title: High-energy electron beam production by femtosecond laser interactions with exploding-foil plasmas.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Intense Laser Irradiation Laboratory, Istituto di Fisica Atomica e Molecolare, Area della Ricerca CNR, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giulietti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galimberti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giulietti
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Gizzi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borghesi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Balcou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rousse
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rousseau