High field photonics in laser plasmas: propagation, acceleration and activation issues

ISUILS5antonio giulietti

High field photonics in laser plasmas: propagation, acceleration and activation issues

Antonio Giulietti

Intense Laser Irradiation Laboratory

CNR Campus

via Moruzzi, 1 - 56124 Pisa, Italy

http://ilil.ipcf.cnr.it

ISUILS5 International Symposium on Ultrafast Intense Laser ScienceNovember 29 - December 2, 2006 - Lijiang, China



Visit of a delegation of the Chinese Academy of Scienceto the CNR Campus in Pisa, June the 8th, 2006


Visit of a delegation of the Chinese Academy of Scienceto the CNR Campus in Pisa, June the 8th, 2006

Name List of the Delegationfrom Chinese Academy of Sciences

o. Name Sex Working Unit Position

- HUANG, Haixia F Bureau of Personnel and Education,CASDeputy DirectorGeneral

- XIANG, Libin MBureau of Hian-Tech Research andDevelopment, CAS

Direcotr General

- HUANG, Yong M Bureau of Basic Research, CASDeputy DirectorGeneral

- WANG, Yingjian M Hefei Instit utes of Physical Science, CAS Director General

- TIAN, Jing M Institute of Acoustics, CAS Director General

- XUAN, Ming MChangchun Institute of Optics, FineMechanics and Physics, CAS

Director General

- KONG, Li M Institute of Electrical Enineering, CAS Director General

- LI, Jinmin M Institute of Semiconductors, CAS Director General

- WANG, Jianyu M Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, CAS Director General

- BAO, Xinhe M Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS Director General

- YIN, Hejun M Institute of Electronics, CAS Director General

- HONG, Xiaoyu M Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, CASExecutive DeputyDirector General

- CAI, Weiping M Institute of Solid State Physics, CASExecutive DeputyDirector General

- ZHAO, Gang M National Astronomical Observatories, CASDeputy DirectorGeneral

- WU, Yueliang M The Instit ute of Theoretical Physics, CASDeputy DirectorGeneral

- LIU, Minghua M Institute of Chemistry, CASDeputy DirectorGeneral

- WEI, Yiming M Institute of Policy and Management, CASDeputy DirectorGeneral

- YAO, Yuangen MFujian Institute of Research on the Structureof Matter, CAS

Deputy DirectorGeneral

- LIU, Maili MWuhan Institute of Physics andMathematics, CAS

Deputy DirectorGeneral

- LI, Ding MUniversity of Science and Technology ofChina

DeputySchoolmaster

- WU, Haitao M National Time Service Center, CASDeputy DirectorGeneral

- ZHANG, Jie F Bureau of Personnel and Education, CAS Deputy Director


• Marco GALIMBERTI (CNR) • Antonio GIULIETTI (CNR)• Leonida A. GIZZI (CNR)• Moreno VASELLI (CNR)• Walter BALDESCHI (techCNR)• Antonella ROSSI (techCNR)• Danilo GIULIETTI (Univ. Pisa)• Luca LABATE (CNR-INFN)

• Paolo TOMASSINI (CNR-INFN)

• Andrea GAMUCCI (PhD student)

• Petra KOESTER (PhD student)

• Tadzio LEVATO (PhD student)

• Gianluca SARRI (underg. student)

http://ilil.ipcf.cnr.it

the CNR Campus in Pisa

The ILIL group 2006The ILIL group 2006

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are needed to see this picture.

Pisa, Toscany

from satellite


LABORATORIES and INSTITUTIONS involved in NATIONAL PROJECTS for the development of high power lasers devoted to

ICF, Particle acceleration, and X-Ray sources

NATIONAL PROJECTS:

Università di Milano - Bicocca Università di PisaILIL Intense Laser Irradiation Lab - CNR Pisa Università di Roma - La Sapienza Università di Roma - Tor VergataLNF Lab Nazionali di Frascati - INFN Frascati

FUNDING INSTITUTIONS:

CNR Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche

INFN Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare

MUR Ministero per l’Università e la Ricerca

BLISS - Broadband Laser for ICF Strategic StudiesObject: Upgrade the ILIL nanosecond laserNational Coord. A. Giulietti (ILIL-CNR)

PlasmonXObject: Laser acceler. & Thomson X-ray sourcesHILL - High Intensity Laser Laboratory @ LNFNational Coord. D. Giulietti (Univ. of Pisa & ILIL)

High Field PhotonicsObject: High field photonics & X-ray sourcesNational Coord. L.A. Gizzi (ILIL-CNR)

FiXer - Innovative multiporpose light sourcesObject: Biomedicine & material studiesNational Coord. L.A Gizzi (ILIL-CNR)


name 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 place

BLISSBroadband Laser for ICF Strategic Studies

YLF+phosphate

3ns 1053nm

2 beams

9 J/beam

single mode

diffract. limit

OPCPA tests

fs oscillator

stretching

synchronisation

Broadband

operation

1 ns

5 J

Further amplification Broad/narrow b.

1 ns 50 JExperiments

ILIL

Pisa

TELPITerawatt Laser in Pisa

Ti:Sapphire

80fs 800nm

0.15 TW

10 Hz

June 2006:

2 TW

10 Hz Experiments

Experiments Experiments

Possible upgrade

Experiments

Possible upgrade

ILIL

Pisa

FLAMEFrascati Laser for Advanced Multidisciplin.Experiments

Designed

Funded

Committment Setup

Tests

Installation.

Final test

20 fs Ti:Sa

200 TW

10 Hz

Fully operational

synchronisation

LNF

Frascati

SPARC

150 MeV

e-beam

Photoinjector

operational

Machine

assembling

SASE-FEL

assembling

and tests

SASE-FEL

operational.

Set up of the

secondary

e-beam

Set up and tests

for joint operation

with the laser beam

Fully operational

for laser acceleration

LNF

Frascati

PULSED LASER PHYSICS


SINGLE-PHSPECTROS

HIGH FIELD PHOTONICS

PULSED LASER PHYSICS

AD

VA

NC

ED

DIA

GN

OS

TIC

SN

UM

ER

ICA

L S

IMU

LAT

ION

SN

UM

ER

ICA

LD

AT

A A

NA

LYS

IS

FEMTOINTERF

SHEEBAANALYSER

BLISS1 nsbroadband

TELPI80 fs2 TW

Laser Plasmas Laser-electronScattering

High Energy Photon Sources

ICF Plasma Instabilities

High Energy Particle Sources

sync FLAME20 fs200 TW

SPARCe-Linac

sync


accelerators

collimated bunches of energetic particles

accelerating fieldmany orders of magnitudehigher than in conventional accelerators

high em field to excite longitudinalplasma wavesfor acceleration

produceallowsprovides

laser driven plasma

EP [V/cm] ≈ n1/2 [cm-3]

n = 1020 cm-

3

EP ≈ 1010 V/cm(actual ≈ 109 V/cm)

based on collective effects

charged particles are accelerated by the field EP of plasma waves

plasma wave pulsation P = (4e2n/m)1/2

wave amplitude depends on fraction n of plasma electrons involved

if n ≈ n and v ≈ c, then

EP ≈ (4m)1/2 c n1/2 (Dawson limit)

breakdown of materials limits the accelerating field in conventional accelerators to E ≈ 106 V/cm(actual ≈ 2x105 V/cm)

but


Laser excitation of plasma waves

LWA laser wakefield

acceleration

• Plasma waves can be driven by laser pulses via ponderomotive forces

BWA beating wave acceleration

Tajima & Dawson (1979) suggested two ways for plasma accelerators driven by laser pulses

LWAlinearapprox

pulse duration L comparable

with the plasma wave period TP

with a gaussian pulse 2L ≈ TP

30 fs --> n ≈ 2.5 1018 cm-3


Tajima & Dawson in 1979……since then, an impressive progress has been done, mostly in the LWA and related schemes…

C. Gahn et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1999 Acceleration attributed to “Direct Acceleration”X. Wang et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2000 Acceleration correlated to relativistic FilamentationV. Malka et al. Phys. Plasmas 2001 Acceleration attributed to self-modulated LWAD. Giulietti et al, Phys. Plasmas 2002 Ultracollimated bunches from exploded thin foils

…the historic year 2004: the special issue of Nature on Dream Beams…

S. P. D. Mangles, C. D. Murphy, and Z. Najmudin, Nature 431, 535 (2004)C. G. R. Gedds, Cs. Toth, and J. van Tilborg, Nature 431, 538 (2004) J. Faure, Y. Glinec, and A. Pukhov, Nature 431, 541 (2004)

…year 2006: GeV electron bunches produced in cm-sized capillary discharges @ Berkley…

W.P. Leemans et al, Nature Physics 2, 696 (October 2006)

…recently, laser pulses longer than required by pure LWA, at moderately relativistic intensity, were proved to be also effective for electron acceleration…

The critical issue: reproducibility of the electron bunch parameters, including direction

Need for study and control of laser pulse propagation instabilities:Ionization de-focusing and self-phase modulation…Relativistic self-focusing and filamentation…Hosing…

A. Giulietti et al, Search for stable propagation of intense femtosecondlaser pulses in gas, in publication in Las. Part. Beams (2006)


Studies on propagation

Pre-formed plasma channels

Thierry AUGUSTE, Tiberio CECCOTTI, Pascal DE OLIVEIRA, Philippe MARTIN, Pascal MONOT

CEA-DSM/DRECAM/SPAM, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France

SLIC facility CEA-Saclay

In collaboration with:

Electron accelerationRadioactivation In collaboration also with:

Nicolas BOURGEOIS, Jean-Raphael MARQUESLULI, Palaiseau

Jean GALY, David HAMILTON

ITU, Karlsruhe


Studies on propagation- the experimental set-up -

f/5 parabola≈13µm spotFWHM M2 ≈ 3.3I ≈ 6 1018 Wcm-2

ao ≈ 1.2 & 1.7pulse/ASEpower contrastratio ≈ 106

energy contrast ratio ≈ 20

65 fs pulse0.6 J6 cm diam

focus in the centre of 3 mm laminar He jet

2 90 degreeshigh visibilityfemtosecondinterferometryimaging and

spectroscopyof the transmittedpulse

He density1.2 & 1.81019 at/cm-3

He breakdownthreshold for ASE

below

above

UHI10 laser


The third-order correlation curve

Studies on propagation- the UHI 10 laser pulse -

-4 -2 0 2 410-7

10-6

10-5

10-4

10-3

10-2

10-1

100

Relative intensity

Time (ps)

ASE level


Studies on propagation- femtosecond interferometry -

The main plasma diagnostic was interferometry performed in the Mach-Zehnder configuration with a probe pulse obtained by frequency doubling of a small portion of the main pulse. The probe was directed perpendicularly to the main pulse.The probe pulse duration was 130 fs. It was possible to follow the dynamics of the ionization of the gas during the propagation of the laser pulse in the 3 mm path in the gas jet:L.A. Gizzi et al. Femtosecond interferometry of propagation of a laminar ionization front in a gasPhys. Rev. E 74, 036403 (2006)

The actual time/space resolution at the ionization front was limited by the transit time of the probe across the ionized region:M. Galimberti Probe transit effect in interferometry of fast moving samplesJOSA A, in pubblication (2006)


The phase difference map is obtained from the fringe pattern with an original numerical technique based on Wavelet Transform:P. Tomassini et al., Appl. Optics, 40, 6561 (2001)

The electron density map is obtained from the phase difference map with an original algorithm based on Abel inversion extended to moderate axial asymmetric distributions:P. Tomassini & A. Giulietti , Optics Comm. 199, 143 (2001)

fringe pattern phase difference electron density

Studies on propagation- from the interferogram to the free electron density map -

pictures from P. Squillacioti et al.“Hydrodynamics of microplasmas…”Phys. Plasmas 11, 226 (2004)


Studies on propagation- free electron density -

He density1.21019 at/cm-3


below





below





below



He density 1.81019 at/cm-3


above





above





above


forward imaging of the focal spotno gas

Studies on propagation- transmitted laser image -


forward imaging of the focal spotpropagation w/o ASE preplasma

total energy transmitted 30%peak power transmitted 30%



forward imaging of the focal spotpropagation with ASE preplasma

total energy transmitted 5%peak power transmitted 18%



Studies on propagation- transmitted laser spectra -


1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016100101102103104105106107108109

1010101110121013101410151016

0

10

20

30

40

50

Rate (s

-1)

I (W/cm2)

ADK PPT

γ

Atomic density profile

UHI10 third-order correlation curve

-4 -2 0 2 410-7

10-6

10-5

10-4

10-3

10-2

10-1

100

Relative intensity

Time (ps)

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

00.10.20.40.50.60.80.91.0

PPT vs ADK ionization rates of He

• Laser performances : P = 10 TW, = 65 fs FWHM.• Focusing conditions : f# = f/5, focus position z0 = 0, M2 = 3.3.

• Peak intensity in vacuum : I0max = 3.261018 W/cm2.• Gas jet density : na = 1.81019 cm-3.

Keldysh parameter

Studies on propagation- numerical simulation -


-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.00.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

z (mm)

r (mm)

1E128.8E127.7E136.8E146E155.3E164.6E174.1E183.6E19

Contrast : 10-3 : 1.



-200 -150 -100 -50 0 50 100 150 2000.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

1010

1011

1012

1013

1014

1015

1016

1017

1018

1019

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 30.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

1E7

3.2E7

1E8

3.2E8

1E9

3.2E9

1E10

3.2E10

1E11

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 30.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

5E11

1.6E12

5E12

1.6E13

5E13

1.6E14

5E14

1.6E15

5E15

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 30.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

5E11

1.6E12

5E12

1.6E13

5E13

1.6E14

5E14

1.6E15

5E15

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 30.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

1E15

3.162E15

1E16

3.162E16

1E17

3.162E17

1E18

3.162E18

1E19

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 30.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

z (mm)

r (mm)

1E7

3.2E7

1E8

3.2E8

1E9

3.2E9

1E10

3.2E10

1E11 Z

Time (fs)

Intensity (W/cm

2)

Time history of the degree of ionization and laser intensity in the central cell

(r = z = 0)

-200 -150 -100 -50 0 50 100 150 2000.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

snapshot #5snapshot #4snapshot #3snapshot #2snapshot #1

I/I0

Time (fs)

# 1 # 2

# 3 # 4

# 5

Laser intensity in the moving (pulse) frame




A. Giulietti, P. Tomassini, M. Galimberti, D. Giulietti, L.A. Gizzi, P. Koester, L. Labate, T. Ceccotti, P. D’Oliveira, T. Auguste, P. Monot, P. Martin Pre-pulse effect on intense femtosecond laser pulse propagation in gas Phys. Plasmas 13, 093103 (2006)


Studies on propagation- REMARKS -

The experiment on propagation of a laser pulseof moderate relativistic intensity in He of densitysuitable for electron acceleration has shown a ratherstable propagation with weak refractive effects.

This scenario is substantially confirmed by simulation

Relativistic effects were not observed.

Out of the focal region, where the intensity is close to the ionization thresholds, the ionization driven effects act on the pulse.In the focal region, ionization driven effects are limited to the lateral wings of the pulse.Though the precursors of the CPA pulse can pre-ionize the focal region, they do not favourpropagation instabilities.

Above the gas breakdown threshold, the pre-plasmaproduced by the ASE acts on the main pulse as a cleaning spatial filter.

The direction of propagation of the pulse whas stablewithin a fraction af millirad

There is an intermedite range of intensity at which:

Ionization is too fast to perturb the propagating pulsewith SPM, defocusing ….

Relativistic effects are too weak

Ponderomotive effects are too slow (this point needs to be further investigated)



Plasma channels suitable for guiding focused laser pulses were produced with nanosecond pulses simulatingthe ASE associated with a CPA pulse.

Channel of a predictible variety of condions of interest for electron acceleration were obtained.

The technique is based on the optical breakdown of gasesin the regime of “propagating threshold”

A. Gamucci, M. Galimberti, D. Giulietti, L.A. Gizzi, L. Labate, C. Petcu, P. Tomassini, A. Giulietti, Appl. Phys. B, s00340-006-2268-0 (2006)


A. Gamucci, M. Galimberti, D. Giulietti, L.A. Gizzi, L. Labate, C. Petcu, P. Tomassini, A. Giulietti, Appl. Phys. B, s00340-006-2268-0 (2006)


the interferogram

the 3-D electron density distribution

the transversal density profile is very close to a parabolic profilewhose parameters allow optimum guiding of laser spots of few tens of µm’s

C.G. Durfee III, J. Linch,H.M. MilchbergMode Properties of a Plasma Waveguide for High-Intensity Laser Pulses Opt. Lett. 19, 1937 (1994)


Electron accelerationThe experiment was conducted with a supersonic Helium gas-jet with basically the same set-up as for the propagation studies.

Optical interferometry was the main plasma diagnostics.

Electron diagnostics included:- a Lanex screen for the spatial (angular) electron distribution-- a magnetic spectrometer for the electron energy distribution--- a radiochromic film stack (SHEEBA) for both space and energy distribution.

After a careful tuning of the experimental parameters (He pressure, nozzle size, nozzle inclination, focusing…) optimum conditions were found:Helium 25 bar, nozzle 4 mm, angle 22.5°, focusing F/8 at the entrance boundary

Laser

gas jet

electrons


Electron acceleration: data from Lanex screen

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sono necessari per visualizzare quest'immagine.

Helium 25 bar, nozzle 4 mm, angle 22.5°, focusing F/8 at the entrance boundary

For the most collimated bunches (shots 1,4,5,7,10,12) the mesured divergence is ≈ 30 mrad

Radial jets of electrons were observed in many shots

images from 12sequential shots


Electron acceleration: data from magnetic spectrometer



SHEEBA The Spatial High Energy Electron Beam Analyzer

Configuration used in the June 06 experiment @ SLIC -Saclay

Electron acceleration: layout of SHEEBA


shot # 135 to 144 on June 29th, 2006

Electron acceleration: data from SHEEBA



two different single-shotpatterns on LANEX

ten shots cumulated on a single layer of SHEEBA

electron jets feature

4 mm nozzle @ 22.5 °Helium at 25 bar pressure

Electron acceleration: data from Lanex & SHEEBA



SHEEBA Analysis Procedure

scanned radiochromic layer

MontecarloGEANT 4.2.0

reconstructed electron patterns

@ given energy

optical

density

Original SHEEBA

spectrum reconstruction algorithms

REAL DATA SIMULATION

simulated signal left by monoenergetic electron bunches on experimental-like radiochromic layers set

Number of Electrons

Electron spectrum

Electron angular distribution0

Nemax


Electron Angular Distribution vs Energy

E = 18 MeV E = 25 MeV E = 30 MeV E = 45 MeV

E = 60 MeV E = 75 MeV E = 100 MeV

0 0 0

0 0 0 09.7x108 7.8x108 6.8x108 3.8x108

3.1x108 2.1x108 1.9x108

250 mrad

[Electrons/MeV/sterad]




60 MeV electron patternInset of 4.3 mm x 4.3 mm

Whole imageInset

Electron Spectrum (Ee/MeV vs E)




Analysis of the 60 MeV Electron Signal – Horizontal Line-Out

50 mrad

1

2




Radioactivation

Laser

gas jet

electrons

Au

γ-rays

Ta

297Au(γn)296AuBremsstrahlung


Radioactivation: emission spectrum from the activated gold

The characteristic gamma lines associated with the decay of 196Au

333 and 355 keV

after 106laser shots


Radioactivation: lifetime of 196Au

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 1600

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

Counts

Time (h)

T? = 6.09 ± 0.26 days

expected value

6.17 daysmeasurement obtained from both 333 and 355 keV lines


Bremsstrahlung spectrum calculated from from the (γ,n) reaction yield and experimentally determined relative electron spectrum

Cross section vs γ energy for the nuclear reaction 297Au(γn)296Au

Radioactivation

(7.32 ± 0.31) x 109 electrons per shot with energy above 8 MeV

GEANT 4

(consistently with the estimation from radiochromic data)


Summary

Propagation - A favourable regime for propagation in gas of densities suitable for electron acceleration has been found at moderate relativistic intensity.

- In this regime the intense core of the pulse is basically free from either ionization de-focusing or relativistic self-focusing. - Plasmas preformed by both picosecond pedestal and ASE do not affect the propagation of the intense core of the pulse. - Plasma channels able to guide the pulse have been created via gas breakdown with ns pulses which can also simulate the ASE prepulse.

Acceleration - At those moderate intensities conditions were found for fairly stable and controllable production of collimated, nC electron bunches whose spectrum is peaked at 20-30 MeV.

- Four independent detection techniques, namely Lanex, Mag. spectrometer, SHEEBA and nuclear activation, provided a unique, self-consistent characterization of the electron bunches.

High field photonics in laser plasmas: propagation, acceleration and activation issues

Activation - The electron bunches were able to produce, via bremsstrahlung in a high-Z radiator and gamma induced nuclear reactions, a considerable number of radionucledes.


Laserelectrons

γ-rays

h≈ 1eV h≈ 10 MeV

h/h≈ 107

= Eγ/ EL ≥ 10-5 (h8 MeV)

the photon machine…

Documents

High field photonics in laser plasmas: propagation, acceleration and activation issues