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Title: Efficient picosecond x-ray pulse generation from plasmas in the radiation dominated regime

Abstract

The efficient conversion of optical laser light into bright ultrafast x-ray pulses in laser created plasmas is of high interest for dense plasma physics studies, material science, and other fields. However, the rapid hydrodynamic expansion that cools hot plasmas has limited the x-ray conversion efficiency (CE) to 1% or less. Here we demonstrate more than one order of magnitude increase in picosecond x-ray CE by tailoring near solid density plasmas to achieve a large radiative to hydrodynamic energy loss rate ratio, leading into a radiation loss dominated plasma regime. A record 20% CE into hν > 1 keV photons was measured in arrays of large aspect ratio Au nanowires heated to keV temperatures with ultrahigh contrast femtosecond laser pulses of relativistic intensity. The potential of these bright ultrafast x-ray point sources for table-top imaging is illustrated with single shot flash radiographs obtained using low laser pulse energy. These results will enable the deployment of brighter laser driven x-ray sources at both compact andlarge laser facilities.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ORCiD logo; ORCiD logo; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1405043
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1502461
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0014610
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Optica
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Optica Journal Volume: 4 Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 2334-2536
Publisher:
Optical Society of America
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Citation Formats

Hollinger, Reed, Bargsten, Clayton, Shlyaptsev, Vyacheslav N., Kaymak, Vural, Pukhov, Alexander, Capeluto, Maria Gabriela, Wang, Shoujun, Rockwood, Alex, Wang, Yong, Townsend, Amanda, Prieto, Amy, Stockton, Patrick, Curtis, Alden, and Rocca, Jorge J. Efficient picosecond x-ray pulse generation from plasmas in the radiation dominated regime. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1364/OPTICA.4.001344.
Hollinger, Reed, Bargsten, Clayton, Shlyaptsev, Vyacheslav N., Kaymak, Vural, Pukhov, Alexander, Capeluto, Maria Gabriela, Wang, Shoujun, Rockwood, Alex, Wang, Yong, Townsend, Amanda, Prieto, Amy, Stockton, Patrick, Curtis, Alden, & Rocca, Jorge J. Efficient picosecond x-ray pulse generation from plasmas in the radiation dominated regime. United States. https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.4.001344
Hollinger, Reed, Bargsten, Clayton, Shlyaptsev, Vyacheslav N., Kaymak, Vural, Pukhov, Alexander, Capeluto, Maria Gabriela, Wang, Shoujun, Rockwood, Alex, Wang, Yong, Townsend, Amanda, Prieto, Amy, Stockton, Patrick, Curtis, Alden, and Rocca, Jorge J. Fri . "Efficient picosecond x-ray pulse generation from plasmas in the radiation dominated regime". United States. https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.4.001344.
@article{osti_1405043,
title = {Efficient picosecond x-ray pulse generation from plasmas in the radiation dominated regime},
author = {Hollinger, Reed and Bargsten, Clayton and Shlyaptsev, Vyacheslav N. and Kaymak, Vural and Pukhov, Alexander and Capeluto, Maria Gabriela and Wang, Shoujun and Rockwood, Alex and Wang, Yong and Townsend, Amanda and Prieto, Amy and Stockton, Patrick and Curtis, Alden and Rocca, Jorge J.},
abstractNote = {The efficient conversion of optical laser light into bright ultrafast x-ray pulses in laser created plasmas is of high interest for dense plasma physics studies, material science, and other fields. However, the rapid hydrodynamic expansion that cools hot plasmas has limited the x-ray conversion efficiency (CE) to 1% or less. Here we demonstrate more than one order of magnitude increase in picosecond x-ray CE by tailoring near solid density plasmas to achieve a large radiative to hydrodynamic energy loss rate ratio, leading into a radiation loss dominated plasma regime. A record 20% CE into hν > 1 keV photons was measured in arrays of large aspect ratio Au nanowires heated to keV temperatures with ultrahigh contrast femtosecond laser pulses of relativistic intensity. The potential of these bright ultrafast x-ray point sources for table-top imaging is illustrated with single shot flash radiographs obtained using low laser pulse energy. These results will enable the deployment of brighter laser driven x-ray sources at both compact andlarge laser facilities.},
doi = {10.1364/OPTICA.4.001344},
journal = {Optica},
number = 11,
volume = 4,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Oct 27 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Fri Oct 27 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.4.001344

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 35 works
Citation information provided by
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Figures / Tables:

Fig. 1. Fig. 1.: (a)–(c) PIC simulation of the electron temperature distribution in a 55 nm diameter Au nanowire array irradiated by a λ = 400 nm laser pulse of 55 fs duration at an intensity of 4 × 1019 W cm−2 at three different times after the laser pulse. (d)–(f )more » show the corresponding electron density maps.« less

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Works referenced in this record:

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Relativistic Interaction of Long-Wavelength Ultrashort Laser Pulses with Nanowires
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Relativistic Interaction of Long-Wavelength Ultrashort Laser Pulses with Nanowires
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Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.