Studying the Dynamics of Relativistic Laser-Plasma Interaction on Thin Foils by Means of Fourier-Transform Spectral Interferometry

• Published in: Physical review letters Vol. 118; no. 25; p. 255003
• Main Authors: Bagnoud, V, Hornung, J, Schlegel, T, Zielbauer, B, Brabetz, C, Roth, M, Hilz, P, Haug, M, Schreiber, J, Wagner, F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 23.06.2017
• ISSN: 1079-7114
• DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.118.255003

We apply Fourier-transform spectral interferometry (FTSI) to study the interaction of intense laser pulses with ultrathin targets. Ultrathin submicrometer-thick solid CH targets were shot at the PHELIX laser facility with an intensity in the mid to upper 10^{19}  W/cm^{2} range using an innovative double-pulse structure. The transmitted pulse structure was analyzed by FTSI and shows a transition from a relativistic transparency-dominated regime for targets thinner than 500 nm to a hole-boring-dominated laser-plasma interaction for thicker targets. The results also confirm that the inevitable preplasma expansion happening during the rising slope of the pulse, a few picoseconds before the maximum of the pulse is reached, cannot be neglected and plays a dominant role in laser-plasma interaction with ultrathin solid targets.