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A bulk sample of semi-insulating CdTe:In was exposed to single pulses of 21.2-nm radiation of Ne-like zinc plasma-based laser and 46.9-nm radiation of Ne-like argon capillary discharge laser. Irreversible changes induced by pure XUV laser radiation are studied and compared with action of continuous 532-nm high-power laser and IR pulses at 1320 nm. Modified surface is analyzed by optical and atomic force microscopy, micro-Raman imaging and low temperature photoluminescence. Noticeable amount of absorbed energy from the laser radiation is transferred into Te inclusions which are thermo-diffused and potentially evaporated from the surface layer surrounding the ablation imprint. Annealed CdTe lattice in these areas is detected via strong increase of Raman signal from longitudinal vibrations of the CdTe at 166 cm −1 , which are otherwise suppressed in pristine sample. Furthermore, detailed analysis of measured micro-Raman maps showed that peak at 121 cm −1 of elemental Te is blueshifted to 127 cm −1 due to compressive stress around Te inclusions in the CdTe matrix and is shifted back towards its unstressed position after application of the laser radiation. Low temperature photoluminescence measurements have shown that dislocations are generated in samples due to heating effects with IR radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Letter, we report the possibility of generating intense, highly energetic proton beams using terawatt, sub-nanosecond class laser system by irradiating modified cavity pressure acceleration-type targets. In this approach, the main source of few-mega electron volt protons is thermonuclear deuterium–deuterium reaction; therefore, the energy spectrum of accelerated particles and their number is not as strongly related to the laser intensity (laser pulse energy and pulse duration in particular) as in the case of the most common ion acceleration mechanism, namely, target normal sheath acceleration. Performed Monte Carlo simulations suggest that using mentioned mechanism to generate proton beam might be beneficial and efficient driver for laser induced proton–boron fusion when moderate-to-low laser pulse intensities ( ⩽ 10 16 W / cm 2 ) and thin, lower than 100 μ m boron foils are used as catchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multipurpose imaging x-ray crystal spectrometer is developed for the high energy density instrument of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser. The spectrometer is designed to measure x rays in the energy range of 4–10 keV, providing high-resolution, spatially resolved spectral measurements. A toroidally bent germanium (Ge) crystal is used, allowing x-ray diffraction from the crystal to image along a one-dimensional spatial profile while spectrally resolving along the other. A detailed geometrical analysis is performed to determine the curvature of the crystal. The theoretical performance of the spectrometer in various configurations is calculated by ray-tracing simulations. The key properties of the spectrometer, including the spectral and spatial resolution, are demonstrated experimentally on different platforms. Experimental results prove that this Ge spectrometer is a powerful tool for spatially resolved measurements of x-ray emission, scattering, or absorption spectra in high energy density physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements had been performed of strong electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) generated as a result of laser–target interaction at the sub-ns kJ-class Prague Asterix Laser System facility. Two conductive Prodyn FD5C D-dot pencil probes were used. Measurements were performed inside the experimental chamber and outside the chamber in a large chamber window 40 cm in diameter in a setup that guaranteed 6 GHz bandwidth. A very good signal-to-noise ratio (17:1) was obtained after some steps were taken to ensure proper EMP shielding of the data collection setup. The EMP signal in the time domain was found to have the form of a sharp initial spike followed by gradually decaying oscillations interspersed with some secondary spikes. The values of the vertical component of the electric field strength were estimated. The highest value recorded in this experiment was kV m−1 at a distance of 40 cm from the target. It was observed that plastic targets—particularly the 100s of µm thick plastic foils—tend to generate stronger EMP fields than Cu and Au targets. A time-frequency analysis was performed for a typical shot, clearly showing some spectral features that appear only sometime after the start of the signal and hence indicate EMP generation from secondary sources. Electrons ejected from the target were recorded with the energies exceeding 1.5 MeV, which indicates that highly energetic processes are triggered as a result of the laser–target interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes design, development, and implementation of a multi-channel magnetic electron spectrometer for the application in laser–plasma interaction experiments carried out at the Prague Asterix Laser System. Modular design of the spectrometer allows the setup in variable configurations to evaluate the angular distribution of hot electron emission. The angular array configuration of the electron spectrometers consists of 16 channels mounted around the target. The modules incorporate a plastic electron collimator designed to suppress the secondary radiation by absorbing the wide angle scattered electrons and photons inside the collimator. The compact model of the spectrometer measures electron energies in the range from 50 keV to 1.5MeV using ferrite magnets and from 250 keV to 5MeV using stronger neodymium magnets. An extended model of the spectrometer increases the measured energy range up to 21MeV or 35MeV using ferrite or neodymium magnets, respectively. Position to energy calibration was obtained using the particle tracking simulations. The experimental results show the measured angularly resolved electron energy distribution functions from interaction with solid targets. The angular distribution of hot electron temperature, the total flux, and the maximum electron energy show a directional dependence. The measured values of these quantities increase toward the target normal. For a copper target, the average amount of measured electron flux is 1.36 × 1011, which corresponds to the total charge of about 21 nC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser plasma created by intense light interaction with matter plays an important role in high-energy density fundamental studies and many prospective applications. Terawatt laser-produced plasma related to the low collisional and relativistic domain may form supersonic flows and is prone to the generation of strong spontaneous magnetic fields. The comprehensive experimental study presented in this work provides a reference point for the theoretical description of laser-plasma interaction, focusing on the hot electron generation. It experimentally quantifies the phenomenon of hot electron retention, which serves as a boundary condition for most plasma expansion models. Hot electrons, being responsible for nonlocal thermal and electric conductivities, are important for a large variety of processes in such plasmas. The multiple-frame complex-interferometric data providing information on time resolved spontaneous magnetic fields and electron density distribution, complemented by particle spectra and x-ray measurements, were obtained under irradiation of the planar massive Cu and plastic-coated targets by the iodine laser pulse with an intensity of above 1016 W cm−2. The data shows that the hot electron emission from the interaction region outside the target is strongly suppressed, while the electron flow inside the target, i.e. in the direction of the incident laser beam, is a dominant process and contains almost the whole hot electron population. The obtained quantitative characterization of this phenomenon is of primary importance for plasma applications spanning from ICF to laser-driven discharge magnetic field generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Prague Asterix Laser System (PALS) is a terawatt iodine laser (1.2 kJ, 350 ps, 1315 nm), designed to deliver irradiance on target of about 3 x 1016 W/cm². The PALS laser together with a Ti:sapphire laser (1 J, 50 fs, 800 nm) is used for experiments allowing femtosecond probing of laser-produced plasma. We present an experimental study of emission of hot electrons, fast ions and fusion neutrons generated through the ²H(d;n)³ He fusion reaction of deuterons. During the laser--plasma interaction and plasma expansion, a multi-population of electrons appears. Non-isotropic emission of fast as well as thermal electrons is typical for the interaction of nanosecond laser radiation with plasma. The production of relativistic electrons makes it possible to accelerate protons to MeV energy and generate fusion neutrons via fusion reactions. The DD-neutron yield is compared to yields obtained from other experiments. Depending on the energy of the laser pulse, it is shown that the competition of laser contrast and laser pulse intensity sets a fundamental constraint on the ion emission and the resultant neutron yield performance of deuterated targets. topics: laser--plasma acceleration of electrons and ions, self-focussing in plasmas, neutrons [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The laser-induced Cavity Pressure Acceleration (CPA) scheme [S. Borodziuk et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 231501 (2009)] allows for effective transformation of the laser energy into the kinetic energy of plasma streams and dense plasma objects. It has been proven that using long-wavelength laser beams, with relatively low energies (up to 500 J for λ1 = 1.315 µm and FWHM = 350 ps), it is possible to accelerate macroparticles to very high velocities (above 107 cm/s). The study of neutron yield showed the benefit of CPA in delivering ion temperatures and density sufficient to reach the thermonuclear region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal decomposition on silicon carbide (SiC) is one of the most used growth techniques for fabrication of epitaxial graphene. However, it significantly diminishes graphene's otherwise exceptional carrier mobility. Reduction of the substrate influence is therefore essential for keeping conductivity at high levels. Here we present a novel technique where a sample with epitaxial graphene grown on SiC was exposed to intense 21.2 nm radiation. A sub-nanosecond pulse at low fluence in an interval 0.4–0.7 J/cm2 was used to break covalent sp3 bonds between the SiC substrate and buffer (the first graphene layer) which remains, except for release of its intrinsic strain, almost unaffected. A detailed analysis of the irradiated area examined by several microscopic and spectroscopic methods such as white-light interferometry and micro-Raman spectroscopy shows a clear evidence of a graphene layer detached from the substrate. Higher fluences induce damage to SiC substrate which expands due to the amorphization process. Damage thresholds were obtained by an advanced method of ablative imprints and compared with those calculated by the hybrid code XTANT. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron-ion collisional dynamics is of fundamental importance in determining plasma transport properties, nonequilibrium plasma evolution, and electron damage in diffraction imaging applications using bright x-ray free-electron lasers (FELs). Here we describe the first experimental measurements of ultrafast electron impact collisional ionization dynamics using resonant core-hole spectroscopy in a solid-density magnesium plasma, created and diagnosed with the Linac Coherent Light Source x-ray FEL. By resonantly pumping the 1s → 2p transition in highly charged ions within an optically thin plasma, we have measured how off-resonance charge states are populated via collisional processes on femtosecond time scales. We present a collisional cross section model that matches our results and demonstrates how the cross sections are enhanced by dense-plasma effects including continuum lowering. Nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium collisional radiative simulations show excellent agreement with the experimental results and provide new insight on collisional ionization and three-body-recombination processes in the dense-plasma regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the use of various experimental techniques, it is shown that the relativistic electrons, MeV protons, and deuterons are emitted from a 500-μm thick (CD2)n target exposed to Iλ2 ≈ 5 × 1016 W cm–2 μm2, which is delivered by the iodine photodissociation laser Prague Asterix Laser System. A parameter reflecting the laser-power efficiency of the proton acceleration is used for comparison of the observed maximum proton energy with data from other experiments. The number of protons and deuterons constituting the backward and forward jets is estimated. Values of maximum proton energies and electron temperatures indicate that the laser intensity should reach a relativistic level through the laser beam self-focusing. The occurrence of electron bunches in front of the irradiated target surface was identified by time resolved femtosecond interferometry. Energy distribution functions of electrons emitted in the both backward and forward directions are analysed and compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The silicon sample irradiated with femtosecond soft X-ray pulses at the Linac Coherent Light Source has been studied with several synchrotron X-ray diffraction topographic methods at HASYLAB. The irradiations were performed for two different wavelengths combined with various impact energy controlled by means of the gas attenuator. The topographic investigation revealed characteristic images of the created craters included the inner region reflecting the X-rays at lower angle, coming most probably from part of the silicon melted during the irradiation. The melted region was surrounded by strained outer region, similar to those observed in the case of rod-like inclusion but less regular in view of some irregularity of the beam used for generation of the craters. It was observed that the higher impact energy higher dose of the irradiating pulses resulted in increasing diameter of the melted area of the crater and the range of the strained region around it. Some features of the monochromatic and white beam back reflection section images of the craters were reproduced in numerically simulated images approximating the strain field in the crater by a droplet containing uniformly distributed point inclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-intensity x-ray pulses from an x-ray free-electron laser are used to heat and probe a solid-density aluminum sample. The photon-energy-dependent transmission of the heating beam is studied through the use of a photodiode. Saturable absorption is observed, with the resulting transmission differing significantly from the cold case, in good agreement with atomic-kinetics simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon crystalline samples were exposed to intense single pulses of XUV radiation (λ=13.5nm) what lead to melting and ablation of the surface material. The deformation field around craters along the whole thickness of silicon wafers was observed by means of the synchrotron transmission section topography using the beam perpendicular to the surface of the sample. The geometrical shape and depth extension around craters was evaluated based on numerous, dense series of section topographs spaced by 10µm. In the topographs we observed the direct image connected with the boundary of the crater associated with some deformation of the Kato fringes. The evaluated depth extension, different for individual craters, was in the range of 30–100µm. The depth values were confirmed also by evaluations based on the Bragg case section topographs. It was possible to reproduce the contrast of the craters in transmission section topographs by numerical simulation based on integration of the Takagi–Taupin equations. The damage of the crystal defects connected with craters was approximated as droplet-like inclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied experimentally and theoretically the structural transition of diamond under an irradiation with an intense femtosecond extreme ultraviolet laser (XUV) pulse of 24-275 eV photon energy provided by free-electron lasers. Experimental results obtained show that the irradiated diamond undergoes a solid-to-solid phase transition to graphite, and not to an amorphous state. Our theoretical findings suggest that the nature of this transition is nonthermal, stimulated by a change of the interatomic potential triggered by the excitation of valence electrons. Ultrashort laser pulse duration enables to identify the subsequent steps of this process: electron excitation, band gap collapse, and the following atomic motion. A good agreement between the experimentally measured and theoretically calculated damage thresholds for the XUV range supports our conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present results of damage studies performed at the Free-Electron LASer in Hamburg (FLASH) on amorphous carbon (a-C). The experiment was performed in the total external reflection geometry representing the working configuration of X-ray mirrors. The 177eV photon laser beam was focused on a 40nm thin layer of a-C coated on a silicon substrate. Single-shot damages were produced at two different grazing angles (4.3° and 7.7°) below the critical angle (θ c=8°) calculated for this photon energy. The corresponding damage fluence thresholds were determined to be 43.7 and 74mJ/cm2. No evidence of delamination or mechanical damages (cracks) under grazing angles on the 40nm thin sample was observed. The results are compared with the results of the previous experiment done on thicker layers (900nm) of a-C with the same experimental conditions . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The x-ray intensities made available by x-ray free electron lasers (FEL) open up new x-ray matter interaction channels not accessible with previous sources. We report here on the resonant generation of Ka emission, that is to say the production of copious Ka radiation by tuning the x-ray FEL pulse to photon energies below that of the K edge of a solid aluminum sample. The sequential absorption of multiple photons in the same atom during the 80 fs pulse, with photons creating L-shell holes and then one resonantly exciting a K-shell electron into one of these holes, opens up a channel for the Ka production, as well as the absorption of further photons. We demonstrate rich spectra of such channels, and investigate the emission produced by tuning the FEL energy to the K-L transitions of those highly charged ions that have transition energies below the K edge of the cold material. The spectra are sensitive to x-ray intensity dependent opacity effects, with ions containing L-shell holes readily reabsorbing the Ka radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have used the Linac Coherent Light Source to generate solid-density aluminum plasmas at temperatures of up to 180 eV. By varying the photon energy of the x rays that both create and probe the plasma, and observing the K-&agr; fluorescence, we can directly measure the position of the K edge of the highly charged ions within the system. The results are found to disagree with the predictions of the extensively used Stewart-Pyatt model, but are consistent with the earlier model of Ecker and Kröll, which predicts significantly greater depression of the ionization potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of an experiment where amorphous carbon undergoes a phase transition induced by femtosecond 830 eV x-ray free-electron laser pulses. The phase transition threshold fluence is found to be 282 ± 11 mJ/cm2. Atomic force microscopy, photoelectron microscopy, and micro-Raman spectroscopy give experimental evidence for the phase transition in terms of a volume expansion, graphitization, and change of local order of the irradiated sample area. The interaction is modeled by an accurate time-dependent treatment of the ionization dynamics coupled to a two-temperature model. At the phase transition fluence threshold the free-electron density Nc is found to be at maximum 9 x 1020 cm3 while the ion (atom) temperature is found to be 1050 K, e.g., above the crystallization activation temperature reported in the literature. This low ionization rate and high atom temperature suggest a thermally activated phase transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matter with a high energy density (>105?joules per cm3) is prevalent throughout the Universe, being present in all types of stars and towards the centre of the giant planets; it is also relevant for inertial confinement fusion. Its thermodynamic and transport properties are challenging to measure, requiring the creation of sufficiently long-lived samples at homogeneous temperatures and densities. With the advent of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-ray laser, high-intensity radiation (>1017?watts per cm2, previously the domain of optical lasers) can be produced at X-ray wavelengths. The interaction of single atoms with such intense X-rays has recently been investigated. An understanding of the contrasting case of intense X-ray interaction with dense systems is important from a fundamental viewpoint and for applications. Here we report the experimental creation of a solid-density plasma at temperatures in excess of 106 kelvin on inertial-confinement timescales using an X-ray free-electron laser. We discuss the pertinent physics of the intense X-ray-matter interactions, and illustrate the importance of electron-ion collisions. Detailed simulations of the interaction process conducted with a radiative-collisional code show good qualitative agreement with the experimental results. We obtain insights into the evolution of the charge state distribution of the system, the electron density and temperature, and the timescales of collisional processes. Our results should inform future high-intensity X-ray experiments involving dense samples, such as X-ray diffractive imaging of biological systems, material science investigations, and the study of matter in extreme conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An important problem in the experiments performed with the intense fourth generation X-ray sources is the damages of the examined samples caused by the high energy impact. The effect introduced by the beam from the FLASH source in crystalline silicon samples was studied through synchrotron white beam projection and section topography, enabling the evaluation of the strain field associated with the damages. The topographs indicated the existence of deformed field of cylindrical symmetry providing the dark contrast. It was also shown that some of the Bragg-case section images of spots in silicon correspond well to the simulated images of rod-like inclusions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A correction is presented to the article, "Fluence thresholds for grazing incidence hard x-ray mirrors" which was published in a 2019 issue of the periodical.

We present results of damage studies conducted at the Free Electron LASer in Hamburg (FLASH) facility with 13.5 nm (91.8 eV) and 7 nm (177.1 eV) radiations. The laser beam was focused on a sample of 890-nm-thick amorphous carbon coated on a silicon wafer mimicking a x-ray mirror. The fluence threshold for graphitization was determined for different grazing angles above and below the critical angle. The observed angular dependence of Fth is explained by the variation in absorption depth and reflectivity. Moreover, the absorbed local dose needed for the phase transition leading to graphitization is shown to vary with the radiation wavelength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The free-free opacity in plasmas is fundamental to our understanding of energy transport in stellar interiors and for inertial confinement fusion research. However, theoretical predictions in the challenging dense plasma regime are conflicting and there is a dearth of accurate experimental data to allow for direct model validation. Here we present time-resolved transmission measurements in solid-density Al heated by an XUV free-electron laser. We use a novel functional optimization approach to extract the temperature-dependent absorption coefficient directly from an oversampled pool of single-shot measurements, and find a pronounced enhancement of the opacity as the plasma is heated to temperatures of order of the Fermi energy. Plasma heating and opacity enhancement are observed on ultrafast timescales, within the duration of the femtosecond XUV pulse. We attribute further rises in the opacity on ps timescales to melt and the formation of warm dense matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All carbon materials, e.g., amorphous carbon (a-C) coatings and C60 fullerene thin films, play an important role in short-wavelength free-electron laser (FEL) research motivated by FEL optics development and prospective nanotechnology applications. Responses of a-C and C60 layers to the extreme ultraviolet (SPring-8 Compact SASE Source in Japan) and soft x-ray (free-electron laser in Hamburg) free-electron laser radiation are investigated by Raman spectroscopy, differential interference contrast, and atomic force microscopy. A remarkable difference in the behavior of covalent (a-C) and molecular (C60) carbonaceous solids is demonstrated under these irradiation conditions. Low thresholds for ablation of a fullerene crystal (estimated to be around 0.15 eV/atom for C60 vs 0.9 eV/atom for a-C in terms of the absorbed dose) are caused by a low cohesive energy of fullerene crystals. An efficient mechanism of the removal of intact C60 molecules from the irradiated crystal due to Coulomb repulsion of fullerene-cage cation radicals formed by the ionizing radiation is revealed by a detailed modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present measurements of the spectrally resolved x rays emitted from solid-density magnesium targets of varying sub-μm thicknesses isochorically heated by an x-ray laser. The data exhibit a largely thickness-independent source function, allowing the extraction of a measure of the opacity to K-shell x rays within well-defined regimes of electron density and temperature, extremely close to local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. The deduced opacities at the peak of the Kα transitions of the ions are consistent with those predicted by detailed atomic-kinetics calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nonlinear absorber in which the excited state absorption is larger than the ground state can undergo a process called reverse saturable absorption. It is a well-known phenomenon in laser physics in the optical regime, but is more difficult to generate in the x-ray regime, where fast nonradiative core electron transitions typically dominate the population kinetics during light matter interactions. Here, we report the first observation of decreasing x-ray transmission in a solid target pumped by intense x-ray free electron laser pulses. The measurement has been made below the K-absorption edge of aluminum, and the x-ray intensity ranges are 1016 -1017 W/cm². It has been confirmed by collisional radiative population kinetic calculations, underscoring the fast spectral modulation of the x-ray pulses and charge states relevant to the absorption and transmission of x-ray photons. The processes shown through detailed simulations are consistent with reverse saturable absorption, which would be the first observation of this phenomena in the x-ray regime. These light matter interactions provide a unique opportunity to investigate optical transport properties in the extreme state of matters, as well as affording the potential to regulate ultrafast x-ray free-electron laser pulses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The article presents preliminary investigation results on the near-surface damage produced by single pulses of XUV free-electron laser in the amorphous α-SiO2, the monocrystalline silicon and the epitaxial films of gold. The irradiation was delivered with single pulses of only 25fs at a wavelength of 32.5nm and of energy up to 10μJ. Structural modifications induced by irradiation were characterized by X-ray microdiffraction, as well as by the AFM and optical microscopy. Ablation craters of well-defined edges with smooth interiors and outer embankments surrounding the crater edges were found in the materials. Polycrystalline phases were revealed in Si and Au film samples, in the embankments and in central parts of some craters. In α-SiO2, a diffraction pattern typical of an amorphous material was observed without any traces of irradiation-initiated crystallization. A step-like, complete removal of gold film was evidenced inside craters, with only small gold residues in central part of craters exposed to higher fluences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]