Conversion of intense laser pulses into electromagnetic fields with use of extended targets

TL;DR

This paper investigates how intense laser pulses interacting with extended targets can generate strong, controllable electromagnetic fields, with insights from numerical modeling on discharge current dynamics and field properties.

Contribution

It introduces a numerical model analyzing laser-target interactions to produce electromagnetic fields, focusing on discharge current profiles and their influence on field characteristics.

Findings

Discharge current profile depends on target thickness.

Electromagnetic fields can be generated with specific spatio-temporal properties.

Discharge pulse dynamics occur on a 10 ps timescale over 3 mm distance.

Abstract

The effects leading to generation of quasi-stationary and propagating electromagnetic fields during the propagation of a laser-driven current discharge pulse in extended targets are considered. The results of numerical modeling describe the interaction of a relativistically intense ultrashort laser pulse with an extended dense target and its transformation into a powerful discharge current pulse. It is shown that under certain conditions such a pulse can be used to generate strong electromagnetic fields with certain spatio-temporal properties. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the discharge pulse parameters on the properties of the induced electromagnetic fields. Analysis of the discharge current profile in dependence on the target thickness is provided and the dynamics of discharge current pulse profile evolution is studied on the time scale $\sim 10$ ps, when the propagation distance is $\sim 3$ mm.