A robust plasma-based laser amplifier via stimulated Brillouin scattering

Alves, E P and Trines, R M G M and Humphrey, K A and Bingham, R and Cairns, R A and Fiúza, F and Fonseca, R A and Silva, L O (2021) A robust plasma-based laser amplifier via stimulated Brillouin scattering. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, 63 (11). 114004. ISSN 0741-3335 (https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/ac2613)

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Abstract

Brillouin amplification in plasma is more resilient to fluctuations in the laser and plasma parameters than Raman amplification, making it an attractive alternative to Raman amplification. In this work, we focus on high plasma densities, n0>ncr/4 , where stimulated Raman scattering is not possible and laser beam filamentation is the dominant competing process. Through analytic theory and multi-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we identify a parameter regime for which Brillouin amplification can be efficient while maintaining filamentation of the probe at a controlled level. We demonstrate pump-to-probe compression ratios of up to 72 and peak amplified probe fluences over 1 kJ cm−2 with ≃50% efficiency. High pulse quality is maintained through control of parasitic filamentation, enabling operation at large beam diameters. Provided the pump and probe pulse diameters can be increased to 1 mm, our results suggest that Brillouin amplification can be used to produce sub-picosecond pulses of petawatt power.

  • Item type:Article
    ID code:78147
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    1 November 2021
    Published
    11 October 2021
    Published Online
    13 September 2021
    Accepted
    9 April 2021
    Submitted
    Notes:Published in the following special issue: Special Issue on High Energy Density Physics in Memory of David Neely.
    Subjects:Science > Physics > Plasma physics. Ionized gases
    Department:Faculty of Science > Physics
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:13 Oct 2021 13:42
    Last modified:09 Apr 2024 02:46
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/78147
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