Developments in Relativistic Nonlinear Optics

Authors

Donald P. Umstadter, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Sudeep Banerjee, Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann ArborFollow
Shouyuan Chen, Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann ArborFollow
E. Dodd, Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
K. Flippo, Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Anatoly Maksimchuk, University of MichiganFollow
N. Saleh, Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
A. Valenzuela, Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P. Zhang, Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Date of this Version

11-20-2002

Comments

American Institute of Physics. Proc. 611, 95 (2002). Copyright 2002. Permission to use. http://proceedings.aip.org/proceedings/cpcr.jsp.

Abstract

We report recent results of experiments and simulations in the regime of peak laser intensities above 10¹⁹ W/cm², including the following topics: (1) electron and proton acceleration to energies in excess of 10 MeV in well collimated beams; (2) use of laser chirp to control the growth of plasma waves and acceleration of electrons by the Raman instability; (3) all optical injection and acceleration of electrons; (4) relativistic self-focusing by means of the mutual index of refraction of two overlapping laser pulses; (5) creation of a radioisotope by the reaction ¹⁰B(d,n)¹¹C; (6) high-order harmonic generation from relativistic free electrons in an underdense plasma.