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High Power Laser Science and Engineering 第7卷 第1期

Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 Helmholtz–Zentrum Dresden–Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
2 Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 19, 01069 Dresden, Germany
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 continuous wave 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.
diode-pumped lasers laser amplifiers laser diagnostics pulse energy ytterbium 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 010000e1
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 Department of Physics SUPA, University of Strathclyde, G4 0NG, UK
2 Institut für Kernphysik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
3 York Plasma Institute, University of York, YO10 5DD, UK
4 STFC-Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK
The spatial-intensity profile of light reflected during the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a microstructured target is investigated experimentally and the potential to apply this as a diagnostic of the interaction physics is explored numerically. Diffraction and speckle patterns are measured in the specularly reflected light in the cases of targets with regular groove and needle-like structures, respectively, highlighting the potential to use this as a diagnostic of the evolving plasma surface. It is shown, via ray-tracing and numerical modelling, that for a laser focal spot diameter smaller than the periodicity of the target structure, the reflected light patterns can potentially be used to diagnose the degree of plasma expansion, and by extension the local plasma temperature, at the focus of the intense laser light. The reflected patterns could also be used to diagnose the size of the laser focal spot during a high-intensity interaction when using a regular structure with known spacing.
high power laser laser–solid interactions plasma temperature diagnosis 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 010000e2
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 Graduate School of Engineering, Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya 321-8585, Japan
2 Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Prague, Czech Republic
3 Institute of Plasma Physics of the CAS, Za Slovankou 1782/3, 18200 Prague, Czech Republic
The paper presents a review of dynamic stabilization mechanisms for plasma instabilities. One of the dynamic stabilization mechanisms for plasma instability was proposed in the paper [Kawata, Phys. Plasmas 19, 024503 (2012)], based on a perturbation phase control. In general, instabilities emerge from the perturbations. Normally the perturbation phase is unknown, and so the instability growth rate is discussed. However, if the perturbation phase is known, the instability growth can be controlled by a superimposition of perturbations imposed actively. Based on this mechanism we present the application results of the dynamic stabilization mechanism to the Rayleigh–Taylor instability (RTI) and to the filamentation instability as typical examples in this paper. On the other hand, in the paper [Boris, Comments Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 3, 1 (1977)] another mechanism was proposed to stabilize RTI, and was realized by the pulse train or the laser intensity modulation in laser inertial fusion [Betti et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 3131 (1993)]. In this latter mechanism, an oscillating strong force is applied to modify the basic equation, and consequently the new stabilization window is created. Originally the latter was proposed by Kapitza. We review the two stabilization mechanisms, and present the application results of the former dynamic stabilization mechanism.
dynamic instability stabilization filamentation instability plasma instability Rayleigh–Taylor instability stabilization of instability 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 010000e3
Author Affiliations
Abstract
Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14623-1299, USA
Optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) [Dubietis et al., Opt. Commun. 88, 437 (1992)] implemented by multikilojoule Nd:glass pump lasers is a promising approach to produce ultraintense pulses (${>}10^{23}~\text{W}/\text{cm}^{2}$). Technologies are being developed to upgrade the OMEGA EP Laser System with the goal to pump an optical parametric amplifier line (EP OPAL) with two of the OMEGA EP beamlines. The resulting ultraintense pulses (1.5 kJ, 20 fs, $10^{24}~\text{W}/\text{cm}^{2}$) would be used jointly with picosecond and nanosecond pulses produced by the other two beamlines. A midscale OPAL pumped by the Multi-Terawatt (MTW) laser is being constructed to produce 7.5-J, 15-fs pulses and demonstrate scalable technologies suitable for the upgrade. MTW OPAL will share a target area with the MTW laser (50 J, 1 to 100 ps), enabling several joint-shot configurations. We report on the status of the MTW OPAL system, and the technology development required for this class of all-OPCPA laser system for ultraintense pulses.
nonlinear optics optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification ultrafast lasers ultraintense lasers 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 010000e4
Author Affiliations
Abstract
State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments & Key Laboratory of Photonics Control Technology of the Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
In this paper, we reported both the experimental demonstration and theoretical analysis of a Raman fiber laser based on a master oscillator–power amplifier configuration. The Raman fiber laser adopted the dual-wavelength bidirectional pumping configuration, utilizing 976 nm laser diodes and 1018 nm fiber lasers as the pump sources. A 60-m-long $25/400~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ ytterbium-doped fiber was used to convert the power from 1070 to 1124 nm, realizing a maximum power output of 3.7 kW with a 3 dB spectral width of 6.8 nm. Moreover, we developed a multi-frequency model taking into consideration the Raman gain spectrum and amplified spontaneous emission. The calculated spectral broadening of both the forward and backward laser was in good agreement with the experimental results. Finally, a 1.5 kW, 1183 nm second-order Raman fiber laser was further experimentally demonstrated by the addition of a 70-m-long germanium-doped passive fiber.
fiber laser fiber optics amplifiers and oscillators Raman laser 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 010000e5
H. Liu 1,6G.-Q. Liao 2Y.-H. Zhang 1,6B.-J. Zhu 1,6[ ... ]D. Neely 3,4,†
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
2 Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
3 Central Laser Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
4 Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK
5 Department of Physics, York Plasma Institute, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
6 School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
7 Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
8 Space Science Department, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
A multichannel calorimeter system is designed and constructed which is capable of delivering single-shot and broad-band spectral measurement of terahertz (THz) radiation generated in intense laser–plasma interactions. The generation mechanism of backward THz radiation (BTR) is studied by using the multichannel calorimeter system in an intense picosecond laser–solid interaction experiment. The dependence of the BTR energy and spectrum on laser energy, target thickness and pre-plasma scale length is obtained. These results indicate that coherent transition radiation is responsible for the low-frequency component (${<}$1 THz) of BTR. It is also observed that a large-scale pre-plasma primarily enhances the high-frequency component (${>}$3 THz) of BTR.
multichannel calorimeter backward terahertz radiation generation mechanisms 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 010000e6
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
2 SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
3 Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
We developed a systematic experimental method to demonstrate that damage threshold fluence (DTF) for fused silica changes with the number of femtosecond laser (800 nm, $65\pm 5~\text{fs}$, 10 Hz and 600 Hz) pulses. Based on the experimental data, we were able to develop a model which indicates that the change in DTF varies with the number of shots logarithmically up to a critical value. Above this value, DTF approaches an asymptotic value. Both DTF for a single shot and the asymptotic value as well as the critical value where this happens, are extrinsic parameters dependent on the configuration (repetition rate, pressure and geometry near or at the surface). These measurements indicate that the power of this dependence is an intrinsic parameter independent of the configuration.
laser-induced breakdown laser damage lasers and laser optics 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 010000e7
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 Key Laboratory of High Power Laser and Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
2 National Laboratory on High Power Laser and Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
3 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
A high-power, Joule-class, nanosecond temporally shaped multi-pass ring laser amplifier system with two neodymium-doped phosphate glass (Nd:glass) laser heads is demonstrated. The laser amplifier system consists of three parts: an all-fiber structure seeder, a diode-pumped Nd:glass regenerative amplifier and a multi-pass ring amplifier, where the thermally induced depolarization of two laser heads is studied experimentally and theoretically. Following the injection of a square pulse with the pulse energy of 0.9 mJ and pulse width of 6 ns, a 0.969-J high-energy laser pulse at 1 Hz was generated, which had the ability to change the waveform arbitrarily, based on the all-fiber structure front end. The experimental results show that the proposed laser system is promising to be adopted in the preamplifier of high-power laser facilities.
depolarization compensation laser amplifier neodymium laser ring laser 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 010000e8
Gang Xia 1,2,3Wei Fan 1,2Dajie Huang 1,2He Cheng 1,2[ ... ]Xiaoqin Wang 1,2,3
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 Key Laboratory of High Power Laser and Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
2 National Laboratory on High Power Laser and Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
3 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
In order to improve the damage threshold and enlarge the aperture of a laser beam shaper, photolithographic patterning technology is adopted to design a new type of liquid crystal binary mask. The inherent conductive metal layer of commercial liquid crystal electro-optical spatial light modulators is replaced by azobenzene-based photoalignment layers patterned by noncontact photolithography. Using the azobenzene-based photoalignment layer, a liquid crystal binary mask for beam shaping is fabricated. In addition, the shaping ability, damage threshold, write/erase flexibility and stability of the liquid crystal binary mask are tested. Using a 1 Hz near-IR (1064 nm) laser, the multiple-shot nanosecond damage threshold of the liquid crystal mask is measured to be higher than $15~\text{J}/\text{cm}^{2}$. The damage threshold of the azobenzene-based photoalignment layer is higher than $50~\text{J}/\text{cm}^{2}$ under the same testing conditions.
high damage threshold laser beam shaper liquid crystal photoalignment 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 010000e9
I. C. E. Turcu 1,2,7,†B. Shen 3,4,5D. Neely 1G. Sarri 6[ ... ]Y. Yin 10
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Central Laser Facility, OxfordshireOX11 0QX, UK
2 School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing210023, China
3 State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
4 School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
5 Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
6 School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK
7 ELI-NP Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics, National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN HH), Bucharest-Magurele077125, Romania
8 SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK
9 The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
10 Department of Physics, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
11 School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
12 Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MOE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
A new generation of high power laser facilities will provide laser pulses with extremely high powers of 10 petawatt (PW) and even 100 PW, capable of reaching intensities of $10^{23}~\text{W}/\text{cm}^{2}$ in the laser focus. These ultra-high intensities are nevertheless lower than the Schwinger intensity $I_{S}=2.3\times 10^{29}~\text{W}/\text{cm}^{2}$ at which the theory of quantum electrodynamics (QED) predicts that a large part of the energy of the laser photons will be transformed to hard Gamma-ray photons and even to matter, via electron–positron pair production. To enable the investigation of this physics at the intensities achievable with the next generation of high power laser facilities, an approach involving the interaction of two colliding PW laser pulses is being adopted. Theoretical simulations predict strong QED effects with colliding laser pulses of ${\geqslant}10~\text{PW}$ focused to intensities ${\geqslant}10^{22}~\text{W}/\text{cm}^{2}$.
colliding petawatt laser pulses electron–positron pairs creation nonlinear Breit–Wheeler process petawatt laser facilities quantum electrodynamics 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 01000e10
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
2 Central Laser Facility, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, UK
We demonstrate high efficiency second harmonic generation (SHG) of near infrared femtosecond pulses using a $\text{BiB}_{3}\text{O}_{6}$ crystal in a single-pass tight focusing geometry setup. A frequency doubling efficiency of $63\%$ is achieved, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest value ever reported in the femtosecond regime for such low energy (nJ-level) pumping pulses. Theoretical analyses of the pumping scheme focusing waist and the SHG efficiency are performed, by numerically solving the three wave mixing coupled equations in the plane-wave scenario and by running simulations with a commercial full 3D code. Simulations show a good agreement with the experimental data regarding both the efficiency and the pulse spectral profile. The simulated SHG pulse temporal profile presents the characteristic features of the group velocity mismatch broadening in a ‘thick’ crystal.
nonlinear process second harmonic generation pumping scheme parametric amplification/oscillators high power laser 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 01000e11
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 National Laboratory on High Power Laser and Physics, Shanghai 201800, China
2 Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China

Achieving ignition of ICF (inertial confinement fusion) has been the great dream that scientists all over the world pursue. As a grand challenge, this aim requires energetic and high quality lasers. High power laser facilities, for this purpose, have therefore flourished over the past several decades. Meanwhile high power laser facilities, also essential for high-energy-density (HED) scientific research and astrophysics, drive rapid progress of material science, electronics, precision machinery and so on. Many countries have successfully established a succession of facilities to study ICF and HED physics, such as National Ignition Facility (NIF)[1] in the United States and the Laser Megajoule (LMJ) in France[2]. China, conducted such research activities early, as one of the few countries having the capability of developing high power facilities independently. As the major pioneer dedicated to high power laser technology and ICF research in China, the National Laboratory on High Power Laser and Physics (NLHPLP) and its precursor have established a succession of facilities since 1973. In 1986 NLHPLP was formally established at Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics; this opened up a new era of laser fusion research in China. Since then the facilities at NLHPLP entered into ‘Shen Guang’ families. Since the SG-I facility dismantled in 1994, NLHPLP has successively constructed SG-II laser facility, SG-II 9th beam, SG-II upgrade (SG-II UP) facility, and SG-II 5PW facility. These operational facilities constitute a multifunctional experimental platform, which provide important experimental capabilities by combining different pulse widths of nanosecond, picosecond and femtosecond scales. SG-II facility, greatly promoting Chinese ICF research, has had a stable and excellent operation for approximately 20 years. A newly built SG-II UP facility, consisting of a single petawatt picosecond system with kJ-class output and eight-beam nanosecond capability with multi-pass amplifier configuration, has achieved the required outputs. This facility marks a major step of increasing capability of designing and constructing high power facilities. In addition, SG-II 5 PW facility is already operational for physical experiments. Construction of these facilities has driven the fabrication and processing of large optical components. Furthermore, many advanced technologies have been developed that ensured good performance of these systems. Apparently with operations spanning 30 years, NLHPLP is an important scientific research base on high power laser scientific research in China.

High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 01000e12
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Photonic Information Technology, College of Electronic Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
2 International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology, Engineering Technology Research Center for 2D Material Information Function Devices and Systems of Guangdong Province, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
This paper presents a complete two-step phase-shifting (TSPS) spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction (SPIDER) to improve the reconstruction of ultrafast optical fields. Here, complete TSPS acts as a balanced detection that can not only remove the effect of the dc term of the interferogram, but also reduce measurement noises, and thereby improve the capability of SPIDER to measure the pulses with narrow spectra or complex spectral structures. Some prisms are chosen to replace some environment-sensitive optical components, especially reflective optics to improve operating stability and improve signal-to-noise ratio further. Our experiments show that the available shear can be decreased to 1.5% of the spectral width, which is only about $1/3$ compared with traditional SPIDER.
electric-field reconstruction shearing interferometry spectral phase ultrashort laser pulse 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 01000e13
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 SUPA Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK
2 Central Laser Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, UK
3 The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BZ, UK
4 Centre for Plasma Physics, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK
Filamentary structures can form within the beam of protons accelerated during the interaction of an intense laser pulse with an ultrathin foil target. Such behaviour is shown to be dependent upon the formation time of quasi-static magnetic field structures throughout the target volume and the extent of the rear surface proton expansion over the same period. This is observed via both numerical and experimental investigations. By controlling the intensity profile of the laser drive, via the use of two temporally separated pulses, both the initial rear surface proton expansion and magnetic field formation time can be varied, resulting in modification to the degree of filamentary structure present within the laser-driven proton beam.
laser–plasma ion acceleration instabilities 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 01000e14
S. A. Babin 1,2,†
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 Institute of Automation and Electrometry, SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
2 Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
High-brightness fiber laser sources usually utilize active rare-earth-doped fibers cladding-pumped by multimode laser diodes (LDs), but they operate in limited wavelength ranges. Singlemode-passive-fiber based Raman lasers are able to operate at almost any wavelength being pumped by high-power fiber lasers. One of the interesting possibilities is to directly pump graded-index (GRIN) multimode passive fibers by available high-power multimode LDs at 915–940 nm, thus achieving high-power Raman lasing in the wavelength range of 950–1000 nm, which is problematic for rare-earth-doped fiber lasers. Here we review the latest results on the development of all-fiber high-brightness LD-pumped sources based on GRIN fiber with in-fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). The mode-selection properties of FBGs inscribed by fs pulses supported by the Raman clean-up effect result in efficient conversion of multimode pump into a high-quality output beam at 9xx nm. GRIN fibers with core diameters 62.5, 85 and $100~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ are compared. Further scaling capabilities and potential applications of such sources are discussed.
beam cleaning fiber laser high brightness laser diode pumping Raman laser 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 01000e15
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 Peter Grünberg Institut (PGI-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str. 1, 52425 Jülich, Germany
2 Institut für Laser-und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
3 Institut für Theoretische Physik I, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
4 Institut für Kernphysik (IKP-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str. 1, 52425 Jülich, Germany
5 Institut für Kernphysik (IKP-2), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str. 1, 52425 Jülich, Germany
6 JARA-FAME und III. Physikalisches Institut B, RWTH Aachen, Otto-Blumenthal-Str., 52074 Aachen, Germany
7 Department of Physics, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion-Crete, Greece
8 Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, 71110 Heraklion-Crete, Greece
We report on the concept of an innovative source to produce polarized proton/deuteron beams of a kinetic energy up to several GeV from a laser-driven plasma accelerator. Spin effects have been implemented into the particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation code VLPL (Virtual Laser Plasma Lab) to make theoretical predictions about the behavior of proton spins in laser-induced plasmas. Simulations of spin-polarized targets show that the polarization is conserved during the acceleration process. For the experimental realization, a polarized HCl gas-jet target is under construction using the fundamental wavelength of a Nd:YAG laser system to align the HCl bonds and simultaneously circularly polarized light of the fifth harmonic to photo-dissociate, yielding nuclear polarized H atoms. Subsequently, their degree of polarization is measured with a Lamb-shift polarimeter. The final experiments, aiming at the first observation of a polarized particle beam from laser-generated plasmas, will be carried out at the 10 PW laser system SULF at SIOM, Shanghai.
laser-driven plasma accelerator particle-in-cell simulations polarized gas-jet target polarized proton beams 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 01000e16
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, UK
2 Department of Physics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506-6315, USA
3 School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 9SS, UK
4 Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
5 GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusãu Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
6 STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 0QX, UK
7 Laboratoire pour l’Utilisation de Lasers Intenses, UMR7605, CNRS CEA, Université Paris VI Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau Cedex, France
8 Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
9 Departments of Planetary Sciences and Astronomy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
10 AWE, Aldermaston, Reading, West Berkshire, RG7 4PR, UK
11 Department of Physics, National Central University, Taoyuan 320, China
12 Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
13 School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK
14 Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
15 Imperial College London, London, SW72AZ, UK
This paper describes a model of electron energization and cyclotron-maser emission applicable to astrophysical magnetized collisionless shocks. It is motivated by the work of Begelman, Ergun and Rees [Astrophys. J. 625, 51 (2005)] who argued that the cyclotron-maser instability occurs in localized magnetized collisionless shocks such as those expected in blazar jets. We report on recent research carried out to investigate electron acceleration at collisionless shocks and maser radiation associated with the accelerated electrons. We describe how electrons accelerated by lower-hybrid waves at collisionless shocks generate cyclotron-maser radiation when the accelerated electrons move into regions of stronger magnetic fields. The electrons are accelerated along the magnetic field and magnetically compressed leading to the formation of an electron velocity distribution having a horseshoe shape due to conservation of the electron magnetic moment. Under certain conditions the horseshoe electron velocity distribution function is unstable to the cyclotron-maser instability [Bingham and Cairns, Phys. Plasmas 7, 3089 (2000); Melrose, Rev. Mod. Plasma Phys. 1, 5 (2017)].
laboratory astrophysics plasma physics particle acceleration plasma-wave instabilities 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 01000e17
Meng Wang 1,2,3Le Liu 1,2,3Zefeng Wang 1,2,3Xiaoming Xi 1,2,3Xiaojun Xu 1,2,3
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 College of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
2 State Key Laboratory of Pulsed Power Laser Technology, Changsha 410073, China
3 Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of High Energy Laser Technology, Changsha 410073, China
The average power of diode-pumped fiber lasers has been developed deeply into the kW regime in the past years. However, stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) is still a major factor limiting the further power scaling. Here, we have demonstrated the mitigation of SRS in kilowatt-level diode-pumped fiber amplifiers using a chirped and tilted fiber Bragg grating (CTFBG) for the first time. The CTFBG is designed and inscribed in large-mode-area (LMA) fibers, matching with the operating wavelength of the fiber amplifier. With the CTFBG inserted between the seed laser and the amplifier stage, an SRS suppression ratio of ${\sim}10~\text{dB}$ is achieved in spectrum at the maximum output laser power of 2.35 kW, and there is no reduction in laser slope efficiency and degradation in beam quality. This work proves the feasibility and practicability of CTFBGs for SRS suppression in high-power fiber lasers, which is very useful for the further power scaling.
fiber Bragg gratings fiber lasers high power stimulated Raman scattering 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 01000e18
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
2 Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
3 Climate and Space Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
4 AWE plc, Aldermaston, Reading RG7 4PR, UK

In 2018 the journal High Power Laser Science and Engineering produced a Special Issue on Laboratory Astrophysics. The scope of the special issue was to span the latest research and reviews on the following topics related to laboratory astrophysics and related phenomena. The topics invited for inclusion were:

High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 01000e19
Author Affiliations
Abstract
1 Key Laboratory of High Power Laser and Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
2 Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
3 Collaborative Innovation Center of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
4 SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, UK
5 Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
6 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Absolute instability modes due to secondary scattering of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in a large nonuniform plasma are studied theoretically and numerically. The backscattered light of convective SRS can be considered as a pump light with a finite bandwidth. The different frequency components of the backscattered light can be coupled to develop absolute SRS instability near their quarter-critical densities via rescattering process. The absolute SRS mode develops a Langmuir wave with a high phase velocity of about $c/\sqrt{3}$ with $c$ the light speed in vacuum. Given that most electrons are at low velocities in the linear stage, the absolute SRS mode grows with very weak Landau damping. When the interaction evolves into the nonlinear regime, the Langmuir wave can heat abundant electrons up to a few hundred keV via the SRS rescattering. Our theoretical model is validated by particle-in-cell simulations. The absolute instabilities may play a considerable role in the experiments of inertial confinement fusion.
laser plasma interactions stimulated Raman scattering two plasmon decay instability hot electron 
High Power Laser Science and Engineering
2019, 7(1): 01000e20