Vita Publications

Measuring atomic-resolution images of materials with x-ray photons during chemical reactions or physical transformations resides at the technological forefront of x-ray science. New x-ray–based experimental capabilities have been closely linked with advances in x-ray sources, a trend that will continue with the impending arrival of x-ray–free electron lasers driven by electron accelerators. [...]

We present a study of laser-ion acceleration, where an increased laser spot size leads to sheath field geometries that accelerate ion beams of narrow and achromatic divergence at unprecedented charge densities, resulting from the high aspect ratio of the laser spot size to the acceleration distance. Matching the laser pulse length to the transverse laser spot size mitigated laser sweeping across the target front side and optimized the acceleration, with maximum energies deviating significantly from a linear intensity scaling..

Precise measurements of the plasma density in ionized gas cells and discharged capillaries are critical to the design and operation of plasma-based accelerators, active plasma lenses, and plasma-based radiation sources. In this manuscript, a spectral-domain common-path second-harmonic interferometer is upgraded with the simultaneous measurement of the group and phase velocity, allowing for high-sensitivity density characterization (from the phase velocity advance) without the need for phase tracking from zero-density (enabled by the group velocity delay). [...]