S. X. Luan

High energy density micro plasma bunch from multiple laser interaction with thin target

Three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation is used to investigate radiation-pressure driven acceleration and compression of small solid-density plasma by intense laser pulses. It is found that multiple impacts by presently available short-pulse lasers on a small hemispheric shell target can create a long-living tiny quasineutral monoenergetic plasma bunch of very high energy density.

Identifying the source of super-high energetic electrons in the presence of pre-plasma in laser–matter interaction at relativistic intensities

The generation of super-high energetic electrons influenced by pre-plasma at relativistic intensity laser-matter interaction is studied in a one-dimensional slab approximation with particle-in-cell simulations. Different pre-plasma scale-lengths of

Analytical model for interaction of short intense laser pulse with solid target

1\ \mu\text{m}

Extreme case of Faraday effect: magnetic splitting of ultrashort laser pulses in plasmas

,

Generation of quasi-monoenergetic carbon ions accelerated parallel to the plane of a sandwich target

5\ \mu\text{m}

The sources of super-high energetic electron at relativistic circularly-polarized laser-solid interactions in the presence of large scale pre-plasmas

,

Trapping of electromagnetic radiation in self-generated and preformed cavities

10\ \mu\text{m}

Monoenergetic collimated nano-Coulomb electron beams driven by crossed laser beams

and

Target normal sheath acceleration of foil ions by laser-trapped hot electrons from a long subcritical-density preplasma

15\ \mu\text{m}

Trapping of intense light in hollow shell

are considered, showing an increase in both particle number and cut-off kinetic energy of electrons with the increase of pre-plasma scale-length, and the cut-off kinetic energy greatly exceeding the corresponding laser ponderomotive energy. A two-stage electron acceleration model is proposed to explain the underlying physics. The first stage is attributed to the synergetic acceleration by longitudinal electric field and laser pulse, with its efficiency depending on the pre-plasma scale-length. These electrons pre-accelerated in the first stage could build up an intense electrostatic potential barrier with its maximal value several times as large of the initial electron kinetic energy. Part of energetic electrons could be further accelerated by the reflection off the electrostatic potential barrier, with their finial kinetic energies significantly higher than the values pre-accelerated in the first stage.