Abstract
Optical-field-ionization X-ray lasers are investigated numerically with a three-dimensional wave propagation code considering the effects of photoionization, energy depletion due to ionization, and refraction on pump laser pulses in spatially and temporally varied plasmas. By focusing the pump laser with small f-number optics at the optimal position, simulations show that diffraction and ionization-induced refraction in plasmas are compensated to keep the pump beam propagating at the optimal size for a longer distance. An amplification length as long as 5 mm can be achieved in Pd-like xenon and Ni-like krypton X-ray lasers at a pump energy of 160 mJ in 50-fs and 30-fs pulses, respectively. The significant reduction of the pump energy is a desirable step toward low-threshold and practical high-repetition-rate operations.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Y. Nagata, K. Midorikawa, S. Kubodera, M. Obara, H. Tashiro, K. Totada, Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 3774 (1993)
B.E. Lemoff, C.P.J. Barty, S.E. Harris, Opt. Lett. 19, 569 (1994)
B.E. Lemoff, G.Y. Yin, C.L. Gordon III, C.P.J. Barty, S.E. Harris, Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 1574 (1995)
D.V. Korobkin, C.H. Nam, S. Suckewer, A. Goltsov, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 5206 (1996)
S.M. Hooker, P.T. Epp, G.Y. Yin, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 10, 2735 (1997)
S. Sebban, R. Haroutunian, P. Balcou, G. Grillon, A. Rousse, S. Kazamias, T. Marin, J.P. Rousseau, L. Notebaert, M. Pittman, J.P. Chambaret, A. Antonetti, D. Hulin, D. Ros, A. Klisnick, A. Carillion, P. Jaeglé, G. Jamelot, J.F. Wyart, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 3004 (2001)
H.-H. Chu, H.-E. Tsai, M.-C. Chou, L.-S. Yang, J.-Y. Lin, C.-H. Lee, J. Wang, S.-Y. Chen, Phys. Rev. A 71, 061804(R) (2005)
S. Sebban, T. Mocek, D. Ros, L. Upcraft, P. Balcou, R. Haroutunian, G. Grillon, B. Rus, A. Klisnick, A. Carillion, G. Jamelot, C. Valentin, A. Rousse, J.P. Rousseau, L. Notebaert, M. Pittman, D. Hulin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 253901 (2002)
A. Butler, A.J. Gonsalves, C.M. McKenna, D.J. Spence, S.M. Hooker, S. Sebban, T. Mocek, I. Bettaibi, B. Cros, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 205001 (2003)
T. Mocek, C.M. McKenna, B. Cros, S. Sebban, D.J. Spence, G. Maynard, I. Bettaibi, V. Vorontsov, A.J. Gonsalves, S.M. Hooker, Phys. Rev. A 71, 013804 (2005)
Ph. Zeitoun, G. Faivre, S. Sebban, T. Mocek, A. Hallou, M. Fajardo, D. Aubert, P. Balcou, F. Burgy, D. Douillet, S. Kazamias, G. de Lachèze-Murel, T. Lefrou, S. le Pape, P. Mercère, H. Merdji, A.S. Morlens, J.P. Rousseau, C. Valentin, Nature 431, 426 (2004)
M.-C. Chou, P.-H. Lin, T.-S. Hung, J.-Y. Lin, J. Wang, S.-Y. Chen, Phys. Rev. A 74, 023804 (2006)
P. Sprangle, J.R. Penano, B. Hafizi, Phys. Rev. E 66, 046418 (2002)
M.V. Ammosov, N.B. Delone, V.B. Krainov, Sov. Phys. JETP 64, 1191 (1986)
B. Cros, T. Mocek, I. Bettaibi, G. Vieux, M. Farinet, J. Dubau, S. Sebban, G. Maynard, Phys. Rev. A 73, 033801 (2006)
S. Sebban, L.M. Upcraft, P. Balcou, M. Pittman, R. Haroutunian, G. Grillon, C. Valentin, A. Rousse, J.P. Rousseau, L. Notebaert, D. Hulin, T. Mocek, B. Rus, D. Ros, A. Klisnick, A. Carillon, G. Jamelot, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 20, 195 (2003)
K. Yamakawa, Y. Akahane, Y. Fukuda, M. Aoyama, N. Inoue, H. Ueda, T. Utsumi, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 123001 (2004)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
PACS
42.55.Vc; 52.50.Jm
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lin, JY. Optimization of laser propagation in optical-field-ionization plasmas for X-ray laser generation. Appl. Phys. B 86, 25–29 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-006-2468-7
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-006-2468-7