G. Kulcsar et al., Intense picosecond x-ray pulses from laser plasmas by use of nanostructured "velvet" targets, PHYS REV L, 84(22), 2000, pp. 5149-5152
We describe the optical, radiative, and laser-plasma physics of a new type
of nanostructured surface especially promising as a very high absorption ta
rget for high-peak-power subpicosecond laser-matter interaction. This orien
ted-nanowire material, irradiated by 1 ps pulses at intensities up to 10(17
) W cm(-2) produces picosecond soft x-ray pulses 50X more efficiently than
do solid targets. We compare this to "smoke" or metallic clusters, and soli
d nanogroove-grating surfaces; the "metal-velvet" targets combine the high
yield of smoke targets with the brief emission of grating surfaces.