Extreme Ultraviolet Generation and Spectroscopy in Laser Wakefield Accelerators

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.