K. Cassou

Submicrometer digital in-line holographic microscopy at 32 nm with high-order harmonics

Soft-x-ray digital in-line microscopic holography is achieved using a fully coherent high-order harmonic source emitting at 32 nm. Combination of commercial-grade soft-x-ray optics and a back-illuminated CCD detector allows a compact and versatile holographic setup. Different experimental geometries have been tested by imaging calibrated 50 nm tips and 1 microm wires. Spatial resolution of 800 nm is measured with magnifications ranging from 30 to 110 and a numerical aperture around 0.01. Finally, the potentiality of three-dimensional numerical reconstruction from a single hologram acquisition is shown experimentally.

Optimization toward a high-average-brightness soft-x-ray laser pumped at grazing incidence

We report the near-field imaging characterization of a 10 Hz Ni-like 18.9 nm molybdenum soft-x-ray laser pumped in a grazing incidence pumping (GRIP) geometry with a table-top laser driver. We investigate the effect of varying the GRIP angle on the spatial behavior of the soft-x-ray laser source. After multiparameter optimization, we were able to find conditions to generate routinely a high-repetition-rate soft-x-ray laser with an energy level of up to 3 microJ/pulse and to 6x10(17) photons/s/mm2/mrad2/(0.1% bandwidth) average brightness and 1x10(28) photons/s/mm2/mrad2/(0.1% bandwidth) peak brightness.

Optimization of the non-normal incidence, transient pumped plasma X-ray laser for laser spectroscopy and plasma diagnostics at the facility for antiproton and ion research (FAIR)

Intense and stable laser operation with Ni-like Zr and Ag was demonstrated at pump energies between 2 J and 5 J energy from the PHELIX pre-amplifier section. A novel single mirror focusing scheme for the TCE x-ray laser ~XRL! has been successfully implemented by the LIXAM0MBI0GSI collaboration under different pump geometries. This shows potential for an extension to shorter XRL wavelength. Generation of high quality XRL beams for XRL spectroscopy of highly charged ions is an important issue within the scientific program of PHELIX. Long range perspective is the study of nuclear properties of radioactive isotopes within the FAIR project.

Laser-driven plasma waves in capillary tubes

The excitation of plasma waves over a length of up to 8 cm is demonstrated using laser guiding of intense laser pulses through hydrogen-filled glass capillary tubes. The plasma waves are diagnosed by spectral analysis of the transmitted laser radiation. The dependence of the spectral redshift-measured as a function of filling pressure, capillary tube length, and incident laser energy-is in excellent agreement with simulation results. The longitudinal accelerating field inferred from the simulations is in the range of 1-10 GV/m.

Analysis of laser wakefield dynamics in capillary tubes

A general approach to the modifications of the spectrum of a laser pulse interacting with matter is elaborated and used for spectral diagnostics of laser wakefield generation in guiding structures. Analytical predictions of the laser frequency red shift due to the wakefield excited in a capillary waveguide are confirmed by self-consistent modeling results. The role of ionization blue shift, and nonlinear laser pulse and wakefield dynamics on the spectrum modification, is analyzed for recent experiments on plasma wave excitation by an intense laser pulse guided in hydrogen-filled glass capillary tubes up to 8?cm long. The dependence of the spectral frequency shift, measured as a function of filling pressure, capillary tube length and incident laser energy, is in excellent agreement with the simulation results, and the associated longitudinal accelerating field is in the range 1?10?GV?m?1.

Fourier-limited seeded soft x-ray laser pulse

We present what we believe to be the first measurement of the spectral properties of a soft x-ray laser seeded by a high-order harmonic beam. Using an interferometric method, the spectral profile of a seeded Ni-like krypton soft x-ray laser (32.8 nm) generated by optical field ionization has been experimentally determined, and the shortest possible pulse duration has been deduced. The source exhibits a Voigt spectral profile with an FWHM of 3.1+/-0.3 mA, leading to a Fourier-transform pulse duration of 4.7 ps. This value is comparable with the upper limit of the soft x-ray pulse duration determined by experimentally investigating the gain dynamics, from which we conclude that the source has reached the Fourier limit. The measured bandwidth is in good agreement with the predictions of a radiative transfer code, including gain line narrowing and saturation rebroadening.

Optimization of soft x-ray amplifier by tailoring plasma hydrodynamics.

Plasma-based soft x-ray lasers have the potentiality to generate high-energy, highly coherent, short pulse beam. Thanks to their high density, plasmas created by interaction of intense laser with solid target should store the highest amount of energy among every plasma amplifiers. However, to date output energy from solid amplifiers remains as low as 60 nJ [1]. For 30 m micrometer focal line width, we demonstrated with the 2D hydrodynamic code with radiation transport in AMR ARWEN [2] that deleterious hydrodynamic effects, as the lateral expansion and thermal conduction, reduce the amplification surface and the gain coefficient. Thus, carefully tailoring the plasma shape is crucial for extracting energy stored in the plasma. With 1 mm wide plasma, energy as high as 20 J in sub-ps pulse is achievable [3]. With such tailored plasma, pumping efficiency has been increased by nearly a factor of 10 as compared to former plasma amplifiers.

Theoretical and experimental study of laser beam propagation in capillary tubes for non-symmetrical coupling conditions

A non-symmetrical theoretical model is used to describe the propagation of laser beams in dielectric capillary waveguides under non-ideal coupling conditions. The displacement of the laser beam focusing point from the capillary axis, the deviation of the transverse energy distribution from a symmetric one, and an angle of incidence different from zero modify, through the excitation and beating of several modes, the energy repartition during the propagation in the waveguides. The results of modeling are in very good agreement with experimental results, obtained with a low-intensity laser beam on a test bench, where good control of the laser energy distribution in the focal plane, the focusing point position, and the angle of incidence was achieved.

Quantitative study of 10 Hz operation of a soft x-ray laser-energy stability and target considerations

A soft x-ray laser from Ni-like Mo, pumped in grazing incidence (GRIP), is analyzed with regard to high repetition rate operation. Reliable lasing is obtained, but with significant energy fluctuations attributed mainly to beam pointing jitter from the pump laser. Two modes of operation are compared: continuously moving target and stationary target. With a moving target the soft X-ray output is constant on average, whereas the repeated use of the same target position leads to a pulse energy which increases for several tens of shots. This effect might be caused by improved guiding of the pump laser in the formed groove and the removal, through laser ablation, of the oxide layer on the target surface.

Enhancement of x-rays generated by a guided laser wakefield accelerator inside capillary tubes

Electrons accelerated in the nonlinear regime in a laser wakefield accelerator experience transverse oscillations inside the plasma cavity, giving rise to ultra-short pulsed x-rays, also called the betatron radiation. We show that the fluence of x-ray can be enhanced by more than one order of magnitude when the laser is guided by a 10 mm long capillary tube instead of interacting with a 2 mm gas jet. X-rays with a synchrotron-like spectrum and associated critical energy ∼5 keV, with a peak brightness of ∼1×1021 ph/s/mm2/mrad2/0.1%BW, were achieved by employing 16 TW laser pulses.