Ultrafast laser-matter interaction and high field science

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The proposed research program will take advantage of the unique properties of the Advanced Laser Light Source (ALLS) facility that has been developed and installed at INRS. The main goal of Prof. Kieffer program is to extend frontiers in high field physics using the relativistic intensities that can be achieved with the 200TW/50W ALLS system. This laser system exhibits simultaneously a high repetition rate (10 Hz), a short pulse duration (25 fs), a high laser pulse contrast ratio (10-10:1) and laser intensities in the focal plane above 1020 W/cm2. The applicant will pursue innovative research in the following three directions that are inter-related: A first theme focus on isochoric heating of matter at solid density up to extreme temperatures and on laser piston acceleration of matter. The specific goal is to explore the production and acceleration of hot solid plasmas slabs by irradiation of ultra-thin foils with ultra-intense and ultrashort/ultraclean laser pulses. A second theme is on the generation of ultrafast X-ray sources. The specific goal is to produce sub-hundreds femtosecond hard x-ray flash. The applicant will explore the generation of ultrafast pulse of multi-keV X-rays using electrons undergoing very non-linear dynamics effects involving the laser fields (the laser betatron effect) in gas targets and at relativistics intensities. The third area is proton acceleration by intense laser field. The specific goal is to study the acceleration of protons through radiation pressure and to characterize protons currents (spectrum, dose) with the high peak and average power ALLS system with different beam shapes, targets and interaction geometries.