All optical high energy radiation source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9660408-B2
Application number	US-201314394240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2013
Priority date	Apr 13, 2012
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A method for producing electromagnetic radiation comprising: firing a first laser pulse and generating a plasma region, the first laser pulse penetrating at least partially into the plasma region to create a plasma density wake in the plasma region; providing a group of charged particles in the plasma region arranged so as to be accelerated in the plasma density wake of the first laser pulse; reflecting the first laser pulse after the first laser pulse has penetrated into the plasma region, to give a reflected laser pulse; and arranging the reflected laser pulse to interact with the group of charged particles to generate an electromagnetic radiation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing x-ray radiation using a laser driven plasma accelerator, the method comprising:
firing a first laser pulse and generating a plasma region, said first laser pulse penetrating at least partially into said plasma region to create a plasma density wake in said plasma region; and
providing a group of charged particles in the plasma region arranged so as to be accelerated in the plasma density wake of the first laser pulse,
said method being characterized in that it comprises:
reflecting the first laser pulse after said first laser pulse has at least partially penetrated into said plasma region, to give a reflected laser pulse; and
arranging said reflected laser pulse to interact with said group of charged particles so as to generate x-ray radiation,
wherein reflecting the first laser pulse comprises generating a plasma mirror by the interaction of a rising edge of the first laser pulse with an obstacle, and
wherein the plasma mirror is a dense plasma having a higher density than the plasma region to be able to reflect back the first laser pulse while the plasma region can be penetrated by the first laser pulse.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plasma region is generated by the interaction of a rising edge of the first laser pulse with a gas.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plasma region is generated prior to the firing of the first laser pulse.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing the group of charged particles comprises trapping charged particles of the plasma region in the plasma density wake of the first laser pulse.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing the group of charged particles comprises:
generating said group of charged particles externally to the plasma region and
injecting said group of charged particles into the plasma region.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing the group of charged particles comprises providing a density gradient in the plasma region, said density gradient being arranged so as to be penetrated at least partially by the plasma density wake of the first laser pulse in order to provide said group of charged particles.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating a third laser pulse, wherein said third laser pulse is arranged to overlap with said first laser pulse at least partially in said plasma region, in order to trap charged particles of the plasma region in the plasma density wake of said first laser pulse.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising deviating the group of charged particles after the generation of said electromagnetic x-ray radiation.

9. An electromagnetic x-ray radiation source using a laser driven plasma accelerator and comprising:
a laser source to fire a first laser pulse;
means for generating a plasma region, the first laser pulse generating at least partially into said plasma region to create a plasma density wake in said plasma region; and
means for providing a group of charged particles in the plasma region, said group of charged particles being arranged so as to be accelerated in the plasma density wake of the first laser pulse, said source being characterized in that it comprises
means for reflecting the first laser pulse after said first laser pulse has at least partially penetrated into said plasma region, to give a reflected laser pulse, said reflected laser pulse being arranged to interact with the group of charged particles and generate an electromagnetic x-ray radiation,
wherein said means for reflecting the first laser pulse comprises a plasma mirror, and
wherein the plasma mirror is a dense plasma having a higher density than the plasma region to be able to reflect back the first laser pulse while the plasma region can be penetrated by the first laser pulse.

10. The electromagnetic x-ray radiation source according to claim 9 , wherein said plasma mirror is generated by the interaction of a rising edge of a laser pulse with an obstacle.

11. The electromagnetic x-ray radiation source according to claim 9 , wherein said means for generating a plasma region comprise(s) means for providing a gas, said gas being arranged to be at least partially penetrated by the first laser pulse, the plasma region being generated by the interaction of a rising edge of the laser pulse with said gas.

12. The electromagnetic x-ray radiation source according to claim 9 , wherein said means for generating a plasma region comprise(s) means for providing a gas and one or a combination of the following: a discharge circuit for firing a discharge into said gas to create said plasma region, and a second laser pulse arranged to penetrate at least partially into said gas, the interaction of a rising edge of said second laser pulse with said gas creating said plasma region.

13. The electromagnetic x-ray radiation source according to claim 9 , wherein said means for providing a group of charged particles in the plasma region comprise(s) one or a combination of the following: said first laser pulse, a third laser pulse arranged to overlap with the first laser pulse at least partially into the plasma region, a density gradient of the plasma region, means for generating a group of charged particles externally to the plasma region and means for injecting said group of charged particles in the plasma region.

Assignees

• Ta Phuoc Kim
• Thaury Cedric
• Shah Rahul
• Corde Sebastien
• Ecole Polytech
• Centre Nat De La Rech Scientifiqu—Cnrs
• Ecole Nat Superieure De Techniques Avancees

Inventors

• Ta Phuoc Kim
• Thaury Cedric
• Shah Rahul
• Corde Sebastien

Classifications

• H05G2/00 Primary

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays, not involving X-ray tubes, e.g. involving generation of a plasma (X-ray lasers H01S4/00) · CPC title

• H01S3/0955

  using pumping by high energy particles {(H01S3/0903, H01S3/0906, H01S3/09707 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H01S3/005 Primary

  Optical devices external to the laser cavity, specially adapted for lasers, e.g. for homogenisation of the beam or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping (shaping laser beam for working metal or other materials B23K26/06; optical elements, systems or apparatus in general G02B) · CPC title