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Enhancing laser beam performance by interfering intense laser beamlets.
- Source :
- Nature Communications; 7/5/2019, Vol. 10 Issue 1, pN.PAG-N.PAG, 1p
- Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Increasing the laser energy absorption into energetic particle beams represents a longstanding quest in intense laser-plasma physics. During the interaction with matter, part of the laser energy is converted into relativistic electron beams, which are the origin of secondary sources of energetic ions, γ-rays and neutrons. Here we experimentally demonstrate that using multiple coherent laser beamlets spatially and temporally overlapped, thus producing an interference pattern in the laser focus, significantly improves the laser energy conversion efficiency into hot electrons, compared to one beam with the same energy and nominal intensity as the four beamlets combined. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations support the experimental results, suggesting that beamlet interference pattern induces a periodical shaping of the critical density, ultimately playing a key-role in enhancing the laser-to-electron energy conversion efficiency. This method is rather insensitive to laser pulse contrast and duration, making this approach robust and suitable to many existing facilities. Enhanced coupling of laser energy to the target particles is a fundamental issue in laser-plasma interactions. Here the authors demonstrate increased photon absorption leading into higher laser to electron and proton energy transfer through the interference of multiple coherent beamlets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20411723
- Volume :
- 10
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Nature Communications
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 137339029
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-10997-1