Visualizing plasmons and ultrafast kinetic instabilities in laser-driven solids using X-ray scattering
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Published:2024-09-03
Issue:1
Volume:7
Page:
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ISSN:2399-3650
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Container-title:Communications Physics
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Commun Phys
Author:
Ordyna PawełORCID, Bähtz CarstenORCID, Brambrink Erik, Bussmann Michael, Laso Garcia AlejandroORCID, Garten MarcoORCID, Gaus LennartORCID, Göde Sebastian, Grenzer Jörg, Gutt ChristianORCID, Höppner HaukeORCID, Huang LingenORCID, Hübner Uwe, Humphries OliverORCID, Marré Brian Edward, Metzkes-Ng Josefine, Miethlinger Thomas, Nakatsutsumi Motoaki, Öztürk ÖzgülORCID, Pan XiayunORCID, Paschke-Brühl Franziska, Pelka Alexander, Prencipe Irene, Preston Thomas R.ORCID, Randolph Lisa, Schlenvoigt Hans-PeterORCID, Schwinkendorf Jan-Patrick, Šmíd MichalORCID, Starke SebastianORCID, Štefaníková RadkaORCID, Thiessenhusen Erik, Toncian TomaORCID, Zeil KarlORCID, Schramm UlrichORCID, Cowan Thomas E., Kluge ThomasORCID
Abstract
AbstractUltra-intense lasers that ionize atoms and accelerate electrons in solids to near the speed of light can lead to kinetic instabilities that alter the laser absorption and subsequent electron transport, isochoric heating, and ion acceleration. These instabilities can be difficult to characterize, but X-ray scattering at keV photon energies allows for their visualization with femtosecond temporal resolution on the few nanometer mesoscale. Here, we perform such experiment on laser-driven flat silicon membranes that shows the development of structure with a dominant scale of 60 nm in the plane of the laser axis and laser polarization, and 95 nm in the vertical direction with a growth rate faster than 0.1 fs−1. Combining the XFEL experiments with simulations provides a complete picture of the structural evolution of ultra-fast laser-induced plasma density development, indicating the excitation of plasmons and a filamentation instability. Particle-in-cell simulations confirm that these signals are due to an oblique two-stream filamentation instability. These findings provide new insight into ultra-fast instability and heating processes in solids under extreme conditions at the nanometer level with possible implications for laser particle acceleration, inertial confinement fusion, and laboratory astrophysics.
Funder
Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
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