Extreme Ultraviolet Generation and Spectroscopy in Laser Wakefield Accelerators

该奖项支持一项研究，即如何使用强大的激光来制造极紫外线光源。 光使我们能够看到我们周围的世界，无论是从字面上用我们的眼睛，但也通过使用工具，如显微镜。我们能看到的最小物体取决于所用光的颜色;蓝光比红光能看到更小的物体，紫外线能看到更小的物体。极紫外光可以看到小到分子的物体，目前这种光被用于制造最先进的计算机芯片。极紫外（EUV）光的高亮度光源制造起来非常困难且昂贵。该项目旨在了解如何使用极强大的激光器来制造EUV光源，并评估该光源的实用性。该项目将通过实验表征激光韦克菲尔德加速（LWFA）中产生的EUV光的发射。本研究有两个主要方面：（1）使用EUV发射来表征和更好地理解与LWFA相关的等离子体条件，以及（2）研究LWFA作为EUV光源的潜力。实验将在PetaWatt激光设施上进行，例如ZEUS激光器，其中将研究各种加速和注入机制以及EUV光谱。 将进行激光等离子体相互作用的数值模拟，以确定最合适的模型来描述在这个中间能量范围内的物理。 通过等离子体发射的测量，等离子体温度将通过模拟被推断并与注入的电荷相关。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award supports a study of how powerful lasers may be used to make extreme ultraviolet light sources. Light enables us to see the world around us, both literally with our eyes but also through the use of tools such as microscopes. The smallest objects we can see depend on the color of the light used; blue light can see smaller objects than red light, and ultraviolet light can see smaller objects still. Extreme ultraviolet light can see objects as small as molecules and is the light that is currently used to manufacture state-of-the-art computer chips. High brightness sources of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light are very difficult and expensive to make. This project aims to understand how extremely powerful lasers may be used to make an EUV light source, and to gauge the practicality of the light for applications. The project will experimentally characterize the emission of EUV light as generated in laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA). There are two main facets of this research: (1) to use EUV emission to characterize and better understand the plasma conditions related to LWFA, and (2) to investigate the potential of LWFA as an EUV light source. Experiments will be performed on PetaWatt laser facilities such as the ZEUS laser, where various acceleration and injection regimes and EUV spectroscopy will be investigated. Numerical modeling of laser-plasma interactions will be performed to determine the most suitable models to describe the physics in this intermediate energy range. With measurements of plasma emission, the plasma temperature will be inferred and correlated with injected charge via simulations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.