arXiv subjects

Lingen Huang

Publications and source records attributed to Lingen Huang.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

XFEL Imaging Techniques for High Energy Density and Inertial Fusion Energy Research at HED-HiBEF

The imaging platform developed at the High Energy Density - Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields (HED-HiBEF) instrument at the European XFEL and its applications to high energy density and fusion related research are presented. The platform combines the XFEL beam with the high-intensity short-pulse laser ReLaX and the high-energy nanosecond-pulse laser DiPOLE-100X. The spatial resolution is better than 500 nm and the temporal resolution of the order of 50 fs. We show examples of blast waves and converging cylindrical shocks in aluminium, resonant absorption measurements of specific charged states in copper with ReLaX and planar shocks in polystyrene material generated by DiPOLE-100X. We also discuss the possibilities introduced by combining this imaging platform with a kJ-class laser.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2025

Microscopy X-ray Imaging enriched with Small Angle X-ray Scattering for few nanometer resolution reveals shock waves and compression in intense short pulse laser irradiation of solids

Understanding how laser pulses compress solids into high-energy-density states requires diagnostics that simultaneously resolve macroscopic geometry and nanometer-scale structure. Here we present a combined X-ray imaging (XRM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) approach that bridges this diagnostic gap. Using the Matter in Extreme Conditions end station at LCLS, we irradiated 25-micrometer copper wires with 45-fs, 0.9-J, 800-nm pulses at 3.5e19 W/cm2 while probing with 8.2-keV XFEL pulses. XRM visualizes the evolution of ablation, compression, and inward-propagating fronts with about 200-nm resolution, while SAXS quantifies their nanometer-scale sharpness through the time-resolved evolution of scattering streaks. The joint analysis reveals that an initially smooth compression steepens into a nanometer-sharp shock front after roughly 18 ps, consistent with an analytical steepening model and hydrodynamic simulations. The front reaches a velocity of about 25 km/s and a lateral width of several tens of micrometers, demonstrating for the first time the direct observation of shock formation and decay at solid density with few-nanometer precision. This integrated XRM-SAXS method establishes a quantitative, multiscale diagnostic of laser-driven shocks in dense plasmas relevant to inertial confinement fusion, warm dense matter, and planetary physics.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2025

Probing laser-driven surface and subsurface dynamics via grazing-incidence XFEL scattering and diffraction

We demonstrate a grazing-incidence x-ray platform that simultaneously records time-resolved grazing-incidence small-angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) and grazing-incidence x-ray diffraction (GID) from a femtosecond laser-irradiated gold film above the melting threshold, with picosecond resolution at an x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL). By tuning the x-ray incidence angle, the probe depth is set to tens of nanometers, enabling depth-selective sensitivity to near-surface dynamics. GISAXS resolves ultrafast changes in surface nanomorphology (correlation length, roughness), while GID quantifies subsurface lattice compression, grain orientation, melting, and recrystallization. The approach overcomes photon-flux limitations of synchrotron grazing-incidence geometries and provides stringent, time-resolved benchmarks for complex theoretical models of ultrafast laser-matter interaction and warm dense matter. Looking ahead, the same depth-selective methodology is well suited to inertial confinement fusion (ICF): it can visualize buried-interface perturbations and interfacial thermal resistance on micron to sub-micron scales that affect instability seeding and burn propagation.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Probing ultrafast heating and ionization dynamics in solid density plasmas with time-resolved resonant X-ray absorption and emission

Heating and ionization are among the most fundamental processes in relativistic laser--solid interactions; however, their spatiotemporal evolution remains challenging to capture experimentally. Here we present detailed diagnosis of high-intensity laser interactions with wire targets, leveraging the extreme spectral brightness of an X-ray free-electron laser in sub-picosecond time-resolved resonant X-ray emission spectroscopy and absorption imaging. Experimental results are compared with comprehensive simulations using atomic collisional--radiative models, particle-in-cell, and magnetohydrodynamics codes to elucidate the underlying physics. These multi-scale simulations reveal extreme sensitivity of basic plasma parameters with widely used models, such as temperature and ionization depth, which are able to be constrained by incorporating a detailed accounting of laser spatial profiles, pre-plasma conditions, and collisional processes. These results provide new insights into heating and ionization dynamics in the high-energy-density regime relevant to inertial fusion energy research, both as an experimental platform for accessing theoretically challenging conditions and as a benchmark for improving models of high-power laser--plasma interactions.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2025

Demonstration of full-scale spatio-temporal diagnostics of solid-density plasmas driven by an ultra-short relativistic laser pulse using an X-ray free-electron laser

Understanding the complex plasma dynamics in ultra-intense relativistic laser-solid interactions is of fundamental importance to the applications of laser plasma-based particle accelerators, creation of high energy-density matter, understanding of planetary science and laser-driven fusion energy. However, experimental efforts in this regime have been limited by the accessibility of over-critical density and spatio-temporal resolution of conventional diagnostics. Over the last decade, the advent of femtosecond brilliant hard X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) is opening new horizons to break these limitations. Here, for the first time we present full-scale spatio-temporal measurements of solid-density plasma dynamics, including preplasma generation with tens of nanometer-scale length driven by the leading edge of a relativistic laser pulse, ultrafast heating and ionization at the main pulse arrival, laser-driven blast shock waves and transient surface return current-induced compression dynamics up to hundreds of picoseconds after interaction. These observations are enabled by utilizing a novel combination of advanced X-ray diagnostics such as small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), resonant X-ray emission spectroscopy (RXES), and propagation-based X-ray phase-contrast imaging (XPCI) simultaneously at the European XFEL-HED beamline station.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2024

(Sub-)picosecond surface correlations of femtosecond laser excited Al-coated multilayers observed by grazing-incidence x-ray scattering

Femtosecond high-intensity laser pulses at intensities surpassing $10^{14} \,\text{W}/\text{cm}^2$ can generate a diverse range of functional surface nanostructures. Achieving precise control over the production of these functional structures necessitates a thorough understanding of the surface morphology dynamics with nanometer-scale spatial resolution and picosecond-scale temporal resolution. In this study, we show that individual XFEL pulses can elucidate structural changes on surfaces induced by laser-generated plasmas, employing grazing-incidence small-angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS). Using aluminum-coated multilayer samples we can differentiate between ultrafast surface morphology dynamics and subsequent subsurface density dynamics, achieving nanometer-depth sensitivity and subpicosecond temporal resolution. The observed subsurface density dynamics serve to validate advanced simulation models depicting matter under extreme conditions. Our findings promise to unveil novel avenues for laser material nanoprocessing and high-energy-density science.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2024

The importance of temperature-dependent collision frequency in PIC simulation on nanometric density evolution of highly-collisional strongly-coupled dense plasmas

Particle-in-Cell (PIC) method is a powerful plasma simulation tool for investigating high-intensity femtosecond laser-matter interaction. However, its simulation capability at high-density plasmas around the Fermi temperature is considered to be inadequate due, among others, to the necessity of implementing atomic-scale collisions. Here, we performed a one-dimensional with three-velocity space (1D3V) PIC simulation that features the realistic collision frequency around the Fermi temperature and atomic-scale cell size. The results are compared with state-of-the-art experimental results as well as with hydrodynamic simulation. We found that the PIC simulation is capable of simulating the nanoscale dynamics of solid-density plasmas around the Fermi temperature up to $\sim$2~ps driven by a laser pulse at the moderate intensity of $10^{14-15}$~$\mathrm{W/cm^{2}}$, by comparing with the state-of-the-art experimental results. The reliability of the simulation can be further improved in the future by implementing multi-dimensional kinetics and radiation transport.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2024

Cylindrical compression of thin wires by irradiation with a Joule-class short pulse laser

Equation of state measurements at Jovian or stellar conditions are currently conducted by dynamic shock compression driven by multi-kilojoule multi-beam nanosecond-duration lasers. These experiments require precise design of the target and specific tailoring of the spatial and temporal laser profiles to reach the highest pressures. At the same time, the studies are limited by the low repetition rate of the lasers. Here, we show that by the irradiation of a thin wire with single beam Joule-class short-pulse laser, a converging cylindrical shock is generated compressing the wire material to conditions relevant for the above applications. The shockwave was observed using Phase Contrast Imaging employing a hard X-ray Free Electron Laser with unprecedented temporal and spatial sensitivity. The data collected for Cu wires is in agreement with hydrodynamic simulations of an ablative shock launched by a highly-impulsive and transient resistive heating of the wire surface. The subsequent cylindrical shockwave travels towards the wire axis and is predicted to reach a compression factor of 9 and pressures above 800 Mbar. Simulations for astrophysical relevant materials underline the potential of this compression technique as a new tool for high energy density studies at high repetition rates.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2024

Visualizing Plasmons and Ultrafast Kinetic Instabilities in Laser-Driven Solids using X-ray Scattering

Ultra-intense lasers that ionize and accelerate electrons in solids to near the speed of light can lead to kinetic instabilities that alter the laser absorption and subsequent electron transport, isochoric heating, and ion acceleration. These instabilities can be difficult to characterize, but a novel approach using X-ray scattering at keV energies allows for their visualization with femtosecond temporal resolution on the few nanometer mesoscale. Our experiments on laser-driven flat silicon membranes show the development of structure with a dominant scale of $~60\unit{nm}$ in the plane of the laser axis and laser polarization, and $~95\unit{nm}$ in the vertical direction with a growth rate faster than $0.1/\mathrm{fs}$. Combining the XFEL experiments with simulations provides a complete picture of the structural evolution of ultra-fast laser-induced instability development, indicating the excitation of surface plasmons and the growth of a new type of filamentation instability. These findings provide new insight into the ultra-fast instability processes in solids under extreme conditions at the nanometer level with important implications for inertial confinement fusion and laboratory astrophysics.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2023

Dynamic convergent shock compression initiated by return current in high-intensity laser solid interactions

We investigate the dynamics of convergent shock compression in the solid wire targets irradiated by an ultra-fast relativistic laser pulse. Our Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations and coupled hydrodynamic simulations reveal that the compression process is initiated by both magnetic pressure and surface ablation associated with a strong transient surface return current with the density in the order of 1e17 A/m^2 and a lifetime of 100 fs. The results show that the dominant compression mechanism is governed by the plasma $β$, i.e., the ratio of the thermal pressure to magnetic pressure. For small radii and low atomic number Z wire targets, the magnetic pressure is the dominant shock compression mechanism. As the target radius and atomic number Z increase, the surface ablation pressure is the main mechanism to generate convergent shocks based on the scaling law. Furthermore, the indirect experimental indication of the shocked hydrogen compression is provided by measuring the evolution of plasma expansion diameter via optical shadowgraphy. This work could offer a novel platform to generate extremely high pressures exceeding Gbar to study high-pressure physics using femtosecond J-level laser pulses, offering an alternative to the nanosecond kJ laser pulse-initiated and pulse power Z-pinch compression methods.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2023

Time-resolved optical shadowgraphy of solid hydrogen jets as a testbed to benchmark particle-in-cell simulations

Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations are a superior tool to model kinetics-dominated plasmas in relativistic and ultrarelativistic laser-solid interactions (dimensionless vectorpotential $a_0 > 1$). The transition from relativistic to subrelativistic laser intensities ($a_0 \lesssim 1$), where correlated and collisional plasma physics become relevant, is reaching the limits of available modeling capabilities. This calls for theoretical and experimental benchmarks and the establishment of standardized testbeds. In this work, we develop such a suitable testbed to experimentally benchmark PIC simulations using a laser-irradiated micron-sized cryogenic hydrogen-jet target. Time-resolved optical shadowgraphy of the expanding plasma density, complemented by hydrodynamics and ray-tracing simulations, is used to determine the bulk-electron temperature evolution after laser irradiation. As a showcase, a study of isochoric heating of solid hydrogen induced by laser pulses with a dimensionless vectorpotential of $a_0 \approx 1$ is presented. The comparison of the bulk-electron temperature of the experiment with systematic scans of PIC simulations demostrates that, due to an interplay of vacuum heating and resonance heating of electrons, the initial surface-density gradient of the target is decisive to reach quantitative agreement at \SI{1}{\ps} after the interaction. The showcase demostrates the readiness of the testbed for controlled parameter scans at all laser intensities of $a_0 \lesssim 1$.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2023

Probing the dynamics of solid density micro-wire targets after ultra-intense laser irradiation using a free-electron laser

In this paper, we present an experiment that explores the plasma dynamics of a 7 micron diameter carbon wire after being irradiated with a near-relativistic-intensity short pulse laser. Using an X-ray Free Electron Laser pulse to measure the small angle X-ray scattering signal, we observe that the scattering surface is bent and prone to instability over tens of picoseconds. The dynamics of this process are consistent with the presence of a sharp, propagating shock front inside the wire, moving at a speed close to the hole boring velocity.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2022

Heating in Multi-Layer Targets at ultra-high Intensity Laser Irradiation and the Impact of Density Oscillation

We present a computational study of isochoric heating in multi-layered targets at ultra-high intensity laser irradiation (approx. 10**20 W/cm**2). Previous studies have shown enhanced ion heating at interfaces, but at the cost of large temperature gradients. Here, we study multi-layered targets to spread this enhanced interface heating to the entirety of the target and find heating parameters at which the temperature distribution is more homogeneous than at a single interface while still exceeding the mean temperature of a non-layered target. Further, we identify a pressure oscillation that causes the layers to alternate between expanding and being compressed with non beneficial effect on the heating. Based on that, we derive an analytical model estimating the oscillation period to find target conditions that optimize heating and temperature homogeneity. This model can also be used to infer the plasma temperature from the oscillation period which can be measured e.g. by XFEL probing.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2021

Nanoscale subsurface dynamics of solids upon high-intensity laser irradiation observed by femtosecond grazing-incidence x-ray scattering

Observing ultrafast laser-induced structural changes in nanoscale systems is essential for understanding the dynamics of intense light-matter interactions. For laser intensities on the order of $10^{14} \, \rm W/cm^2$, highly-collisional plasmas are generated at and below the surface. Subsequent transport processes such as heat conduction, electron-ion thermalization, surface ablation and resolidification occur at picosecond and nanosecond time scales. Imaging methods, e.g. using x-ray free-electron lasers (XFEL), were hitherto unable to measure the depth-resolved subsurface dynamics of laser-solid interactions with appropriate temporal and spatial resolution. Here we demonstrate picosecond grazing-incidence small-angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) from laser-produced plasmas using XFEL pulses. Using multi-layer (ML) samples, both the surface ablation and subsurface density dynamics are measured with nanometer depth resolution. Our experimental data challenges the state-of-the-art modeling of matter under extreme conditions and opens new perspectives for laser material processing and high-energy-density science.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2020

Probing ultrafast laser plasma processes inside solids with resonant small-angle X-ray scattering

Extreme states of matter exist throughout the universe e.g. inside planetary cores, stars or astrophysical jets. Such conditions are generated in the laboratory in the interaction of powerful lasers with solids, and their evolution can be probed with femtosecond precision using ultra-short X-ray pulses to study laboratory astrophysics, laser-fusion research or compact particle acceleration. X-ray scattering (SAXS) patterns and their asymmetries occurring at X-ray energies of atomic bound-bound transitions contain information on the volumetric nanoscopic distribution of density, ionization and temperature. Buried heavy ion structures in high intensity laser irradiated solids expand on the nanometer scale following heat diffusion, and are heated to more than 2 million Kelvin. These experiments demonstrate resonant SAXS with the aim to better characterize dynamic processes in extreme laboratory plasmas.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2013

Ion heating dynamics in solid buried layer targets irradiated by ultra-short intense laser pulses

We investigate bulk ion heating in solid buried layer targets irradiated by ultra-short laser pulses of relativistic intensities using particle-in-cell simulations. Our study focuses on a CD2-Al-CD2 sandwich target geometry. We find enhanced deuteron ion heating in a layer compressed by the expanding aluminium layer. A pressure gradient created at the Al-CD2 interface pushes this layer of deuteron ions towards the outer regions of the target. During its passage through the target, deuteron ions are constantly injected into this layer. Our simulations suggest that the directed collective outward motion of the layer is converted into thermal motion inside the layer, leading to deuteron temperatures higher than those found in the rest of the target. This enhanced heating can already be observed at laser pulse durations as low as 100 femtoseconds. Thus, detailed experimental surveys at repetition rates of several ten laser shots per minute are in reach at current high-power laser systems, which would allow for probing and optimizing the heating dynamics.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2013

Using XFELs for Probing of Complex Interaction Dynamics of Ultra-Intense Lasers with Solid Matter

We demonstrate the potential of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFEL) to advancethe understanding of complex plasma dynamics by allowing for the first time nanometer and femtosecond resolution at the same time in plasma diagnostics. Plasma phenomena on such short timescales are of high relevance for many fields of physics, in particular in the ultra-intense ultra-short laser interaction with matter. Highly relevant yet only partially understood phenomena may become directly accessible in experiment. These include relativistic laser absorption at solid targets, creation of energetic electrons and electron transport in warm dense matter, including the seeding and development of surface and beam instabilities, ambipolar expansion, shock formation, and dynamics at the surfaces or at buried layers. We demonstrate the potentials of XFEL plasma probing for high power laser matter interactions using exemplary the small angle X-ray scattering technique, focusing on general considerations for XFEL probing.

physics.plasm-ph↗