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Laser plasma based particle accelerators have attracted great interest in fields where conventional accelerators reach limits based on size, cost or beam parameters. Designing future laser ion accelerators requires a high degree of control of the advanced acceleration schemes involved and predictive modelling capabilities. Here, we investigate the interaction of petawatt class laser pulses with a micrometer sized cryogenic hydrogen jet target. Controlled pre-expansion of the target by low intensity pre-pulses allowed for tailored density scans over more than two orders of magnitude. On-shot target characterization using two-color optical probing provided precise starting conditions for numerical simulations. For the optimal target density profile in the near critical regime proton energies of up to 80 MeV were observed which represents a two-fold increase with respect to the initial solid target case. Three-dimensional particle in cell simulations confirmed the transition between different acceleration mechanisms involved and suggested the magnetic-vortex regime to be responsible for the highest proton energies achieved.

Due to the non-linear nature of relativistic laser induced plasma processes, the development of laser-plasma accelerators requires precise numerical modeling. Especially high intensity laser-solid interactions are sensitive to the temporal laser rising edge and the predictive capability of simulations suffers from incomplete information on the plasma state at the onset of the relativistic interaction. Experimental diagnostics utilizing ultra-fast optical backlighters can help to ease this challenge by providing temporally resolved inside into the plasma density evolution. We present the successful implementation of an off-harmonic optical probe laser setup to investigate the interaction of a high-intensity laser at 5.4E21 W / cm^2 peak intensity with a solid-density cylindrical cryogenic hydrogen jet target of 5 um diameter as a target test bed. The temporal synchronization of pump and probe laser, spectral filtering and spectrally resolved data of the parasitic plasma self-emission are discussed. The probing technique mitigates detector saturation by self-emission and allowed to record a temporal scan of shadowgraphy data revealing details of the target ionization and expansion dynamics that were so far not accessible for the given laser intensity. Plasma expansion speeds of up to (2.3+-0.4)E7 m / s followed by full target transparency at 1.4 ps after the high intensity laser peak are observed. A three dimensional particle-in-cell simulation initiated with the diagnosed target pre-expansion at -0.2 ps and post processed by ray tracing simulations supports the experimental observations and demonstrates the capability of time resolved optical diagnostics to provide quantitative input and feedback to the numerical treatment within the time frame of the relativistic laser-plasma interaction.

Theses data are taken during the measurement and folded to support the research in the related publication.

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We report on a compact diode-pumped, chirped pulse regenerative amplifier system with a pulse duration of 162 fs and an output pulse energy of 1 mJ before as well as 910 µJ after compression optimized for the probing of ultrafast relativistic laser-plasma processes. A chirped volume Bragg grating (CVBG) acts as a combined pulse stretcher/compressor representing a robust solution for a CPA laser system in the millijoule range. Yb3+:CaF2 is used as gain medium to support a large bandwidth of 16 nm (FWHM) when spectral gain shaping is applied. Chirped mirrors compensate for any additional dispersion introduced to the system.

We introduce an Öffner stretcher for the diode-pumped Petawatt laser system PENELOPE developed at the HZDR. Spectral and temporal aspects of the stretcher system with large aperture spherical mirrors (600 mm and 250 mm) are analyzed with respect to pulse shape and pulse contrast ratio.

Scientific reports 11(1), 9370 (2021). doi:10.1038/s41598-021-88926-w, Published by Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, [London]

We present a status update of the PEnELOPE laser system currently under construction at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf in order to perform a first activation with pulses on the Joule scale, as well as improvements of the stretcher optics to support laser pulses in the order of 150 fs

Traveling-Wave Thomson-Scattering (TWTS) is a novel Thomson scattering geometry which allows for orders of magnitude higher photon yields than classic head-on Thomson sources. TWTS thereby remains compact and provides narrowband and ultra-short ultraviolet to γ-ray radiation pulses just as classic Thomson sources. Even the realization of optical free-electron lasers (OFELs) is possible with the TWTS geometry since it provides both optical undulators with thousands of periods needed to microbunch the electron beam and a reduction of electron beam quality requirements compared to classic Thomson scattering to a level technically feasible today. TWTS employs a side-scattering geometry in which laser and electron propagation direction of motion enclose the interaction angle φ. Tilting the laser pulse front with respect to the wave front by half the interaction angle ensures continuous overlap of electrons and laser pulse over the whole laser pulse width while the laser pulse crosses the electron beam trajectory. In this way the interaction length becomes controllable by the laser pulse width and independent of the laser pulse duration. Utilizing wide, petawatt class laser pulses for TWTS allows to realize thousands of optical undulator periods. The variability of TWTS with respect to the interaction angle can be used to control the radiation wavelength even for electron sources with fixed energy. For a fixed target wavelength on the other hand, the free choice of interaction angle enables control over electron beam quality requirements. Small interaction angle scenarios (φ ∼10°) typically yield the best trade-off between requirements on electron beam quality, laser power and laser intensity stability. We will show that TWTS OFELs emitting extreme ultraviolet radiation are realizable today with existing technology for electron accelerators and laser systems. We detail an experimental setup to generate the tilted TWTS laser pulses which aims at compactness and provides focusing of these highpower pulses and compensation of dispersion accompanying pulse-front tilts. The method presented for dispersion compensation is especially relevant when building high yield X- and γ-ray sources in large interaction angle setups of TWTS.

Scientific reports 11(1), 17660 (2021). doi:10.1038/s41598-021-97511-0, Published by Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature, [London]

Within the framework of the ATHENA project, we are developing a high-contrast frontend to generate laser pulses with a center wavelength of 1030 nm, a FWHM-bandwidth of 25 nm and an output energy of 100 μJ. The system is based on chirped pulse amplification with subsequent crossed polarized wave generation [1]. The generated laser pulses will in future be used as seed pulses at the PEnELOPE [2] laser facility at HZDR.

Ultra-intense short-pulse lasers in the Petawatt regime and intensity range of 1021W/cm2 offer the possibility to study new compact accelerator schemes by utilizing solid density targets for the generation of energetic ion beams. The optimization of the acceleration process demands comprehensive exploration of the involved plasma dynamics. This applies not only on the femtosecond but also on the pico- to nanosecond timescale, where the laser rising edge modifies the target prior to the 30 fs laser peak. Cryogenic hydrogen jet targets with µm-scale transverse size and solid density (5.2x1022 cm-3) offer the superb opportunity for renewable and debris-free acceleration sources and at the same time allow for comprehensive experimental investigation and realistic simulation of the rich physics involved in the laser target interaction. Here, we present the results of an experiment for laser proton acceleration from a cryogenic hydrogen jet target at the DRACO-PW laser. Optimized acceleration performance is achieved by tailoring the targets plasma density via hydrodynamic expansion induced by a short low-intensity pre-pulse. Optical shadowgraphy probing is utilized to give a realistic input of the targets plasma density for 3 dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of the particle acceleration process.

High-intensity short-pulse lasers enable novel compact accelerator schemes for the generation of energetic ion beams. The experimental investigation of the process remains challenging due to the femtosecond timescale and micrometer size of the acceleration. Commonly, diagnostic results are explained by a comparison of the experimental findings with computationally expensive particle-in-cell simulations. Cryogenic hydrogen jet targets (~30 critical densities) with µm-scale transverse size are particularly well suited for this approach. Time-resolved diagnostics like optical probing can infer the state of the target at the initialization time of the simulation and benchmark the simulation results. Here we present the implementation of an off-harmonic optical probing setup at an experiment for laser proton acceleration with a cylindrical hydrogen jet target at the DRACO PW laser with plasma-mirror cleaned laser contrast. We show under which conditions the technique overcomes the problem of parasitic plasma self-emission, present technical aspects of the off-harmonic probing technique together with experimental results of the observed plasma dynamics.

We show how optical free-electron lasers and enhanced incoherent Thomson scattering radiation sources can be realized with Traveling-Wave Thomson-Scattering (TWTS) today. Emphasis is put on the realization of optical free-electron lasers (OFELs) with existing state-of-the-art technology for laser systems and electron accelerators. The conceptual design of optical setups for the preparation of laser pulses suitable for TWTS OFELs and enhanced Thomson sources is presented. We further provide expressions to estimate the acceptable alignment tolerances of optical components for TWTS OFEL operation. Examples of TWTS OFELs radiating at 100 nm, 13.5 nm and 1.5 Å as well as an incoherent source at 40 pm highlight the feasibility of the concept and detail the procedure to determine the optical components parameters of a TWTS setup.

The availability of high-intensity short-pulse lasers in the Peta-Watt regime drives the development of new and compact accelerator schemes like for example the generation of multiple 10 MeV proton beams from high-density targets. To optimize the acceleration performance and to pave the way towards medical applications of these particle beams both target and diagnostic development are of great importance. Particularly cryogenic hydrogen jet-targets offer the benefit of being debris-free and capable of high-repetition rate applications. Together with spatially and temporally resolved optical probing techniques this target is most suitable for a comparison to numerical particle-in-cell simulations. However, the strong plasma self-emission often masks the laser-target interaction point and thus complicates the data analysis. Recently, the development of a synchronized stand-alone probe-laser-system operating off the harmonics of the driver laser showed promising performance. Here we show the performance of an upgraded probe-laser-system operating at a central wavelength of 1030nm far off the fundamental wavelength of the drive laser at 800nm. It consists of a synchronized fs-oscillator and a novel and robust CPA system based on a chirped volume Bragg grating as a hybrid stretcher and compressor unit, chirped mirrors for GDD compensation and a regenerative amplifier with Yb.CaF2 as laser medium. The system delivers 160fs pulse duration together with 0.9mJ energy at a repetition rate of 200Hz. The application of the upgraded probe-laser-system in an experimental campaign dedicated to laser-proton acceleration together with cryogenic hydrogen jet-targets showed a significant improvement of imaging quality for the laser-target interaction concerning the plasmas self-emission. The recorded probe-images resemble those of z-pinch experiments with metal wires and indicate a sausage-like instability along the hydrogen jet axis.

The development of high-intensity short-pulse lasers in the Petawatt regime offers the possibility to design new compact accelerator schemes by utilizing high-density targets for the generation of ion beams with multiple 10 MeV energy per nucleon. The optimization of the acceleration process demands comprehensive exploration of the plasma dynamics involved, for example via spatially and temporally resolved optical probing. Experimental results can then be compared to numerical particle-in-cell simulations, which is particularly sensible in the case of cryogenic hydrogen jet targets. However, strong plasma self-emission and conversion of the plasma’s drive laser wavelength into its harmonics often masks the interaction region and interferes with the data analysis. Recently, the development of a stand-alone and synchronized probe laser system for off-harmonic probing at the DRACO laser operated at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden–Rossendorf showed promising performance. Here, we present an updated stand-alone probe laser system applying a compact CPA system based on a synchronized fs mode-locked oscillator operating at 1030 nm, far off the plasma’s drive laser wavelength of 800 nm. A chirped volume Bragg grating (Optigrate Corp) is used as a hybrid stretcher and compressor unit. The system delivers 160 fs pulses with a maximum energy of 0.9 mJ. By deploying the upgraded probe laser system in the laser-proton acceleration experiment with the renewable cryogenic hydrogen jet target, the plasma self-emission could be significantly suppressed while studying the temporal evolution of the expanding plasma jet. Recorded probe images resemble those of z-pinch experiments with metal wires and indicate a sausage-like instability along the jet axis, which will be discussed.

Laser ion accelerators utilize high-power laser pulses in tight-focusing geometries to provide pulsed, high-intensity ion beams. Efficient capturing, transport and application of these beams is an ongoing effort which depends on precise knowledge of the accelerated ion distribution's properties and how to control these. For example, it is known that the propagation direction of the accelerated ions can be controlled by tilting the driving laser pulse-front. Since laser pulse-front tilts can be present accidentally, for example by a small misalignment of the compressor gratings in a chirped-pulse amplification system, knowledge of the scaling of the pulse-front tilt at a target position is desired. The talk gives relations for pulse-front orientation dependent on setup parameters and identifies regimes were pulse-front tilt has a sizable impact.

High-intensity short-pulse lasers in the Petawatt regime offer the possibility to study new compact accelerator schemes by utilizing high-density targets for the generation of energetic ion beams. The optimization of the acceleration process demands comprehensive exploration of the plasma dynamics involved, for example via optical probing. In particular, experiments using low density cryogenic hydrogen jet targets with µm-scale transverse size are well suited to deliver new results which can then be compared to predictive particle-in-cell simulations. However, strong plasma self-emission and conversion of the plasma’s drive laser wavelength into its harmonics often masks the interaction region and complicates data analysis. Here, we present a stand-alone probe laser system operating at 1030 nm, far off the plasma’s drive laser wavelength of 800 nm and its implementation into an experiment dedicated to laser-proton acceleration from the hydrogen jet target irradiated by the DRACO PW laser at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden – Rossendorf. We show that the plasma self-emission in the probe images is significantly suppressed and we are able to measure the pre-expansion of the target by the DRACO PW laser for intrinsic and for plasma mirror enhanced laser contrast. The influence of the plasma pre-expansion on the measured proton acceleration performance is presented.

The development of high-intensity short-pulse lasers in the Petawatt regime offers the possibility to design new compact accelerator schemes by utilizing high-density targets for the generation of high energy ion beams. The optimization of the acceleration process demands comprehensive diagnostic of the plasma dynamics involved, for example via spatially and temporally resolved optical probing. Experimental results can then be compared to numerical particle-in-cell simulations, which is particularly sensible in the case of cryogenic hydrogen jet targets [1]. However, strong plasma self-emission and conversion of the plasma’s drive laser wavelength into its harmonics often masks the interaction region and interferes with the data analysis. Recently, the development of a stand-alone and synchronized probe laser system for off-harmonic probing at the DRACO laser operated at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden–Rossendorf showed promising performance [2]. Here, we present an updated stand-alone probe laser system applying a compact CPA system based on a synchronized fs mode-locked oscillator operating at 1030 nm, far off the plasma’s drive laser wavelength of 800 nm. A chirped volume Bragg grating is used as a hybrid stretcher and compressor unit [3]. The system delivers 160 fs pulses with a maximum energy of 0.9 mJ. By deploying the probe laser pulses in laser-proton acceleration experiments with renewable cryogenic hydrogen jet targets, the plasma self-emission could be significantly suppressed while studying the temporal evolution of the expanding plasma jet. Hence, for varied drive laser contrast parameters, by the use of a plasma mirror, the on target contrast was measured and correlated to the temporal drive laser profile. References [1] L. Obst, et al. Efficient laser-driven proton acceleration from cylindrical and planar cryogenic hydrogen jets. Sci. Rep., 7:10248, 2017. [2] T. Ziegler, et al. Optical probing of high intensity laser interaction with micron-sized cryogenic hydrogen jets. Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion, 2018. doi:10.1088/1361-6587/ aabf4f. [3] L. Loeser, et al. A compact and robust millijoule CPA laser system based on Yb:CaF₂ delivering 160fs pulses. under review.

Traveling-Wave Thomson-Scattering (TWTS) is a novel Thomson scattering geometry which allows for orders of magnitude higher photon yields than classic head-on Thomson sources. TWTS thereby remains compact and provides narrowband and ultra-short ultraviolet to γ-ray radiation pulses just as classic Thomson sources. Even the realization of optical free-electron lasers is possible with the TWTS geometry since it provides both optical undulators with thousands of periods needed to microbunch the electron beam and a reduction of electron beam quality requirements compared to classic Thomson scattering to a level technically feasible today. TWTS employs a side-scattering geometry depicted in fig. 1. Laser and electron propagation direction of motion enclose the interaction angle ϕ. Tilting the laser pulse front with respect to the wave front by half the interaction angle ensures continuous overlap of electrons and laser pulse over the whole laser pulse width while the laser pulse crosses the electron beam trajectory. In this way the interaction length becomes controllable by the laser pulse width and independent of the laser pulse duration. Utilizing wide, petawatt class laser pulses for TWTS allows to realize thousands of optical undulator periods. The variability of TWTS with respect to the interaction angle can be used to control the radiation wavelength even for electron sources with fixed energy. For a fixed target wavelength on the other hand, the free choice of interaction angle enables control over electron beam quality requirements. Small interaction angle scenarios (ϕ∼10°) typically yield the best trade-off between requirements on electron beam quality, laser power and laser intensity stability. In the talk we will show that TWTS OFELs emitting extreme ultraviolet radiation are realizable today with existing technology for electron accelerators and laser systems. We detail an experimental setup to generate the tilted TWTS laser pulses which aims at compactness and provides focusing of these high-power pulses and compensation of dispersion accompanying pulse-front tilts. The method presented for dispersion compensation is especially relevant when building high yield X- and γ-ray sources in large interaction angle setups of TWTS.

We report on the energetic and beam quality performance of the second to the last main amplifier section HEPA I of the PEnELOPE laser project. A polarization coupled double-12-pass scheme to verify the full amplification capacity of the last two amplifiers HEPA~I and II was used. The small signal gain for a narrow band cw laser was 900 and 527 for a broadband nanosecond pulse, demonstrating 12.6 J of output pulse energy. Those pulses, being spectrally wide enough to support equivalent 150 fs long ultrashort pulses, are shown with an excellent spatial beam quality. A first active correction of the wavefront using a deformable mirror resulted in a Strehl ratio of 76 % in the single-12-pass configuration for HEPA I.

In the last decade the investigation of laser-driven plasmas has gained great importance for the development of compact ion accelerator schemes with the efficient generation of multiple 10 MeV proton beams from TNSA experiments with PW laser systems like the Dresden laser acceleration source (DRACO) at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf. The exploration of the plasma dynamics and its microscopic parameters is crucial for the optimization of the acceleration process. Optical probing is one technique to investigate the temporal plasma evolution and complements numerical particle-in-cell simulations of the underlying physics. However, strong plasma self-emission at the driver lasers wavelength and its harmonics often masks the laser plasma interaction region and thus complicates the data analysis. Here, we present the implementation of a stand-alone probe laser system, which is temporally synchronized to the DRACO laser. The probe laser system consisting of a seed laser and one regenerative amplifier is based on Yb:YAG and thus provides a fundamental wavelength of 1030 nm, which is different from the wavelength of the DRACO driver laser (800 nm) and its harmonics. We present the advantages of this probing approach, which was tested during an experimental campaign with wire targets of different materials and diameters in the µm range, and give an inside on the current challenges and developments of the probing system.

The Traveling-Wave Thomson-Scattering geometry is introduced and the possibility to realize optical free-electron lasers with it explained. An example setup for a TWTS OFEL providing 1 Angström radiation is shown and its application to the probing of the ion dynamics in a laser driven cryogenic hydrogen slab presented.

The development of high-intensity short-pulse lasers in the petawatt regime offers the possibility to design new compact accelerator schemes by utilizing high-density targets to generate proton beams with multiple 10 MeV energy per nucleon. The optimization of the acceleration process calls for a comprehensive exploration of the plasma dynamics involved, for example via spatially and temporally resolved optical probing. Experimental results can then be compared to numerical particle-in-cell simulations, which is particularly well suited in the case of cryogenic hydrogen jet targets [1]. However, strong plasma self-emission and conversion of the plasma’s drive laser wavelength into its harmonics often masks the interaction region and interferes with the data analysis. Recently, the development of a stand-alone and synchronizable probe laser system for off-harmonic probing at the DRACO laser at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden – Rossendorf showed promising performance [2]. Here, we present an updated stand-alone probe laser system applying a compact CPA system based on a synchronized fs mode-locked oscillator (Light Conversion) operating at 1030 nm, far off the plasma’s drive laser wavelength of 800 nm. A chirped volume Bragg grating (Optigrate Corp) is used as a hybrid stretcher and compressor unit. The subsequent diode pumped regenerative Yb:CaF2 laser amplifier includes a spectral shaping element and chirped mirrors for GDD compensation. The system delivers 160 fs pulses with a maximum energy of 0.9 mJ and thus extends the recent developments [3] into the sub 200 fs region. Additionally, we present recent experimental results deploying the upgraded probe laser system and its harmonics in an experiment dedicated to laser-proton acceleration from a renewable cryogenic hydrogen jet at the DRACO laser.