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High Efficiency Plasma Diffraction Gratings Generated in Cluster Jets

ORAL

Abstract

High efficiency diffraction of intense laser light without incurring grating damage is an area of high interest. Modern lasers often exceed solid material damage thresholds, requiring the construction of large-surface-area gratings to reduce the intensity of the incident light. Plasma based gratings offer a promising alternative due to their high damage resistance. However, there are many obstacles still remaining to field a working plasma grating. Here we present experimental and simulation results which demonstrate very high-efficiency first-order diffraction of a λ=3.9 um laser pulse with plasma transmission gratings. The gratings are formed in an argon cluster jet by avalanche ionization driven by a pair of intersecting λ=1.064 mm pulses. We achieve average and peak diffraction efficiencies of 35% and 60%, respectively, constituting the highest efficiency plasma gratings demonstrated to date [1]. We additionally present plans for follow-up optimization of cluster-based plasma gratings.

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Publication: Control of Intense Light with Avalanche-Ionization Volume Transmission Gratings<br>M. R. Edwards, S. Waczynski, R. M. Schwartz, E. Rockafellow, L. Manzo, A. Zingale, P. Michel, and H. M. Milchberg<br>Submitted for publication

Presenters

  • Stefan K Waczynski

    Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park MD, 20742 USA, IREAP, Universtiy of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland, College Park

Authors

  • Stefan K Waczynski

    Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park MD, 20742 USA, IREAP, Universtiy of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland, College Park

  • Matthew R Edwards

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore CA 94550, Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab

  • Anthony Zingale

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545

  • Ela M Rockafellow

    Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park MD, 20742 USA, University of Maryland, College Park

  • Robert M Schwartz

    Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park MD, 20742 USA, University of Maryland, University of Maryland, College Park

  • Pierre A Michel

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore CA 94550, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab

  • Howard M Milchberg

    Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, University of Maryland, College Park MD, 20742 USA, University of Maryland, College Park