Speaker
Description
A multi-terawatt, picosecond long-wave infrared (LWIR) 9-µm laser at the Brookhaven ATF supports a broad user program in strong-field and plasma physics. The ~λ² scaling of plasma response with laser wavelength enables detailed studies of laser–plasma interactions and optimization of advanced electron and ion acceleration schemes with applications ranging from cancer radiotherapy to high-energy electron–positron colliders. Fundamental investigations of parametric plasma instabilities form another major research area, offering insights relevant to systems from astrophysics to inertial confinement fusion.
We review recent ATF user results in these directions and report on ongoing upgrades of the LWIR laser from 2 ps, 5 TW to <0.5 ps, >10 TW. Transitioning to few-cycle, multi-TW operation will open new opportunities for generating high-quality particle beams and ultrafast X-ray sources for scientific, biomedical, and industrial applications.
Funding Agency
U.S. Department of Energy under contract DESC0012704
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