Chapter 8
Towards Laser Intensity Calibration
Using High-Field Ionization
M. F. Ciappina, S. V. Bulanov, T. Ditmire, G. Korn, and S. Weber
Abstract We present an approach for direct measurement of ultrahigh laser intensities in the range 10
20 –10
24 W/cm
2 . The method is based on the use of multiple sequential tunneling ionization of heavy atoms with adequately high ionization potentials.
We show that, due to the highly nonlinear dependence of tunneling ionization rates
on the electromagnetic field strength, an off-set in the charge distribution of ions
appears to be clearly sensitive to the peak value of intensity in the laser focus. Based
on the tunnel-ionization mechanism, a simple analytic theory helps in estimating the
maximal charge state produced at a given laser intensity. Our theory also allows for
calculating qualitatively a distribution in charge states generated in different zones of
the laser focus. These qualitative predictions are in excellent agreement with numerical simulations of the tunneling cascades, developed in the interaction of a short
tightly focused laser pulse with low-density noble gas targets. The method could be
particularly useful and of instrumental demand in view of the expected commissioning of several new laser facilities, capable of delivering ultra-powerful light pulses
in the above mentioned domain of intensities.
8.1 Introduction
The continuous development during the last two-decades of high-power laser sources
operating at optical and infrared wavelengths, has lead to a noticeable growth in intensities of electromagnetic radiation available in laboratories. Present-day intensities
M. F. Ciappina (B) · S. V. Bulanov · G. Korn · S. Weber
Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines project, Na Slovance 2,
182 21 Prague, Czech Republic
e-mail: marcelo.ciappina@eli-beams.eu
T. Ditmire
Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Center for High Energy Density Science,
C1510, Austin, TX 78712, USA
S. Weber
School of Science, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
K. Yamanouchi and D. Charalambidis (eds.), Progress in Ultrafast
Intense Laser Science XV, Topics in Applied Physics 136,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47098-2_8
149
Towards Laser Intensity Calibration
Using High-Field Ionization
M. F. Ciappina, S. V. Bulanov, T. Ditmire, G. Korn, and S. Weber
Abstract We present an approach for direct measurement of ultrahigh laser intensities in the range 10
20 –10
24 W/cm
2 . The method is based on the use of multiple sequential tunneling ionization of heavy atoms with adequately high ionization potentials.
We show that, due to the highly nonlinear dependence of tunneling ionization rates
on the electromagnetic field strength, an off-set in the charge distribution of ions
appears to be clearly sensitive to the peak value of intensity in the laser focus. Based
on the tunnel-ionization mechanism, a simple analytic theory helps in estimating the
maximal charge state produced at a given laser intensity. Our theory also allows for
calculating qualitatively a distribution in charge states generated in different zones of
the laser focus. These qualitative predictions are in excellent agreement with numerical simulations of the tunneling cascades, developed in the interaction of a short
tightly focused laser pulse with low-density noble gas targets. The method could be
particularly useful and of instrumental demand in view of the expected commissioning of several new laser facilities, capable of delivering ultra-powerful light pulses
in the above mentioned domain of intensities.
8.1 Introduction
The continuous development during the last two-decades of high-power laser sources
operating at optical and infrared wavelengths, has lead to a noticeable growth in intensities of electromagnetic radiation available in laboratories. Present-day intensities
M. F. Ciappina (B) · S. V. Bulanov · G. Korn · S. Weber
Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines project, Na Slovance 2,
182 21 Prague, Czech Republic
e-mail: marcelo.ciappina@eli-beams.eu
T. Ditmire
Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Center for High Energy Density Science,
C1510, Austin, TX 78712, USA
S. Weber
School of Science, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
K. Yamanouchi and D. Charalambidis (eds.), Progress in Ultrafast
Intense Laser Science XV, Topics in Applied Physics 136,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47098-2_8
149