A5074831444- Laser-Plasma Interactions and Diagnostics
- Laser-induced spectroscopy and plasma
- Laser-Matter Interactions and Applications
- High-pressure geophysics and materials
- Particle Detector Development and Performance
- Particle accelerators and beam dynamics
- Particle Accelerators and Free-Electron Lasers
- Nuclear Physics and Applications
- Advanced X-ray Imaging Techniques
- Electron and X-Ray Spectroscopy Techniques
- Laser Design and Applications
- Scientific Computing and Data Management
- Plasma Diagnostics and Applications
- Solid State Laser Technologies
- Geophysics and Gravity Measurements
- Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Photocathodes and Microchannel Plates
- Spacecraft and Cryogenic Technologies
- Machine Learning in Materials Science
- Magnetic confinement fusion research
- Calibration and Measurement Techniques
- Advanced Data Storage Technologies
- Scientific Measurement and Uncertainty Evaluation
- Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research
- Advanced Optical Sensing Technologies
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
2022-2024
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf
2013-2024
TU Dresden
2015-2023
Laser-plasma wakefield accelerators have seen tremendous progress, now capable of producing quasi-monoenergetic electron beams in the GeV energy range with few-femtoseconds bunch duration. Scaling these to nanocoulomb would yield hundreds kiloamperes peak current and stimulate next generation radiation sources covering high-field THz, high-brightness X-ray γ-ray sources, compact free-electron lasers laboratory-size beam-driven plasma accelerators. However, generating such currents operate...
We report on first commissioning results of the DRACO Petawatt ultra-short pulse laser system implemented at ELBE center for high power radiation sources Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf. Key parameters essential efficient and reproducible performance plasma accelerators are presented discussed with demonstration 40 MeV proton acceleration under TNSA conditions as well peaked electron spectra unprecedented bunch charge in 0.5 nC range.
Abstract We report on experimental investigations of proton acceleration from solid foils irradiated with PW-class laser-pulses, where highest cut-off energies were achieved for temporal pulse parameters that varied significantly those an ideally Fourier transform limited (FTL) pulse. Controlled spectral phase modulation the driver laser by means acousto-optic programmable dispersive filter enabled us to manipulate shape last picoseconds around main and study effect thin foil targets. The...
Laser plasma-based particle accelerators attract great interest in fields where conventional reach limits based on size, cost or beam parameters. Despite the fact that cell simulations have predicted several advantageous ion acceleration schemes, laser not yet reached their full potential producing simultaneous high-radiation doses at high energies. The most stringent limitation is lack of a suitable high-repetition rate target also provides degree control plasma conditions required to...
Laser-driven ion sources are a rapidly developing technology producing high energy, peak current beams. Their suitability for applications, such as compact medical accelerators, motivates development of robust acceleration schemes using widely available repetitive ultraintense femtosecond lasers. These applications not only require beam but also place demanding requirements on the source stability and controllability. This can be seriously affected by laser temporal contrast, precluding...
For high-intensity laser-solid interactions, the absolute density and surface gradients of target at arrival ultrarelativistic laser peak are critical parameters. Accurate modeling leading edge-driven preexpansion is desired to strengthen predictive power associated computer simulations. The transition from an initial solid state a plasma state, i.e., breakdown solid, defines starting point subsequent preexpansion. In this work, we report on time-resolved observation transient laser-induced...
The complex physics of the interaction between short pulse high intensity lasers and solids is so far hardly accessible by experiments. As a result missing experimental capabilities to probe electron dynamics competing instabilities, this impedes development compact laser-based next generation secondary radiation sources, e.g. for tumor therapy [Bulanov2002,ledingham2007], laboratory-astrophysics [Remington1999,Bulanov2015], fusion [Tabak2014]. At present, fundamental plasma that occur at...
Abstract The interaction between intense 30 fs laser pulses and foam-coated 1.5 μ m-thick Al foils in the relativistic regime (up to 5 × 10 20 W cm −2 ) is studied optimize energy conversion into laser-accelerated protons. A significant enhancement observed for foam targets terms of proton cut-off (18.5 MeV) number protons above 4.7 MeV (4 9 protons/shot) with respect uncoated (9.5 MeV, 1 protons/shot), together a sixfold increase bremsstrahlung yield. This attributed increased absorption...
Extreme field gradients intrinsic to relativistic laser-interactions with thin solid targets enable compact MeV proton accelerators unique bunch characteristics. Yet, direct control of the beam profile is usually not possible. Here we present a readily applicable all-optical approach imprint detailed spatial information from driving laser pulse onto bunch. In series experiments, counter-intuitively, energetic was found exhibit identical structures as fraction passing around target limited...
In the effort of achieving high-energetic ion beams from interaction ultrashort laser pulses with a plasma, volumetric acceleration mechanisms beyond Target Normal Sheath Acceleration have gained attention. A relativisticly intense can turn near critical density plasma slowly transparent, facilitating synchronized ions at moving relativistic front. While simulations promise extremely high energies in this regime, challenge resides realization movement ultra-relativistic pulse ($a_0\gtrsim...
We study the feasibility of using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) as a new experimental diagnostic for intense laser-solid interactions. By pulses from hard free electron laser, we can simultaneously achieve nanometer and femtosecond resolution laser-driven samples. This is an important capability Helmholtz international beamline extreme fields at high energy density endstation currently built European laser. review relevant SAXS theory its application to transient processes in solid...
Extreme states of matter exist throughout the universe, e.g., inside planetary cores, stars, or astrophysical jets. Such conditions can be generated in laboratory interaction powerful lasers with solids. Yet, measurement subsequent plasma dynamics regard to density, temperature, and ionization is a major experimental challenge. However, ultrashort x-ray pulses provided by free electron (XFELs) allow for dedicated studies, which are highly relevant study astrophysics, laser-fusion research,...
Particle accelerator modeling is an important field of research and development, essential to investigating, designing operating some the most complex scientific devices ever built. Kinetic simulations relativistic, charged particle beams advanced plasma elements are often performed with high-fidelity particle-in-cell simulations, which fill largest GPU supercomputers. Start-to-end a includes many it desirable integrate model fast, in effective models. Traditionally, analytical...
Laser-driven ion acceleration provides ultrashort, high-charge, low-emittance beams, which are desirable for a wide range of high-impact applications. Yet after decades research, significant increase in maximum energy is still needed. This paper introduces quality-preserving staging concept ultraintense bunches that seamlessly applicable from the nonrelativistic plasma source to relativistic regime. Full three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations prove robustness and capture high-charge...
Abstract We present a computational study of isochoric heating in multi-layered (ML) targets at ultra-high intensity laser irradiation ( <?CDATA ${\sim}10^{20}\,{\mathrm{W\,cm}}^{-2}$?> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:msup> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> <mml:mn>20</mml:mn> </mml:msup> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">W</mml:mi> mathvariant="normal">c</mml:mi> mathvariant="normal">m</mml:mi> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo>...
Abstract Laser-ion acceleration with ultra-short pulse, petawatt-class lasers is dominated by non-thermal, intra-pulse plasma dynamics. The presence of multiple ion species or charge states in targets leads to characteristic modulations and even mono-energetic features, depending on the choice target material. As spectral signatures generated beams are frequently used characterize underlying mechanisms, thermal, multi-fluid descriptions require revision for predictive capabilities control...
Abstract Due to the non-linear nature of relativistic laser induced plasma processes, development laser-plasma accelerators requires precise numerical modeling. Especially high intensity laser-solid interactions are sensitive temporal rising edge and predictive capability simulations suffers from incomplete information on state at onset interaction. Experimental diagnostics utilizing ultra-fast optical backlighters can help ease this challenge by providing temporally resolved inside into...
Realistic simulations of experiments at large scale photon facilities, such as optical laser laboratories, synchrotrons, and free electron lasers, are vital importance for the successful preparation, execution, analysis these investigating ever more complex physical systems, e.g. biomolecules, materials, ultra-short lived states highly excited matter. Traditional science modelling takes into account only isolated aspects an experiment, beam propagation, photon-matter interaction, or...
Simulations of experiments at modern light sources, such as optical laser laboratories, synchrotrons, and free electron lasers, become increasingly important for the successful preparation, execution, analysis these investigating ever more complex physical systems, e.g. biomolecules, materials, ultra–short lived states matter extreme conditions. We have implemented a platform complete start–to–end simulations various types photon science experiments, tracking radiation from source through...
With the rapid development of short-pulse intense laser sources, studies matter under extreme irradiation conditions enter further unexplored regimes. In addition, an application X-ray Free- Electron Lasers (XFELs), delivering femtosecond pulses allows to investigate sample evolution in IR pump - probe experiments with unprecedented time resolution. Here we present detailed study periodic plasma created from colloidal crystal. Both experimental data and theory modeling show that periodicity...
The workshop focused on the application of ANAs to particle physics keeping in mind ultimate goal a collider at energy frontier (10\,TeV, e$^+$/e$^-$, e$^-$/e$^-$, or $\gamma\gamma$). development is conducted universities and national laboratories worldwide. community thematically broad diverse, particular since lasers suitable for ANA research (multi-hundred-terawatt peak power, few tens femtosecond-long pulses) acceleration electrons hundreds mega electron volts multi giga became...
Particle accelerator modeling is an important field of research and development, essential to investigating, designing operating some the most complex scientific devices ever built. Kinetic simulations relativistic, charged particle beams advanced plasma elements are often performed with high-fidelity particle-in-cell simulations, which fill largest GPU supercomputers. Start-to-end a includes many it desirable integrate model fast, in effective models. Traditionally, analytical...
Abstract Ultra-intense lasers that ionize atoms and accelerate electrons in solids to near the speed of light can lead kinetic instabilities alter laser absorption subsequent electron transport, isochoric heating, ion acceleration. These be difficult characterize, but X-ray scattering at keV photon energies allows for their visualization with femtosecond temporal resolution on few nanometer mesoscale. Here, we perform such experiment laser-driven flat silicon membranes shows development...