Optimization of plasma mirror reflectivity and optical quality using double laser pulses
We measure a record 96 ±2.5% specularly reflected energy fraction from an interaction with a plasma mirror (PM) surface preionized by a controlled prepulse and find that the optical quality is dependent on the inter pulse time delay. Simulations show that the main pulse reflected energy is a strong...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
IOP Publishing
2015-01-01
|
Series: | New Journal of Physics |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/3/033027 |
_version_ | 1797751171268476928 |
---|---|
author | G G Scott V Bagnoud C Brabetz R J Clarke J S Green R I Heathcote H W Powell B Zielbauer T D Arber P McKenna D Neely |
author_facet | G G Scott V Bagnoud C Brabetz R J Clarke J S Green R I Heathcote H W Powell B Zielbauer T D Arber P McKenna D Neely |
author_sort | G G Scott |
collection | DOAJ |
description | We measure a record 96 ±2.5% specularly reflected energy fraction from an interaction with a plasma mirror (PM) surface preionized by a controlled prepulse and find that the optical quality is dependent on the inter pulse time delay. Simulations show that the main pulse reflected energy is a strong function of plasma density scale length, which increases with the time delay and reaches a peak reflectivity for a scale length of 0.3 μ m, which is achieved here for a pulse separation time of 3 ps. It is found that the incident laser quasi near field intensity distribution leads to nonuniformities in this plasma expansion and consequent critical surface position distribution. The PM optical quality is found to be governed by the resultant perturbations in the critical surface position, which become larger with inter pulse time delay. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:43:37Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-8513f5b705244bf5bbd53058cc926507 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1367-2630 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:43:37Z |
publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
publisher | IOP Publishing |
record_format | Article |
series | New Journal of Physics |
spelling | doaj.art-8513f5b705244bf5bbd53058cc9265072023-08-08T14:19:38ZengIOP PublishingNew Journal of Physics1367-26302015-01-0117303302710.1088/1367-2630/17/3/033027Optimization of plasma mirror reflectivity and optical quality using double laser pulsesG G Scott0V Bagnoud1C Brabetz2R J Clarke3J S Green4R I Heathcote5H W Powell6B Zielbauer7T D Arber8P McKenna9D Neely10Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory , Didcot OX11 0QX, UK; Department of Physics SUPA, University of Strathclyde , Glasgow G4 0NG, UKPHELIX group, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH , D-64291 Darmstadt, GermanyPHELIX group, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH , D-64291 Darmstadt, GermanyCentral Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory , Didcot OX11 0QX, UKCentral Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory , Didcot OX11 0QX, UKCentral Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory , Didcot OX11 0QX, UKDepartment of Physics SUPA, University of Strathclyde , Glasgow G4 0NG, UKPHELIX group, GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH , D-64291 Darmstadt, GermanyDepartment of Physics, University of Warwick , Coventry CV4 7AL, UKDepartment of Physics SUPA, University of Strathclyde , Glasgow G4 0NG, UKCentral Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory , Didcot OX11 0QX, UK; Department of Physics SUPA, University of Strathclyde , Glasgow G4 0NG, UKWe measure a record 96 ±2.5% specularly reflected energy fraction from an interaction with a plasma mirror (PM) surface preionized by a controlled prepulse and find that the optical quality is dependent on the inter pulse time delay. Simulations show that the main pulse reflected energy is a strong function of plasma density scale length, which increases with the time delay and reaches a peak reflectivity for a scale length of 0.3 μ m, which is achieved here for a pulse separation time of 3 ps. It is found that the incident laser quasi near field intensity distribution leads to nonuniformities in this plasma expansion and consequent critical surface position distribution. The PM optical quality is found to be governed by the resultant perturbations in the critical surface position, which become larger with inter pulse time delay.https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/3/033027plasma mirrorplasma reflectivitydouble pulseplasma opticsoptical qualitylaser plasma interaction |
spellingShingle | G G Scott V Bagnoud C Brabetz R J Clarke J S Green R I Heathcote H W Powell B Zielbauer T D Arber P McKenna D Neely Optimization of plasma mirror reflectivity and optical quality using double laser pulses New Journal of Physics plasma mirror plasma reflectivity double pulse plasma optics optical quality laser plasma interaction |
title | Optimization of plasma mirror reflectivity and optical quality using double laser pulses |
title_full | Optimization of plasma mirror reflectivity and optical quality using double laser pulses |
title_fullStr | Optimization of plasma mirror reflectivity and optical quality using double laser pulses |
title_full_unstemmed | Optimization of plasma mirror reflectivity and optical quality using double laser pulses |
title_short | Optimization of plasma mirror reflectivity and optical quality using double laser pulses |
title_sort | optimization of plasma mirror reflectivity and optical quality using double laser pulses |
topic | plasma mirror plasma reflectivity double pulse plasma optics optical quality laser plasma interaction |
url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/3/033027 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT ggscott optimizationofplasmamirrorreflectivityandopticalqualityusingdoublelaserpulses AT vbagnoud optimizationofplasmamirrorreflectivityandopticalqualityusingdoublelaserpulses AT cbrabetz optimizationofplasmamirrorreflectivityandopticalqualityusingdoublelaserpulses AT rjclarke optimizationofplasmamirrorreflectivityandopticalqualityusingdoublelaserpulses AT jsgreen optimizationofplasmamirrorreflectivityandopticalqualityusingdoublelaserpulses AT riheathcote optimizationofplasmamirrorreflectivityandopticalqualityusingdoublelaserpulses AT hwpowell optimizationofplasmamirrorreflectivityandopticalqualityusingdoublelaserpulses AT bzielbauer optimizationofplasmamirrorreflectivityandopticalqualityusingdoublelaserpulses AT tdarber optimizationofplasmamirrorreflectivityandopticalqualityusingdoublelaserpulses AT pmckenna optimizationofplasmamirrorreflectivityandopticalqualityusingdoublelaserpulses AT dneely optimizationofplasmamirrorreflectivityandopticalqualityusingdoublelaserpulses |