title: Backreflection diagnostics for ultra-intense laser plasma experiments based on frequency resolved optical gating.
abstract: We report on the development and implementation of a time resolved backscatter diagnostics for high power laser plasma experiments at the petawatt-class laser facility PHELIX. Pulses that are backscattered or reflected from overcritical plasmas are characterized spectrally and temporally resolved using a specially designed second harmonic generation frequency resolved optical gating system. The diagnostics meets the requirements made by typical experiments, i.e., a spectral bandwidth of more than 30nm with sub-nanometer resolution and a temporal window of 10ps with 50fs temporal resolution. The diagnostics is permanently installed at the PHELIX target area and can be used to study effects such as laser-hole boring or relativistic self-phase-modulation which are important features of laser-driven particle acceleration experiments.
authors.affiliation: GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Planckstraße 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Institut für Kernphysik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstraße 9, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hornung
authors.affiliation: Hochschule Darmstadt, Haardtring 100, 64295 Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.identifier: 0000000179170034
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen, Wilhelm-Leuschner-Straße 13, 61169 Friedberg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eckhardt
authors.affiliation: Institut für Kernphysik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstraße 9, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.affiliation: GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Planckstraße 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stöhlker
authors.affiliation: GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Planckstraße 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bagnoud