Time-resolved analysis of the X-ray emission of femtosecond-laser-produced plasmas in the 1.5-keV range

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Abstract

Recent experimental results on ion beams produced in high-intensity laser-solid interactions indicate the presence of very intense electric fields in the target. This suggests the possibility of efficiently heating a solid material by means of the fast electrons created during the laser-solid interactions and trapped in the target, rather than by the laser photons themselves. We tested this mechanism by irradiating very small cubic aluminum targets with the LULI 100-TW, 300-fs laser at 1.06-μm wavelength. X-ray spectra were measured with an ultra-fast streak camera, coupled to a conical Bragg crystal, providing spectra in the 1.5-keV range with high temporal and spectral resolution. The results indicate the creation of a hot plasma, but a very low coupling between the rapid electrons and the solid. A tentative explanation, in agreement with other experimental results and with preliminary particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, points out the fatal role of the laser prepulse.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)905-909
Number of pages5
JournalApplied Physics B: Lasers and Optics
Volume78
Issue number7-8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2004

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