Abstract
Plasma mirrors are devices capable of switching very high laser powers on subpicosecond time
scales with a dynamic range of 20–30 dB. A detailed study of their performance in the near-field of
the laser beam is presented, a setup relevant to improving the pulse contrast of modern ultrahigh
power lasers ~TW–PW!. The conditions under which high reflectivity can be achieved and
focusability of the reflected beam retained are identified. At higher intensities a region of high
specular reflectivity with rapidly decreasing focusability was observed, suggesting that specular
reflectivity alone is not an adequate guide to the ideal range of plasma mirror operation. It was found
that to achieve high reflectivity with negligible phasefront distortion of the reflected beam the
inequality csDt,lLaser must be met (cs : sound speed, Dt: time from plasma formation to the peak
of the pulse!. The achievable contrast enhancement is given by the ratio of plasma mirror reflectivity
to cold reflectivity.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 645-649 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Review of Scientific Instruments |
| Volume | 75 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2004 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Instrumentation
- Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)