Generation of synchronized x-rays and mid-infrared pulses by Doppler-shifting of relativistically intense radiation from near-critical-density plasmas

It is shown that when relativistically intense ultrashort laser pulses are reflected from the boundary of a plasma with a near-critical density,the Doppler frequency shift leads to generation of intense radiation in both the high-frequency(up to the x-ray)and low-frequency(mid-infrared)ranges.The efficiency of energy conversion into the wavelength range above 3μm can reach several percent,which makes it possible to obtain relativistically intense pulses in the mid-infrared range.These pulses are synchronized with high harmonics in the ultraviolet and x-ray ranges,which opens up opportunities for high-precision pump–probe measurements,in particular,laser-induced electron diffraction and transient absorption spectroscopy.

Intense low-noise terahertz generation by relativistic laser irradiating near-critical-density plasma

Low-noise terahertz(THz)radiation over 100 MV/cm generation by a linearly-polarized relativistic laser pulse interacting with a near-critical-density(NCD)plasma slab is studied by theory and particle-in-cell(PIC)simulations.A theoretical model is established to examine the dipole-like radiation emission.The THz radiation is attributed to the singlecycle low-frequency surface current,which is longitudinally constrained by the quasi-equilibrium established by the laser ponderomotive force and the ponderomotively induced electrostatic force.Through theoretical analysis,the spatiotemporal characteristics,polarization property of the THz radiation,and the relation between the radiation strength with the initial parameters of driving laser and plasma are obtained,which are in good consistence with the PIC simulation results.Furthermore,it is found by PIC simulations that the generation of thermal electrons can be suppressed within the appropriate parameter regime,resulting in a clear THz radiation waveform.The appropriate parameter region is given for generating a low-noise intense THz radiation with peak strength reaching 100 MV/cm,which could find potential applications in nonlinear THz physics.

Space-charge limiting currents for magnetically focused intense relativistic electron beams

The self-consistent differential equations, which describe a laminar-flow equilibrium state in a magnetically focused intense relativistic electron beam propagating inside a conducting waveguide, are presented. The canonical angular momentum, Pe, defined under the conditions at the source, uniquely determines the possible solutions of these equations. By numerically solving these equations, the space-charge limited current and the externally applied magnetic field are obtained in a solid beam and a hollow beam in two cases of Pθ= 0 （magnetically shielded source） and Pθ= const. （immersed source） separately. It is shown that the hollow beam is more beneficial to the propagation of the intense relativistic beam through a drift tube than the solid beam.

Bright betatron radiation from direct-laseraccelerated electrons at moderate relativistic laser intensity

Direct laser acceleration(DLA)of electrons in a plasma of near-critical electron density(NCD)and the associated synchrotron-like radiation are discussed for moderate relativistic laser intensity(normalized laser amplitude a0≤4.3)and ps length pulse.This regime is typical of kJ PW-class laser facilities designed for high-energy-density(HED)research.In experiments at the PHELIX facility,it has been demonstrated that interaction of a 1019 W/cm2 sub-ps laser pulse with a sub-mm length NCD plasma results in the generation of high-current well-directed superponderomotive electrons with an effective temperature ten times higher than the ponderomotive potential[Rosmej et al.,Plasma Phys.Controlled Fusion 62,115024(2020)].Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations provide good agreement with the measured electron energy distribution and are used in the current work to study synchrotron radiation from the DLA-accelerated electrons.The resulting x-ray spectrum with a critical energy of 5 keV reveals an ultrahigh photon number of 731011 in the 1–30 keV photon energy range at the focused laser energy of 20 J.Numerical simulations of betatron x-ray phase contrast imaging based on the DLA process for the parameters of a PHELIX laser are presented.The results are of interest for applications in HED experiments,which require a ps x-ray pulse and a high photon flux.

Generation of single-cycle relativistic infrared pulses at wavelengths above 20 μm from density-tailored plasmas

Ultra-intense short-pulse light sources are powerful tools for a wide range of applications.However,relativistic short-pulse lasers are normally generated in the near-infrared regime.Here,we present a promising and efficient way to generate tunable relativistic ultrashort pulses with wavelengths above 20μm in a density-tailored plasma.In this approach,in the first stage,an intense drive laser first excites a nonlinear wake in an underdense plasma,and its photon frequency is then downshifted via phase modulation as it propagates in the plasma wake.Subsequently,in the second stage,the drive pulse enters a lower-density plasma region so that the wake has a larger plasma cavity in which longer-wavelength infrared pulses can be produced.Numerical simulations show that the resulting near-single-cycle pulses cover a broad spectral range of 10–40μm with a conversion efficiency of∼2.1%(∼34 mJ pulse energy).This enables the investigation of nonlinear infrared optics in the relativistic regime and offers new possibilities for the investigation of ultrafast phenomena and physics in strong fields.

High power terahertz pulses generated in intense laser-plasma interactions

Terahertz （THz） radiation has attracted much attention due to its wide potential applications. Though radiation can be generated with various ways, it is still a big challenge to obtain strong tabletop sources. Plasma, with the advantage of no damage limit, is a promising medium to generate strong THz radiation. This review reports recent advances on strong THz radiation generation from low-density gases and high-density solid targets at different laser intensities.

Absorption of ultrashort intense lasers in laser–solid interactions

With the advent of ultrashort high intensity laser pulses, laser absorption during the laser–solid interactions has received significant attention over the last two decades since it is related to a variety of applications of high intensity lasers,including the hot electron production for fast ignition of fusion targets, table-top bright X-ray and gamma-ray sources,ion acceleration, compact neutron sources, and generally the creation of high energy density matters. Normally, some absorption mechanisms found for nanosecond long laser pulses also appear for ultrashort laser pulses. The peculiar aspects with ultrashort laser pulses are that their absorption depends significantly on the preplasma condition and the initial target structures. Meanwhile, relativistic nonlinearity and ponderomotive force associated with the laser pulses lead to new mechanisms or phenomena, which are usually not found with nanosecond long pulses. In this paper, we present an overview of the recent progress on the major absorption mechanisms in intense laser–solid interactions, where emphasis is paid to our related theory and simulation studies.

Effects of Higher-Order Relativistic Nonlinearity and Wakefield During a Moderately Intense Laser Pulse Propagation in a Plasma Channel

Using a variational approach,the propagation of a moderately intense laser pulse in a parabolic preformed plasma channel is investigated.The effects of higher-order relativistic nonlinearity (HRN) and wakefield are included.The effect of HRN serves as an additional defocusing mechanism and has the same order of magnitude in the spot size as that of the transverse wakefield (TWF).The effect of longitudinal wakefield is much larger than those of HRN and TWF for an intense laser pulse with the pulse length equaling the plasma wavelength.The catastrophic focusing of the laser spot size would be prevented in the present of HRN and then it varies with periodic focusing oscillations.

Spin effects on the relativistic strong EM wave modes in magnetized plasma

Based on the relativistic hydrodynamic model of EM wave-spin plasmas interaction,the spin effects on the relativistic strong EM modes in magnetized plasma are investigated.The dispersion relations of the EM wave propagating parallel and perpendicular to the external magnetic field are obtained.Results show that the strong EM wave modes are affected by the time component of four-spin as well as the increase of electron effective mass.Especially in the case of EM wave propagating parallel to the external magnetic field,the time component of fourspin amplifies the influence of spin effects on the low-frequency modes obviously.

On-target temporal characterization of optical pulses at relativistic intensity

High-field experiments are very sensitive to the exact value of the peak intensity of an optical pulse due to the nonlinearity of the underlying processes.Therefore,precise knowledge of the pulse intensity,which is mainly limited by the accuracy of the temporal characterization,is a key prerequisite for the correct interpretation of experimental data.While the detection of energy and spatial profile is well established,the unambiguous temporal characterization of intense optical pulses,another important parameter required for intensity evaluation,remains a challenge,especially at relativistic intensities and a few-cycle pulse duration.Here,we report on the progress in the temporal characterization of intense laser pulses and present the relativistic surface second harmonic generation dispersion scan(RSSHG-D-scan)—a new approach allowing direct on-target temporal characterization of high-energy,few-cycle optical pulses at relativistic intensity.

ReLaX:the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields high-intensity short-pulse laser driver for relativistic laser-matter interaction and strong-field science using the high energy density instrument at the European X-ray free electron laser fac

High-energy and high-intensity lasers are essential for pushing the boundaries of science.Their development has allowed leaps forward in basic research areas,including laser±plasma interaction,high-energy density science,metrology,biology and medical technology.The Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields user consortium contributes and operates two high-peak-power optical lasers using the high energy density instrument at the European X-ray free electron laser(EuXFEL)facility.These lasers will be used to generate transient extreme states of density and temperature to be probed by the X-ray beam.This paper introduces the ReLaX laser,a short-pulse high-intensity Ti:Sa laser system,and discusses its characteristics as available for user experiments.It will also present the first experimental commissioning results validating its successful integration into the EuXFEL infrastructure and viability as a relativisticintensity laser driver.

S波段长脉冲相对论速调管放大器的实验研究

介绍了S波段强流长脉冲相对论速调管放大器(RKA)的高频系统设计、长脉冲强流相对论电子束(IREB)的调制及微波提取等方面的实验研究结果。重点阐述了长脉冲IREB调制和输出微波中的自激振荡问题。通过采用高阶工作模式以及参差模式设置的谐振腔、提高系统安装的同心度和调节电子束参数等措施,使自激振荡得到了抑制。采用550 kV,4 kA及210 ns的环行电子束,经过优化调节RKA参数,使强流调制电子束流脉宽由50 ns增加到150 ns,同时得到了3.2 kA的基波调制电流。从该RKA得到了峰值功率580MW、脉宽140 ns的输出微波,束波转换效率26%,增益34 dB。

长脉冲相对论速调管放大器的初步实验研究

介绍了L波段长脉冲相对论速调管放大器(RKA)的强流相对论电子束(IREB)的调制及微波提取等方面的实验研究。重点分析了束流经过中间腔间隙调制后束流脉冲缩短和输出微波脉冲缩短问题,经过对注入微波、中间腔和输出腔等参数的调节,得到了比较强的基波调制电流和微波辐射。采用446kV 3.0kA 1.4μs的空心电子束,经过四腔放大后,得到381MW 200ns的辐射微波,束波转换效率28%,增益34dB。

S波段相对论速调管放大器同轴输出腔的数值模拟

介绍了S波段强流相对论速调管放大器(RKA)同轴输出腔内束波转换效率和腔主要参数的计算、微波提取的粒子模拟和优化以及实验。模拟计算时,采用单间隙的同轴输出腔,束压580 kV、束流4 kA的环行电子束,基波调制深度为80%,利用3维粒子程序得到约500 MW的微波输出功率,效率21.5%。将该模拟结果应用于实验的设计,实验中采用束压550 kV、束流4 kA的电子束得到功率500 MW、脉宽120 ns的输出微波,束波转换效率22.7%,实验结果与模拟结果吻合较好。

强流短脉冲相对论速调管放大器实验研究

利用无箔空心石墨阴极和0.65T的脉冲引导磁场,从Sinus加速器二极管引出了电压约750kV、电流约8.6kA、脉宽40ns的环形电子束,经过输入腔和中间腔间隙调制后,得到了7kA/43ns的基波调制电流,经过输出腔间隙后,得到了2.1GW/15ns的最大微波输出功率,束波转换效率33%,最高增益为40dB,并发现脉冲缩短现象。

强流相对论电子束群聚的空间电荷波理论分析

介绍了在长脉冲强流相对论速调管(RKA)研究中强流相对论空心电子束(IREBs)的一种小信号群聚理—空间电荷波理论。建立了IREBs在漂移管中传输的色散方程，以及IREBs与RKA输入腔间隙电场相互作用和IREBs在漂移管中群聚传输的传输线模型，获得了电子束经过输入腔间隙后产生的调制电流表达式。利用500 kV、3 kA、脉宽约1.4 (s的空心电子束，注入70 kW的微波调制，束流经过输入腔后，得到了约9.8％的基波电流调制深度，研究结果与理论分析基本一致。

相对论返波管振荡器齿状阴极

研究了一种齿状阴极的电子束产生传输过程以及对相对论返波管振荡器产生高功率微波的影响。基于SINUS881加速器,利用束流轰击金属靶观测齿状阴极产生电子束在不同轴向位置上的角向分布,并开展了基于环形阴极和齿状阴极的X波段相对论返波管振荡器的实验研究。对不同齿数及尺寸对电子束流特性、器件输出微波功率和脉冲宽度的影响进行了分析。实验结果表明:当阴极的齿数增加到一定数量时,电子束的横向运动使得电子束在径向逐渐趋于分布均匀;与均匀环形阴极的打靶结果近似,此时,电子束对于相对论返波管振荡器产生微波的功率和脉宽影响不大。

螺线管场下强流相对论电子束焦斑尺寸的限制

分析了螺线管场下影响强流相对论电子束聚焦的主要因素 ,并给出了各影响因素所限制的最小焦斑。计算结果表明 ,当发射度和能散度的值分别控制在 0 .397mm· rad和1 %以内 ,单个螺线管磁轴的偏心不大于 0 .54mrad;初始注入束偏心不大于 1 mrad时 ,对于2 0 Me V、3k A的电子束和 1 5Me V、2 .5k A的电子束 ,最终打靶束焦斑均可小于 1 .5mm。

几项新技术在“闪光二号”加速器上的应用

为追踪国际上脉冲功率技术的发展方向,在"闪光二号"加速器上开展了水介质形成线并联技术、多级多通道气体开关技术和同步触发技术等研究。经过3维结构下电场分布的模拟计算和绝缘设计,采用3根6Ω小水线并联组成了2Ω水介质形成线,研制成功了作为主开关的3 MV多级多通道气体触发开关,并实现了3个多级多通道气体开关的并联运行;采用工作时延446 ns的同步触发系统实现了Marx发生器与主开关的延时同步运行。真空负压下的涡流循环冲刷消除水中气泡技术应用于水介质形成线上,有效消除了并联形成线汇聚结构处的气泡,提高了加速器运行的安全性。经过调试后,加速器重新获得了稳定的运行状态,几项新技术的应用获得成功。

S波段长脉冲相对论速调管重复频率运行稳定性研究

为了进一步提高S波段高功率强流长脉冲相对论速调管放大器(RKA)的重复频率稳频稳相运行的性能,采用实验结合理论和模拟的方法,分析了其主要制约因素,特别分析了造成器件脉冲缩短和重复频率运行不稳定等问题的根源。研究结果表明,RKA中的中间腔和输出腔的电子反射、电子散焦轰击腔体鼻锥是造成脉冲缩短、重复频率运行不稳定的主要根源。通过采用大漂移管半径的器件结构、在漂移管中加载吸波材料以及引导磁场位形、采用电子发射较均匀的碳/碳复合阴极材料等措施,使杂频振荡、脉冲缩短和重复频率工作不稳定性等问题得到了明显减轻,输出微波相位稳定性得到显著提高。采用电压830 kV、束流7.7 kA、脉宽190 ns的环行电子束驱动S波段3腔RKA,重复频率25 Hz运行得到了峰值功率1.55 GW、脉宽163 ns、相位抖动18°(rms)的输出微波。