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Highly relativistic laser interactions with ordered nanostructures

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dc.contributor.authorHollinger, Reed, author
dc.contributor.authorRocca, Jorge J., advisor
dc.contributor.authorPrieto, Amy L., committee member
dc.contributor.authorMenoni, Carmen, committee member
dc.contributor.authorMarconi, Mario, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2019-06-14T17:05:50Z
dc.date.available2021-06-10T17:05:25Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.description.abstractHeating high density matter to extreme temperatures has been one of the primary motivations behind the construction of high power laser facilities around the world. The creation of simultaneously hot (multi-keV) and dense (on the order of a solid) plasma with small scale and mid-scale lasers is a difficult problem due to the barrier that the critical electron density imposes to optical lasers, typically limiting the heating to a very thin plasma into which the laser is inefficiently coupled. Experiments conducted at Colorado State University with joule level laser pulses have demonstrated that using high contrast, relativistic laser pulses it is possible to efficiently heat near solid density nanowire arrays volumetrically to multi-keV temperatures. This dissertation extends these results to the highly relativistic regime, demonstrating extremely high ionization states for volumes >5μm in depth. These relatively large volume plasmas have longer hydrodynamic cooling times while their radiative cooling time is greatly decreased due to the near solid electron densities. This results in very efficient conversion of optical laser light into x-rays since the plasma is able to radiate away more of its' energy as x-rays before cooling due to hydrodynamic expansion. With this technique, an x-ray conversion efficiency of nearly 20% was measured for photon energies greater than 1keV. After a significant upgrade to the laser, these interactions were explored at highly relativistic intensities up to 4x1021 Wcm−2, nearly 1000 times higher than initial experiments. Measurements of the energy deposition dynamics, including the time limit for energy coupling and the volume of the nanowire plasma were carried out in comparison to solid targets. The results show that at these intensities, it is possible to generate unprecedented degrees of ionization never before obtained with ultrashort pulse lasers, such as H-like Ni (27 times ionized) and Ne-like Au (69 times ionized).
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediumdoctoral dissertations
dc.identifierHollinger_colostate_0053A_15330.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/195293
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2000-2019
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectlaser matter interactions
dc.subjectx-ray sources
dc.subjectnanostructures
dc.subjecthigh energy density physics
dc.titleHighly relativistic laser interactions with ordered nanostructures
dc.typeText
dcterms.embargo.expires2021-06-10
dcterms.embargo.terms2021-06-10
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineElectrical and Computer Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

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