Secondary radiation flashes (e.g. X-rays, neutrons, etc.) can now be routinely produced on demand by high energy, short duration laser pulses generated through Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA). Scaling to even shorter duration, more intense pulses is desirable but runs the risk of damaging the laser optics and gain medium. A method of achieving improved secondary radiation yield that doesn’t risk damaging laser optics is needed.
This invention proposes achieving the same effect of a single, high intensity pulse through the use of a closely spaced burst of short duration pulses. By keeping the intensity of the individual pulses below the damage threshold the risk of catastrophic damage is greatly mitigated. Additionally, the pulses are directed to strike the target at locations temporally and spatially sufficiently separated to minimize laser-plasma interactions between pulses.
- Achieves high peak laser intensity without the laser self-destructing.
- Achieves high secondary radiation production yield by angular multiplexing the burst-mode pulses.
- Production of MeV electrons, x-rays, gamma rays, protons, ions, neutrons, and positrons.
- Flash radiography of dense objects.
- Further applications in medicine and cancer therapy.
Current stage of technology development: TRL3-4
LLNL has patent(s) on this invention.
U.S. Patent No. 11,222,734 Burst-Mode Chirped Pulse Amplification Method published 1/11/2022