Quantum ghost imaging approaches have been proposed to enhance biological microscopy, for example, using 2D visible detectors to provide IR images or providing additional dimensions of spatial or spectral information. Toward the goal of making such imaging schemes practical, we compare image quality and depth-of-field between traditional images and ghost images at the same excitation levels. We measure how image quality and depth-of-field depend on the parameters of the entangled light produced using type-I spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). We use a pair of time-synchronized, photon-timing single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array detectors to capture two distinct microscope imaging paths simultaneously on a photon-pair-by-photon-pair basis: one in a traditional imaging pathway and the other a quantum ghost imaging pathway. We calculate the depth-of-field, resolution, contrast, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) through the parameter space of a β-Barium Borate (BBO) type-I bulk non-linear crystal length and angle. Our results provide a basis for choosing parameters for quantum ghost imaging with type-I SPDC sources.

Fluorescence microscopy has become integral to biological studies for the technique's ability to elucidate structures of biomolecules for in-situ studies with high selectivity and specificity. Imaging of intrinsic indicators, such as fluorescent amino acids in proteins, provides important information, but can be challenging to accomplish. Current microscopy techniques that measure native fluorescence without the use of exogenous labels involve either direct UV excitation which is commonly non-localized and can be detrimental to the system, or multiphoton absorption which must be conducted at high intensities, therefore posing high risks of photodamage. As such, we seek to investigate an efficient way to gently excite native fluorescence in biological systems in a way that overcomes these limitations. Quantum entangled photon pairs generated via spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC), may be an alternative to conducting two-photon absorption (TPA) to excite fluorescence in amino acids without the high fluences currently used. These photon pairs are highly correlated in time. Thus, the arrival of one photon is simultaneously followed by the arrival of its sister photon. As a result, a molecule interacting with the photon pair should simultaneously absorb both photons, leading to a linear two-photon absorption rate, and the linearity of the two-photon process should dramatically reduce the light intensity necessary for TPA. Therefore, quantum entangled photon pairs offer the possibility of performing low intensity UV excitation using photons in the visible wavelength range. With this work, we generated and characterized entangled photons generated via SPDC, and investigated whether fluorescent amino acids can be excited, and the subsequent fluorescence induced with entangled two-photon absorption. Results show that much higher entangled two-photon rates than what are currently available are needed to measure significant signals with entangled two-photon excitation.

The shock imparted by a laser beam striking a metal surface can be increased by the presence of an optically transparent tamper plate bonded to the surface. We explore the shock produced in an aluminum slab, for a selection of tamper materials and drive conditions. The experiments are conducted with a single-pulse laser of maximum fluence up to 100 J/cm 2 . The pressure and impulse are measured by photon doppler velocimetry, while plasma imaging is used to provide evidence of nonlinear tamper absorption. We demonstrate a pressure enhancement of 50x using simple commercially available optics. We compare results from hard dielectric glasses such as fused silica to soft plastics such as teflon tape. We discuss the mechanism of pressure saturation observed at high pulse fluence, along with some implications regarding applications. Below saturation, overall dependencies on pulse intensity and material parameters such as mechanical impedances are shown to correlate with a model by Fabbro et al .

The advanced radiographic capability (ARC) laser system, part of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is a short-pulse laser capability integrated into the NIF. The ARC is designed to provide adjustable pulse lengths of ∼1-38ps in four independent beamlets, each with energies up to 1 kJ (depending on pulse duration). A detailed model of the ARC lasers has been developed that predicts the time- and space-resolved focal spots on target for each shot. Measurements made to characterize static and dynamic wavefront characteristics of the ARC are important inputs to the code. Modeling has been validated with measurements of the time-integrated focal spot at the target chamber center (TCC) at low power, and the space-integrated pulse duration at high power, using currently available diagnostics. These simulations indicate that each of the four ARC beamlets achieves a peak intensity on target of up to a few 1018W/cm2.

The build rate of powder bed additive manufacturing could be significantly accelerated if consolidation of metal powders evolved from a serial process to a parallel process. In this work, the physics of Large-Area pulsed laser Powder Bed Fusion (LAPBF) in 316L stainless steel was studied through high speed imaging and high-fidelity physics simulations. Laser pulses were found to rapidly melt the metal powder, with subsequent fast coalescence of the melted particles into larger droplets. Conduction of heat from the molten droplets melted the substrate surface, and the molten droplets then spread out over roughly 100 mu s. For the laser and metal powder parameters used in this study, layer thicknesses of greater than 40 mu m resulted in uneven distribution of added material onto the substrate surface and thus an increase in porosity in multilayer prints. Simulations showed that pit features could be created (that can result in pores) from overlying powder particles shadowing the underlying substrate and blocking sufficient laser energy to deposit into the substrate. Simulations suggested that for these laser and powder parameters using thinner powder layers would reduce shadowing and allow the laser pulse to effectively heat the substrate thereby mitigating the defect formation. Implementing this change ultimately demonstrated > 99.5% density in the simulation, and > 99.8% density experimentally in 316L stainless steel prints. During the LABPF process very little material ejection was observed, a known impediment to laser powder bed fusion scaling to larger volume part production. This absence of eject a suggests that LAPBF may be able to produce material with high quality, suitable for critical applications, and scalable to high volume production.

Building on previous work, we have designed a Nd doped fiber for E-band amplification. Modeling results indicate a fiber design that is applicable to telecom amplifiers.

To analyze recent experiments with a neodymium-doped fiber amplifier operating in the E-band of wavelengths (1350-1450 nm) and embedded in fused silica, we develop a time-dependent model consisting of rate equations for the aggregate ion populations and the radiation intensities along the amplifier axis. Both copropagating and counterpropagating intensities, including amplified spontaneous emission, are incorporated. The wavelength-dependent cross section for excited state absorption is inferred from auxiliary measurements. Steady-state solutions are obtained over a range of seed wavelengths and powers. The resulting gain curves agree with experiment at low to intermediate powers (less than ∼1  mW). With a proposed addition to the system loss, the agreement extends to saturation (∼100  mW).

The response of a potential candidate protective capping layer (SiO2 or Al2O3) to laser exposure of 1 omega (1053 nm) to high-reflector silica-hafnia multilayer coatings in the presence of variously shaped Ti particles is investigated by combining laser damage testing and numerical modeling. Each sample is exposed to a single oblique angle (45 deg) laser shot (p-polarization, similar to 10 J/ cm(2), 14 ns) in the presence of spherically or irregularly shaped Ti particles on the surface. The two capping layers show markedly different responses. For the spherical particles, the Al2O3 cap layer exhibits severe damage, with the capping layer becoming completely delaminated at the particle locations. The SiO2 capping layer is only mildly modified by a shallow depression, likely due to plasma erosion. The different response of the capping layer is attributed to the large difference in the thermal expansion coefficient of the materials, with that of the Al2O3 about 15 times greater than that of the SiO2 layer. For the irregular particles, the Al2O3 capping layer displays minimal to no damage while the SiO2 capping layer is significantly damaged. The difference is due to the disparity in mechanical strength with Al2O3 possessing approximately 10 times higher fracture toughness. c The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.

We have investigated optical absorption by a powder of metal spheres, via ray-trace calculations. The absorptivity significantly exceeds that for normal incidence, because of multiple scattering. The effect of beam size is also discussed.

We present results of numerical modeling and direct calorimetric measurements of the powder absorptivity for a number of metals. The modeling results generally correlate well with experiment. We show that the powder absorptivity is determined, to a great extent, by the absorptivity of a flat surface at normal incidence. Our results allow the prediction of the powder absorptivity from normal flat-surface absorptivity measurements.

Investigation of large-aperture laser damage at oblique incidence shows that the damage induced by laser contaminants on HR multilayer coatings depends on the thickness and thermal-mechanical properties of the protective capping materials

We report an investigation on the response to laser exposure of a protective capping layer of 1ω (1053 nm) high-reflector mirror coatings, in the presence of differently shaped Ti particles. We consider two candidate capping layer materials, namely SiO2 and Al2O3. They are coated over multiple silica-hafnia multilayer coatings. Each sample is exposed to a single oblique (45°) shot of a 1053 nm laser beam (p polarization, fluence ~ 10 J/cm2, pulse length 14 ns), in the presence of spherically or irregularly shaped Ti particles on the surface. We observe that the two capping layers show markedly different responses. For spherically shaped particles, the Al2O3 cap layer exhibits severe damage, with the capping layer becoming completely delaminated at the particle locations. In contrast, the SiO2 capping layer is only mildly modified by a shallow depression, likely due to plasma erosion. For irregularly shaped Ti filings, the Al2O3 capping layer displays minimal to no damage while the SiO2 capping layer is significantly damaged. In the case of the spherical particles, we attribute the different response of the capping layer to the large difference in thermal expansion coefficient of the materials, with that of the Al2O3 about 15 times greater than that of the SiO2 layer. For the irregularly shaped filings, we attribute the difference in damage response to the large difference in mechanical toughness between the two materials, with that of the Al2O3 being about 10 times stronger than that of the SiO2.

High dielectric constant multilayer coatings are commonly used on high-reflection mirrors for high-peak-power laser systems because of their high laser-damage resistance. However, surface contaminants often lead to damage upon laser exposure, thus limiting the mirror's lifetime and performance. One plausible approach to improve the overall mirror resistance against laser damage, including that induced by laser-contaminant coupling, is to coat the multilayers with a thin protective capping (absentee) layer on top of the multilayer coatings. An understanding of the underlying mechanism by which laser-particle interaction leads to capping layer damage is important for the rational design and selection of capping materials of high-reflection multilayer coatings. In this paper, we examine the responses of two candidate capping layer materials, made of SiO2 and Al2O3, over silica-hafnia multilayer coatings. These are exposed to a single oblique shot of a 1053 nm laser beam (fluence ∼10  J/cm2, pulse length 14 ns), in the presence of Ti particles on the surface. We find that the two capping layers show markedly different responses to the laser-particle interaction. The Al2O3 cap layer exhibits severe damage, with the capping layer becoming completely delaminated at the particle locations. The SiO2 capping layer, on the other hand, is only mildly modified by a shallow depression. Combining the observations with optical modeling and thermal/mechanical calculations, we argue that a high-temperature thermal field from plasma generated by the laser-particle interaction above a critical fluence is responsible for the surface modification of each capping layer. The great difference in damage behavior is mainly attributed to the large disparity in the thermal expansion coefficient of the two capping materials, with that of Al2O3 layer being about 15 times greater than that of SiO2.

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is the first of a kind megajoule-class laser with 192 beams capable of delivering over 1.8 MJ and 500TW of 351nm light [1], [2]. It has been commissioned and operated since 2009 to support a wide range of missions including the study of inertial confinement fusion, high energy density physics, material science, and laboratory astrophysics.In order to advance our understanding, and enable short-pulse multi-frame radiographic experiments of dense cores of cold material, the generation of very hard x-rays above 50 keV is necessary. X-rays with such characteristics can be efficiently generated with high intensity laser pulses above 10(17) W/cm(2) [3]. The Advanced Radiographic Capability (ARC) [4] which is currently being commissioned on the NIF will provide eight, 1 ps to 50 ps, adjustable pulses with up to 1.7 kJ each to create x-ray point sources enabling dynamic, multi-frame x-ray backlighting.This paper will provide an overview of the ARC system and report on the laser performance tests conducted with a stretched-pulse up to the main laser output and their comparison with the results of our laser propagation codes.

We develop models of laser interactions with composite materials consisting of fibers embedded within a matrix. A ray-trace model is shown to determine the absorptivity, absorption depth, and optical power enhancement within the material, as well as the angular distribution of the reflected light. We also develop a macroscopic model, which provides physical insight and overall results. We show that the parameters in this model can be determined from the ray trace model.

The laser system has predicted performance of 8100-J at 16-Hz with 18% wallplug efficiency. This laser also has broad industrial applications including materials processing, and Chirped-Pulse-Amplification pump/amplifier sources which in turn can produce secondary radiation sources.

We present the results of performance modeling of diode-pumped solid state laser beamlines designed for use in Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) power plants. Our modeling quantifies the efficiency increases that can be obtained by increasing peak diode power and reducing pump-pulse duration, to reduce decay losses. At the same efficiency, beamlines that use laser slabs of Yb:YAG or Yb:S-FAP require lower diode power than beamlines that use laser slabs of Nd:phosphate glass, since Yb:YAG and Yb:S-FAP have longer storage lifetimes. Beamlines using Yb:YAG attain their highest efficiency at a temperature of about 200K. Beamlines using Nd:phosphate glass or Yb:S-FAP attain high efficiency at or near room temperature. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America

This paper presents our conceptual design for laser drivers used in Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) power plants. Although we have used only modest extensions of existing laser technology to ensure near-term feasibility, predicted performance meets or exceeds plant requirements: 2.2 MJ pulse energy produced by 384 beamlines at 16 Hz, with 18% wall-plug efficiency. High reliability and maintainability are achieved by mounting components in compact line-replaceable units that can be removed and replaced rapidly while other beamlines continue to operate, at up to similar to 13% above normal energy, to compensate for neighboring beamlines that have failed. Statistical modeling predicts that laser-system availability can be greater than 99% provided that components meet reasonable mean-time-between-failure specifications.

We are converting a quad of NIF beamlines into eight, short-pulse (1–50 ps), petawatt-class beams for advanced radiography and fast ignition experiments. This paper describes progress toward completing this project.