Ultra-high Power Ultrafast Laser Upgrade for Relativistic Laser-Matter Interactions
Abstract
High intensity ultrafast lasers are revolutionizing high energy density (HED) physics. They are also enabling new technologies of high interest to defense. The first include the increased understanding of the behavior of matter at extreme conditions relevant to material science, high energy density physics including fusion, astrophysics, planetary physics, and science frontiers such as the generation of matter from vacuum. These lasers also promise to dramatically advance technology in areas such as compact electron accelerators, non-destructive metrology, radiation damage studies, fusion energy, and directed energy. The Petawatt-class (0.85 PW) laser ALEPH (Advanced Laser for Extreme Photonics) developed at Colorado State University (CSU) has provided CSU scientists and those from numerous other institutions access to one of the most intense lasers in the world. Successful experiments conducted at ALEPH cover a broad area of topics that include the efficient generation of neutrons, high resolution gamma ray tomography of dense objects, the generation of quasi-monoenergetic electron beams with up to 5 GeV energy for the first time in an all-optical set up , measurements of proton stopping power in warm dense matter, the control of laser-plasma instabilities, time integrated and time resolved high resolution x-ray spectroscopy of solid density plasmas, optimized betatron radiation and its application to diagnose warm-dense matter, the study of relativistic transparency, and others.Future advances in HED physics and applications will require more powerful lasers capable to also operate at increased repetition rates. Reports from the National Academies and community workshops have recommended the upgrade of ultra-high power laser facilities in the US. We are proposing to significantly upgrade the capabilities of ALEPH for the development of new technologies and for discovery science. We propose a multi-stage upgrade strategy, in which the first stage consists in increasing the peak power to 2 Petawatts. The design will also allow for a future further increase of ALEPH s peak power and repetition rate to 10 Hz This strategy offers a significant short-term increase of the current laser capabilities, while opening the path to unique capabilities in the future.This DURIP proposal requests support to construct the new target chambers necessary to accommodate the increased beam size of the upgraded laser, and components to upgrade the front end and pre-amplifiers of the laser to 10 Hz. The design of the target chambers has been completed and prototypes of the necessary optical mounts have been constructed. The outcome of increasing ALEPH s capabilities can be expected to result in impactful research in support of new enabling technologies of importance to the DoD mission, and in discovery science. The proposed laser upgrade will also have a direct impact in the training of graduate students, post-doctoral students, and young scientists in areas of high relevance to DoD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 14, 2024
- Source ID
- FA95502310672
Entities
People
- Jorge G. Rocca
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Colorado State University
- United States Air Force