High-energy electron beam production by femtosecond laser interactions with exploding-foil plasmas.
The interaction of an ultraintense, 30-fs laser pulse with a preformed plasma was investigated as a method of producing a beam of high-energy electrons. We used thin foil targets that are exploded by the laser amplified spontaneous emission preceding the main pulse. Optical diagnostics show that the main pulse interacts with a plasma whose density is well below the critical density. By varying the foil thickness, we were able to obtain a substantial emission of electrons in a narrow cone along the laser direction with a typical energy well above the laser ponderomotive potential. These results are explained in terms of wake-field acceleration.
Giulietti
D
D
Intense Laser Irradiation Laboratory, Istituto di Fisica Atomica e Molecolare, Area della Ricerca CNR, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
Galimberti
M
M
Giulietti
A
A
Gizzi
L A
LA
Borghesi
M
M
Balcou
P
P
Rousse
A
A
Rousseau
J P
JP