Enhanced hot-electron localization and heating in high-contrast ultraintense laser irradiation of microcone targets.
We report experiments demonstrating enhanced coupling efficiencies of high-contrast laser irradiation to nanofabricated conical targets. Peak temperatures near 200 eV are observed with modest laser energy (10 J), revealing similar hot-electron localization and material heating to reduced mass targets (RMTs), despite having a significantly larger mass. Collisional particle-in-cell simulations attribute the enhancement to self-generated resistive (approximately 10 MG) magnetic fields forming within the curvature of the cone wall, which confine energetic electrons to heat a reduced volume at the tip. This represents a different electron confinement mechanism (magnetic, as opposed to electrostatic sheath confinement in RMTs) controllable by target shape.
Rassuchine
J
J
Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA.
d'Humières
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Baton
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Guillou
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Koenig
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Chahid
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Perez
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Fuchs
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Audebert
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Kodama
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Nakatsutsumi
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Ozaki
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Batani
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Redaelli
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Rousseaux
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Fourment
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Adams
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Korgan
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Malekos
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Hansen
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Shepherd
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Flippo
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Gaillard
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Sentoku
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Cowan
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