Contrast enhancement of ultra-intense laser pulses by relativistic plasma shutter

0544090 - ÚFP 2022 RIV US eng C - Conference Paper (international conference)
Nikl, Jan - Jirka, M. - Matys, M. - Kuchařík, M. - Klimo, O.
Contrast enhancement of ultra-intense laser pulses by relativistic plasma shutter.
Proceedings of SPIE: The International Society for Optical Engineering. Vol. 11777. Bellingham: International Society for Optics and Photonics, 2021, Roč. 11777 (2021), č. článku 117770X. ISBN 9781510643888. ISSN 0277-786X.
[High Power Lasers and Applications - SPIE Optics and Optoelectronics Digital Forum 2021. online (US), 19.04.2021-23.04.2021]
EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 633053 - EUROfusion
Institutional support: RVO:61389021
Keywords : Contrast enhancement * Plasma shutter * Pre-plasma * Relativistic transparency * Ultra-high intensity
OECD category: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics)
https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/11777/2589245/Contrast-enhancement-of-ultra-intense-laser-pulses-by-relativistic-plasma/10.1117/12.2589245.short?SSO=1

An increasing intensity of the laser systems becomes available for experiments in the fields of particle acceleration, radiation sources and many other applications. The higher intensity of the laser irradiation is inherently accompanied by the growth of the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) pedestal and other parasitic effects. Considering the forthcoming generation of multi-PW laser systems, the nanosecond and picosecond pedestals significantly exceed the respective plasma formation thresholds and may have detrimental effects on the laser target interaction. One of the promising methods to mitigate these effects is the relativistic plasma shutter, where an ultra-thin foil is placed in front of the target. The initial interaction with the shutter increases the temporal contrast, where the pre-plasma is opaque for the pedestal, but relativistically transparent for the main pulse. Moreover, the created pre-plasma exhibits a focussing effect, increasing the effective intensity of the main pulse. Two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of the pedestal are performed, followed by PIC simulations of the main pulse. The parameters of the shutter, like density and thickness, are varied to optimize performance of the configuration.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0321147