Absorption in Temporally Clean Ultra-Intense Laser Plasma Interactions

ORAL

Abstract

Experiments at the HERCULES laser facility have been performed to measure the transmission and reflection of a temporally clean ultra-intense laser pulse interacting with a thin-film solid density target. The laser pulse had a nanosecond amplified spontaneous emission contrast of better than $10^{-15}$ which was achieved through a combination of cross polarized wave (XPW) pulse cleaning at the pre-amplification level as well as the use of dual plasma mirrors. Silicon based targets ranging in thickness from 10's of nanometers to millimeters demonstrated $\leq 1\%$ light transmission. Target reflectivity of up to 70\% was observed with S polarization, and up to 30\% with P polarization. An increase in target absorption was observed with thin-film targets which has been attributed to the deformation of the target critical surface. OSIRIS simulations have been performed to model the thin-film interactions, and have been compared to experimental results.

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Authors

  • Calvin Zulick

    University of Michigan

  • Franklin Dollar

    JILA - University of Colorado, University of Colorado, Boulder

  • Anthony Raymond

    University of Michigan, Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA

  • Louise Willingale

    University of Michigan

  • Vladimir Chvykov

    University of Michigan

  • Galina Kalintchenko

    University of Michigan

  • A. Maksimchuk

    University of Michigan, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

  • Alexander Thomas

    University of Michigan, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, University of Michigan Center for Ultrafast Optical Sciences, Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099

  • Victor Yanovsky

    University of Michigan

  • Karl Krushelnick

    University of Michigan, Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099