Search Results (7)

This review explores two main topics: the state-of-the-art and emerging capabilities of high-peak-power, ultrafast (picosecond and femtosecond) long-wave infrared (LWIR) laser technology based on CO₂ gas laser amplifiers, and the current and advanced scientific applications of this laser class. The discussion is grounded in expertise gained at the Accelerator Test Facility (ATF) of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), a leading center for ultrafast, high-power CO₂ laser development and a National User Facility with a strong track record in high-intensity physics experiments. We begin by reviewing the status of 9–10 μm CO₂ laser technology and its applications, before exploring potential breakthroughs, including the realization of 100 terawatt femtosecond pulses. These advancements will drive ongoing research in electron and ion acceleration in plasma, along with applications in secondary radiation sources and atmospheric energy transport. Throughout the review, we highlight how wavelength scaling of physical effects enhances the capabilities of ultra-intense lasers in the LWIR spectrum, expanding the frontiers of both fundamental and applied science. Full article

High-order harmonic generation is one of the ways to generate attosecond ultra-short pulses. In order to accurately simulate the high-order harmonic emission, it is necessary to perform fast and accurate calculations on the interaction between the atoms and strong laser fields. The accurate profile of the laser field is obtained from the propagation through the gas target. Under the conditions of longer wavelength driving lasers and higher gas densities, the calculation of the laser field becomes more challenging. In this paper, we utilize the driving laser electric field information obtained from numerically solving the three-dimensional Maxwell’s equations as data for machine learning, enabling the prediction of the propagation process of intense laser fields using an artificial neural network. It is found that the simulation based on frequency domain can improve the accuracy of electric field by two orders of magnitude compared with the simulation directly from time domain. On this basis, the feasibility of the transfer learning scheme for laser field prediction is further studied. This study lays a foundation for the rapid and accurate simulation of the interaction between intense laser and matter by using an artificial neural network scheme. Full article

In this study, the self-diffraction (SD) process proved to be a competitive method to achieve a seed pulse with high temporal contrast in ultra-intense lasers. Several different nonlinear, transparent Kerr media including BK7 glasses, AL₂O₃ and CVD diamonds were compared experimentally to obtain SD signals with high energy and high conversion efficiency. AL₂O₃, with a high third-order nonlinear coefficient and high laser damage threshold, was found to be the best medium to improve the conversion efficiency of SD signals. The highest first-order SD signal of 401.7 μJ was achieved, with the conversion efficiency at approximately 9.1%, when the incident pulse energy was 4.40 mJ. The temporal contrast of the obtained first-order SD signal was improved by 7 orders of magnitude to 10¹². As a result, this cleaning pulse will facilitate research involving ultra-intense laser systems and high-intensity laser–matter interactions. Full article

Controlling the motion of macroscopic oscillators in the quantum regime has been the subject of intense research in recent decades. In this direction, opto-mechanical systems, where the motion of micro-objects is strongly coupled with laser light radiation pressure, have had tremendous success. In particular, the motion of levitating objects can be manipulated at the quantum level thanks to their very high isolation from the environment under ultra-low vacuum conditions. To enter the quantum regime, schemes using single long-lived atomic spins, such as the electronic spin of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond, coupled with levitating mechanical oscillators have been proposed. At the single spin level, they offer the formidable prospect of transferring the spins’ inherent quantum nature to the oscillators, with foreseeable far-reaching implications in quantum sensing and tests of quantum mechanics. Adding the spin degrees of freedom to the experimentalists’ toolbox would enable access to a very rich playground at the crossroads between condensed matter and atomic physics. We review recent experimental work in the field of spin-mechanics that employ the interaction between trapped particles and electronic spins in the solid state and discuss the challenges ahead. Our focus is on the theoretical background close to the current experiments, as well as on the experimental limits, that, once overcome, will enable these systems to unleash their full potential. Full article

In this paper, we present the status of the line for laser-driven light ions acceleration (L3IA) currently under implementation at the Intense Laser Irradiation Laboratory (ILIL), and we provide an overview of the pilot experimental activity on laser-driven ion acceleration carried out in support of the design of the line. A description of the main components is given, including the laser, the beam transport line, the interaction chamber, and the diagnostics. A review of the main results obtained so far during the pilot experimental activity is also reported, including details of the laser-plasma interaction and ion beam characterization. A brief description of the preliminary results of a dedicated numerical modeling is also provided. Full article

Real-time observation of ultrafast dynamics in the microcosm is a fundamental approach for understanding the internal evolution of physical, chemical and biological systems. Tools for tracing such dynamics are flashes of light with duration comparable to or shorter than the characteristic evolution times of the system under investigation. While femtosecond (fs) pulses are successfully used to investigate vibrational dynamics in molecular systems, real time observation of electron motion in all states of matter requires temporal resolution in the attosecond (1 attosecond (asec) = 10⁻¹⁸ s) time scale. During the last decades, continuous efforts in ultra-short pulse engineering led to the development of table-top sources which can produce asec pulses. These pulses have been synthesized by using broadband coherent radiation in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectral region generated by the interaction of matter with intense fs pulses. Here, we will review asec pulses generated by the interaction of gas phase media and solid surfaces with intense fs IR laser fields. After a brief overview of the fundamental process underlying the XUV emission form these media, we will review the current technology, specifications and the ongoing developments of such asec sources. Full article

This paper reviews techniques for improving the temporal contrast and spatial beam quality in an ultra-intense laser system that is based on chirped-pulse amplification (CPA). We describe the design, performance, and characterization of our laser system, which has the potential for achieving a peak power of 600 TW. We also describe applications of the laser system in the relativistically dominant regime of laser-matter interactions and discuss a compact, high efficiency diode-pumped laser system. Full article