtosecond Terawatt Lasers for High-Field Physics and X-Ray Generation},
author = {Borisov, A B and Boyer, K and Cameron, S M and Luk, T S and McPherson, A and Nelson, T and Rhodes, C K},
abstractNote = {Optical channeling or refractive guiding processes involving the nonlinear interaction of intense femtosecond optical pulses with matter in the self-focussing regime has created exciting opportunities for next-generation laser plasma-based x-ray sources and directed energy applications. This fundamentally new form of extended paraxial electromagnetic propagation in nonlinear dispersive media such as underdense plasma is attributed to the interplay between normal optical diffraction and intensity-dependent nonlinear focussing and refraction contributions in the dielectric response. Superposition of these mechanisms on the intrinsic index profile acts to confine the propagating energy in a dynamic self-guiding longitudinal waveguide structure which is stable for power transmission and robust compression. The laser-driven channels are hypothesized to support a degree of solitonic transport behavior, simultaneously stable in the space and time domains (group velocity dispersion balances self-phase modulation), and are believed to be self-compensating for diffraction and dispersion over many Rayleigh lengths in contrast with the defining characteristics of conventional diffractive imaging and beamforming. By combining concentrated power deposition with well-ordered spatial localization, this phenomena will also create new possibilities for production and regulation of physical interactions, including electron beams, enhanced material coupling, and self-modulated plasma wakefields, over extended gain distances with unprecedented energy densities. Harmonious combination of short-pulse x-ray production with plasma channeling resulting from a relativistic charge displacement nonlinearity mechanism in the terawatt regime (10{sup 18} W/cm{sup 2}) has been shown to generate high-field conditions conducive to efficient multi-kilovolt x-ray amplification and peak spectral brightness. Channeled optical propagation with intense short-pulse lasers is expected to impact several critical mission areas at Sandia including x-ray backlighting of pinch implosions, nondestructive radiographic imaging of aging weapons components, high-power electromagnetic pulse generation, particle acceleration, and remote sensing.},
doi = {10.2172/2638},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2638},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1999},
month = {1}
}