Antoine Rousse

Frequency-domain interferometer for measuring the phase and amplitude of a femtosecond pulse probing a laser-produced plasma

A frequency-domain interferometer for probing the variations of the dielectric constant of a plasma with sub-100- fs temporal resolution and lambda/2000 phase resolution is described. Imaging the plasma on the entrance slit of a spectrograph provides spatial resolution along a diameter of the focal spot. The technique is used to map out the expansion of the critical density surface of a femtosecond laser-produced plasma with subnanometer spatial resolution along the laser axis.

Single shot phase contrast imaging using laser-produced Betatron x-ray beams.

Development of x-ray phase contrast imaging applications with a laboratory scale source have been limited by the long exposure time needed to obtain one image. We demonstrate, using the Betatron x-ray radiation produced when electrons are accelerated and wiggled in the laser-wakefield cavity, that a high-quality phase contrast image of a complex object (here, a bee), located in air, can be obtained with a single laser shot. The Betatron x-ray source used in this proof of principle experiment has a source diameter of 1.7 μm and produces a synchrotron spectrum with critical energy E(c)=12.3±2.5 keV and 10⁹ photons per shot in the whole spectrum.

Demonstration of the synchrotron-type spectrum of laser-produced Betatron radiation

Betatron x-ray radiation in laser–plasma accelerators is produced when electrons are accelerated and wiggled in the laser-wakefield cavity. This femtosecond source, producing intense x-ray beams in the multi-kiloelectronvolt (keV) range, has been observed at different interaction regimes using a high-power laser from 10 to 100 TW. However, none of the spectral measurements carried out were at sufficient resolution, bandwidth and signal-to-noise ratio to precisely determine the shape of spectra with a single laser shot in order to avoid shot-to-shot fluctuations. In this paper, the Betatron radiation produced using a 80 TW laser is characterized by using a single photon counting method. We measure in a single shot spectra from 8 to 21 keV with a resolution better than 350 eV. The results obtained are in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions and demonstrate the synchrotron-type nature of this radiation mechanism. The critical energy is found to be Ec=5.6±1 keV for our experimental conditions. In addition, the features of the source at this energy range open up novel opportunities for applications in time-resolved x-ray science.

Laser based synchrotron radiation

Beams of x rays in the kiloelectronvolt energy range have been produced from laser-matter interaction. Here, energetic electrons are accelerated by a laser wakefield, and experience betatron oscillations in an ion channel formed in the wake of the intense femtosecond laser pulse. Experiments using a 50 TW laser (30 fs duration) are described, as well as comparisons with numerical simulations. These results pave the way of a new generation of radiation in the x-ray spectral range, with a high collimation and an ultrafast pulse duration, produced by the use of compact laser system.

Effects of pulse duration on self-focusing of ultra-short lasers in underdense plasmas

An experiment investigating laser self-focusing in underdense plasmas is presented. It was shown experimentally that the critical power for relativistic self-focusing Pc is not the only relevant parameter, in particular when the laser pulse duration is comparable to plasma particle motion times: ωp−1 for electrons and ωpi−1 for ions. Using time resolved shadowgraphy, it was demonstrated that: (i) a pulse does not relativistically self-focus if its duration is too short compared to ωp−1, even in the case where the power is greater than Pc. This is due to defocusing by the longitudinal wake which is generated by the laser pulse itself. (ii) For pulses longer than ωpi−1, self-focusing can occur even for powers lower than Pc. This is due to the radial expansion of ions, creating a channel whose effect combines with relativistic focusing and helps the pulse to self-focus.

Observation of longitudinal and transverse self-injections in laser-plasma accelerators

Laser-plasma accelerators can produce high-quality electron beams, up to giga electronvolts in energy, from a centimetre scale device. The properties of the electron beams and the accelerator stability are largely determined by the injection stage of electrons into the accelerator. The simplest mechanism of injection is self-injection, in which the wakefield is strong enough to trap cold plasma electrons into the laser wake. The main drawback of this method is its lack of shot-to-shot stability. Here we present experimental and numerical results that demonstrate the existence of two different self-injection mechanisms. Transverse self-injection is shown to lead to low stability and poor-quality electron beams, because of a strong dependence on the intensity profile of the laser pulse. In contrast, longitudinal injection, which is unambiguously observed for the first time, is shown to lead to much more stable acceleration and higher-quality electron beams.

Demonstration of the ultrafast nature of laser produced betatron radiation

This Letter aims to demonstrate the ultrafast nature of laser produced betatron radiation and its potential for application experiments. An upper estimate of the betatron x-ray pulse duration has been obtained by performing a time-resolved x-ray diffraction experiment: The ultrafast nonthermal melting of a semiconductor crystal (InSb) has been used to trigger the betatron x-ray beam diffracted from the surface. An x-ray pulse duration of less than 1ps at full width half-maximum (FWHM) has been measured with a best fit obtained for 100fs FWHM.

Demonstration of relativistic electron beam focusing by a laser-plasma lens

Laser-plasma technology promises a drastic reduction of the size of high-energy electron accelerators. It could make free-electron lasers available to a broad scientific community and push further the limits of electron accelerators for high-energy physics. Furthermore, the unique femtosecond nature of the source makes it a promising tool for the study of ultrafast phenomena. However, applications are hindered by the lack of suitable lens to transport this kind of high-current electron beams mainly due to their divergence. Here we show that this issue can be solved by using a laser-plasma lens in which the field gradients are five order of magnitude larger than in conventional optics. We demonstrate a reduction of the divergence by nearly a factor of three, which should allow for an efficient coupling of the beam with a conventional beam transport line.

Betatron radiation from density tailored plasmas

In laser wakefield accelerators, electron motion is driven by intense forces that depend on the plasma density. Transverse oscillations in the accelerated electron orbits produce betatron radiation. The electron motion and the resulting betatron radiation spectrum can therefore be controlled by shaping the plasma density along the orbit of the electrons. Here, a method based on the use of a plasma with a longitudinal density variation (density depression or step) is proposed to increase the transverse oscillation amplitude and the energy of the electrons accelerated in a wakefield cavity. For fixed laser parameters, by appropriately tailoring the plasma profile, the betatron radiation emitted by these electrons is significantly increased in both flux and energy.

Mapping the X-Ray Emission Region in a Laser-Plasma Accelerator

The x-ray emission in laser-plasma accelerators can be a powerful tool to understand the physics of relativistic laser-plasma interaction. It is shown here that the mapping of betatron x-ray radiation can be obtained from the x-ray beam profile when an aperture mask is positioned just beyond the end of the emission region. The influence of the plasma density on the position and the longitudinal profile of the x-ray emission is investigated and compared to particle-in-cell simulations. The measurement of the x-ray emission position and length provides insight on the dynamics of the interaction, including the electron self-injection region, possible multiple injection, and the role of the electron beam driven wakefield.