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  5. Plasma Amplifiers to Enable Dramatic Increases in Laser Power and Energy to Access New Physical Processes

Plasma Amplifiers to Enable Dramatic Increases in Laser Power and Energy to Access New Physical Processes

Patrick Poole | 19-DR-011

Executive Summary

We are developing plasma-based optics that manipulate and combine laser beams to achieve record levels of energy, power, and intensity. This game-changing technology could enable new regimes of study on the National Ignition Facility and advance US laser capabilities beyond current next-generation designs.

Publications, Presentations, and Patents

P. L. Poole, R. K Kirkwood, S. C. Wilks, T. D. Chapman, D. Kalantar, M. Edwards, P. Michel, L. Divol, N.Fisch, P. Norreys, W. Rozmus, J. Bude, B. E. Blue, K. B. Fournier, B. M. Van Wonterghem. 2021. “Time-resolved measurement of power transfer in plasma amplifier experiments on NIF.” Presentation at Conference of Lasers and Electro-Optics. 2021.

P. L. Poole, R. K. Kirkwood, T. D. Chapman, S. C. Wilks, M. R. Edwards, D. H. Kalantar, P. Michel, L. Divol, N. Fisch, P. Norreys, W. Rozmus, J. Bude, B. E. Blue, K. B. Fournier, and B. M. Van Wonterghem. “A plasma amplifier for <100 ps pulses at NIF.” Presentation at NIF/JLF User Group Meeting. 2021.

R. K. Kirkwood, P. L. Poole, D. H. Kalantar, T. D. Chapman, S. C. Wilks, M. Edwards, P. Michel, L. Divol, N. Fisch, P. Norreys, W. Rozmus, J. Bude, B. E. Blue, K. B. Fournier, and B. M. Van Wonterghem. “Development of Ion Wave Plasma Optics for NIF and Other Lasers.” Presentation at the 62rd annual meeting of Division of Plasma Physics of the American Physical Society. 2020.

P. L. Poole, R. K. Kirkwood, T. D. Chapman, S. C. Wilks, D. Kalantar, M. Edwards, P. Michel, L. Divol, N. Fisch, P. Norreys, W. Rozmus, J. Bude, B. E. Blue, K. B. Fournier, and B. M. Van Wonterghem. “Time resolved measurement of power transfer in plasma optic” Presentation at the 62rd annual meeting of Division of Plasma Physics of the American Physical Society. 2020.

P. L. Poole, R. K. Kirkwood, T. D. Chapman, S. C. Wilks, P. Michel, L. Divol, N. Fisch, P. Norreys, W. Rozmus, B. E. Blue. “Beam amplification to high fluence in a plasma optic.” Presentation at the 61st annual meeting of Division of Plasma Physics of the American Physical Society. 2019.

R. K. Kirkwood, P. Poole, T. D. Chapman, S. C. Wilks, P. Michel, L. Divol, N. Fisch, P. Norreys, W. Rozmus, J. Bude, B. E. Blue, and B. M. Van Wonterghem. “Ion Wave Plasma Optic Concepts for NIF and Other Lasers.” Presentation at the 61st annual meeting of Division of Plasma Physics of the American Physical Society. 2019.

P. L. Poole, R. K. Kirkwood, T. D. Chapman, S. C. Wilks, W. H. Dunlop, B. J. MacGowan, K. B. Fournier, B. E. Blue and B. M. van Wonterghem. “Combination of up to 21 frequency shifted beams with a plasma optic.” Talk given at 49th annual Anomalous Absorption conference. 2019.