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Title: Plasma-based beam combiner for very high fluence and energy

Abstract

Extreme optical fluences, much beyond the damage threshold of conventional optics, are of interest for a range of high-energy-density physics applications. Nonlinear interactions of multiple beams in plasmas have the potential to produce optics that operate at much higher intensity and fluence than is possible in solids. In inertial confinement fusion experiments indirectly driven with lasers, many beams overlap in the plasma inside a hohlraum, and cross-beam energy transfer by Brillouin scattering has been employed to redistribute energy between laser beams within the target. Here in this paper, we show that in a hot, under-dense plasma the energy of many input beams can be combined into a single well-collimated beam. The emerging beam has an energy of 4 kJ (over 1 ns) that is more than triple that of any incident beam, and a fluence that is more than double. Because the optic produced is plasma, and is diffractive, it is inherently capable of generating higher fluences in a single beam than solid-state refractive or reflective optics.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]
  1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1438786
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-730529
Journal ID: ISSN 1745-2473; TRN: US1900527
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nature Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 14; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1745-2473
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group (NPG)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION

Citation Formats

Kirkwood, R. K., Turnbull, D. P., Chapman, T., Wilks, S. C., Rosen, M. D., London, R. A., Pickworth, L.  A., Dunlop, W. H., Moody, J. D., Strozzi, D. J., Michel, P. A., Divol, L., Landen, O. L., MacGowan, B.  J., Van Wonterghem, B. M., Fournier, K. B., and Blue, B. E. Plasma-based beam combiner for very high fluence and energy. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1038/NPHYS4271.
Kirkwood, R. K., Turnbull, D. P., Chapman, T., Wilks, S. C., Rosen, M. D., London, R. A., Pickworth, L.  A., Dunlop, W. H., Moody, J. D., Strozzi, D. J., Michel, P. A., Divol, L., Landen, O. L., MacGowan, B.  J., Van Wonterghem, B. M., Fournier, K. B., & Blue, B. E. Plasma-based beam combiner for very high fluence and energy. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/NPHYS4271
Kirkwood, R. K., Turnbull, D. P., Chapman, T., Wilks, S. C., Rosen, M. D., London, R. A., Pickworth, L.  A., Dunlop, W. H., Moody, J. D., Strozzi, D. J., Michel, P. A., Divol, L., Landen, O. L., MacGowan, B.  J., Van Wonterghem, B. M., Fournier, K. B., and Blue, B. E. Mon . "Plasma-based beam combiner for very high fluence and energy". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/NPHYS4271. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1438786.
@article{osti_1438786,
title = {Plasma-based beam combiner for very high fluence and energy},
author = {Kirkwood, R. K. and Turnbull, D. P. and Chapman, T. and Wilks, S. C. and Rosen, M. D. and London, R. A. and Pickworth, L.  A. and Dunlop, W. H. and Moody, J. D. and Strozzi, D. J. and Michel, P. A. and Divol, L. and Landen, O. L. and MacGowan, B.  J. and Van Wonterghem, B. M. and Fournier, K. B. and Blue, B. E.},
abstractNote = {Extreme optical fluences, much beyond the damage threshold of conventional optics, are of interest for a range of high-energy-density physics applications. Nonlinear interactions of multiple beams in plasmas have the potential to produce optics that operate at much higher intensity and fluence than is possible in solids. In inertial confinement fusion experiments indirectly driven with lasers, many beams overlap in the plasma inside a hohlraum, and cross-beam energy transfer by Brillouin scattering has been employed to redistribute energy between laser beams within the target. Here in this paper, we show that in a hot, under-dense plasma the energy of many input beams can be combined into a single well-collimated beam. The emerging beam has an energy of 4 kJ (over 1 ns) that is more than triple that of any incident beam, and a fluence that is more than double. Because the optic produced is plasma, and is diffractive, it is inherently capable of generating higher fluences in a single beam than solid-state refractive or reflective optics.},
doi = {10.1038/NPHYS4271},
journal = {Nature Physics},
number = 1,
volume = 14,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Oct 02 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Mon Oct 02 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

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