Abstract
Coherent ultrashort X-ray pulses provide new ways to probe matter and its ultrafast dynamics. One of the promising paths to generate these pulses consists of using a nonlinear interaction with a system to strongly and periodically distort the waveform of intense laser fields, and thus produce high-order harmonics. Such distortions have so far been induced by using the nonlinear polarizability of atoms, leading to the production of atto-second light bursts, short enough to study the dynamics of electrons in matter. Shorter and more intense atto-second pulses, together with higher harmonic orders, are expected by reflecting ultra intense laser pulses on a plasma mirror - a dense (approximate to 10{sup 23} electrons cm{sup -3}) plasma with a steep interface. However, short-wavelength-light sources produced by such plasmas are known to generally be incoherent. In contrast, we demonstrate that like in usual low-intensity reflection, the coherence of the light wave is preserved during harmonic generation on plasma mirrors. We then exploit this coherence for interferometric measurements and thus carry out a first study of the laser-driven coherent dynamics of the plasma electrons. (authors)
Thaury, C;
George, H;
Quere, F;
Monot, P;
Martin, Ph;
[1]
Loch, R;
[2]
Geindre, J P
[3]
- CEA, DSM, IRAMIS, Serv Photons Atomes and Mol, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette, (France)
- Univ Twente, Laser Phys and Nonlinear Opt Grp, Fac Sci and Technol, MESA Inst Nanotechnol, NL-7500 AE Enschede, (Netherlands)
- Ecole Polytech, Lab Pour Utilisat Lasers Intenses, CNRS, F-91128 Palaiseau, (France)
Citation Formats
Thaury, C, George, H, Quere, F, Monot, P, Martin, Ph, Loch, R, and Geindre, J P.
Coherent dynamics of plasma mirrors.
France: N. p.,
2008.
Web.
doi:10.1038/NPHYS986.
Thaury, C, George, H, Quere, F, Monot, P, Martin, Ph, Loch, R, & Geindre, J P.
Coherent dynamics of plasma mirrors.
France.
https://doi.org/10.1038/NPHYS986
Thaury, C, George, H, Quere, F, Monot, P, Martin, Ph, Loch, R, and Geindre, J P.
2008.
"Coherent dynamics of plasma mirrors."
France.
https://doi.org/10.1038/NPHYS986.
@misc{etde_21286222,
title = {Coherent dynamics of plasma mirrors}
author = {Thaury, C, George, H, Quere, F, Monot, P, Martin, Ph, Loch, R, and Geindre, J P}
abstractNote = {Coherent ultrashort X-ray pulses provide new ways to probe matter and its ultrafast dynamics. One of the promising paths to generate these pulses consists of using a nonlinear interaction with a system to strongly and periodically distort the waveform of intense laser fields, and thus produce high-order harmonics. Such distortions have so far been induced by using the nonlinear polarizability of atoms, leading to the production of atto-second light bursts, short enough to study the dynamics of electrons in matter. Shorter and more intense atto-second pulses, together with higher harmonic orders, are expected by reflecting ultra intense laser pulses on a plasma mirror - a dense (approximate to 10{sup 23} electrons cm{sup -3}) plasma with a steep interface. However, short-wavelength-light sources produced by such plasmas are known to generally be incoherent. In contrast, we demonstrate that like in usual low-intensity reflection, the coherence of the light wave is preserved during harmonic generation on plasma mirrors. We then exploit this coherence for interferometric measurements and thus carry out a first study of the laser-driven coherent dynamics of the plasma electrons. (authors)}
doi = {10.1038/NPHYS986}
journal = []
issue = {8}
volume = {4}
place = {France}
year = {2008}
month = {Jul}
}
title = {Coherent dynamics of plasma mirrors}
author = {Thaury, C, George, H, Quere, F, Monot, P, Martin, Ph, Loch, R, and Geindre, J P}
abstractNote = {Coherent ultrashort X-ray pulses provide new ways to probe matter and its ultrafast dynamics. One of the promising paths to generate these pulses consists of using a nonlinear interaction with a system to strongly and periodically distort the waveform of intense laser fields, and thus produce high-order harmonics. Such distortions have so far been induced by using the nonlinear polarizability of atoms, leading to the production of atto-second light bursts, short enough to study the dynamics of electrons in matter. Shorter and more intense atto-second pulses, together with higher harmonic orders, are expected by reflecting ultra intense laser pulses on a plasma mirror - a dense (approximate to 10{sup 23} electrons cm{sup -3}) plasma with a steep interface. However, short-wavelength-light sources produced by such plasmas are known to generally be incoherent. In contrast, we demonstrate that like in usual low-intensity reflection, the coherence of the light wave is preserved during harmonic generation on plasma mirrors. We then exploit this coherence for interferometric measurements and thus carry out a first study of the laser-driven coherent dynamics of the plasma electrons. (authors)}
doi = {10.1038/NPHYS986}
journal = []
issue = {8}
volume = {4}
place = {France}
year = {2008}
month = {Jul}
}