Abstract: A laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) induced electron beam system for cancer therapy and diagnostics. Example embodiments presented herein include one or more laser fibers, and an electron beam source within an individual one of the one or more laser fibers, wherein the electron beam source includes a laser pulse source, a plasma target, a set of optics interposing the laser pulse source and the plasma target adapted to focus a laser pulse generated by the laser pulse source onto the plasma target, wherein interaction of the laser pulse with the plasma target induces the generation of an electron beam. In various embodiments presented herein, high energy electrons of the electron beam interact with a high-Z material to generate X-rays.

Abstract: The invention refers to a method for generating an ultrashort ion bunch (22) comprising the steps of emitting a laser pulse (16) whose length is four periods or less, preferably one period, and whose power is 1 PW or more, preferably 10 PW or more; and irradiating a solid target (12) with said laser pulse (16), so as to create an ion bunch (22). The invention also refers to a corresponding system (10) for generating an ultrashort ion bunch (20) comprising the solid target (12), and a laser system (14) for generating the laser pulse (16) and irradiating the solid target (12) with the laser pulse (16), for creating an ion bunch (22).

Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for producing a proton beam. This arrangement is characterized in that it is constituted by a laser driven accelerator of protons adapted to produce a beam of relativistic protons of 0.5 GeV to 1 GeV with a current in the order of tens of mA, such as a current of 20 mA. The invention can be used for transmutating nuclear waste.

Abstract: Systems and methods for that utilize a compressed coherent high intensity X-ray pulse to drive acceleration of particles in a solid medium laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA).

Abstract: A Free Electron Laser source includes: a fiber-based laser having a plurality of amplifying fibers wherein an initial laser pulse is distributed and amplified, and element for grouping together the elementary pulses amplified in the fiber in order to form an a single amplified global laser pulse; a laser plasma accelerator wherein the global laser pulse generates relativistic electron beams, a beam focusing system transporting electron beams from the laser plasma accelerator, an undulator wherein relativistic electron beams generate an electromagnetic beam, and a beam separator system, wherein the electron beam and the electromagnetic beam are separated.

Abstract: A laser device includes an apparatus for producing amplified laser pulses, using a plurality of amplifying optical fibers, and groups the basic amplified pulses into an overall amplified pulse, as well as a target, onto which the overall amplified pulse is directed such as to generate a predetermined physical process thereon, which causes a change of state in the target. The laser device is configured to measure at least one distinctive parameter of the generated physical process; adjust at least one characteristic for adjusting the basic amplified laser pulses; and analyze a plurality of measurements for different adjustments. The device analyzes the measurements many times in loops for different laser pulse adjustment characteristics, enabling an optimization by a heuristic method. Also provided is a heuristic optimization method implemented by the laser device.

Abstract: A system comprising a laser emitting an ultrashort pulse beam; and a dielectric bulk medium having a refractive index depending on intensity, the bulk medium broadening the laser beam homogeneously versus transversal spatial coordinates, and a method for compressing high energy femtosecond laser pulses, comprising propagating the laser beam inside a dielectric bulk medium having a refractive index depending on the beam intensity, the bulk medium broadening the laser beam homogeneously versus transversal spatial coordinates; and compressing a resulting broadened spectrum.

Abstract: Systems and methods for that utilize a compressed coherent high intensity X-ray pulse to drive acceleration of particles in a solid medium laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA).

Abstract: A Free Electron Laser source includes: a fiber-based laser having a plurality of amplifying fibres wherein an initial laser pulse is distributed and amplified, and element for grouping together the elementary pulses amplified in the fibre in order to form an a single amplified global laser pulse; a laser plasma accelerator wherein the global laser pulse generates relativistic electron beams, a beam focusing system transporting electron beams from the laser plasma accelerator, an undulator wherein relativistic electron beams generate an electromagnetic beam, and a beam separator system, wherein the electron beam and the electromagnetic beam are separated.

Abstract: A laser device includes an apparatus for producing amplified laser pulses, using a plurality of amplifying optical fibers, and groups the basic amplified pulses into an overall amplified pulse, as well as a target, onto which the overall amplified pulse is directed such as to generate a predetermined physical process thereon, which causes a change of state in the target. The laser device is configured to measure at least one distinctive parameter of the generated physical process; adjust at least one characteristic for adjusting the basic amplified laser pulses; and analyze a plurality of measurements for different adjustments. The device analyzes the measurements many times in loops for different laser pulse adjustment characteristics, enabling an optimization by a heuristic method. Also provided is a heuristic optimization method implemented by the laser device.

Abstract: A system comprising a laser emitting an ultrashort pulse beam; and a dielectric bulk medium having a refractive index depending on intensity, the bulk medium broadening the laser beam homogeneously versus transversal spatial coordinates, and a method for compressing high energy femtosecond laser pulses, comprising propagating the laser beam inside a dielectric bulk medium having a refractive index depending on the beam intensity, the bulk medium broadening the laser beam homogeneously versus transversal spatial coordinates; and compressing a resulting broadened spectrum.

Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for producing a proton beam. This arrangement is characterized in that it is constituted by a laser driven accelerator of protons adapted to produce a beam of relativistic protons of 0.5 GeV to 1 GeV with a current in the order of tens of mA, such as a current of 20 mA. The invention can be used for transmutating nuclear waste.

Abstract: An embodiment relates to a device for generating a short duration laser pulse, which comprises: means for generating a laser beam and for filtering same, arranged in such a way as to generate an input laser beam providing an input laser pulse; a transparent slide comprising a non-linear scattering material; the laser generation means being arranged so that the slide widens the spectrum of the input laser pulse by phase self-modulation in order to generate a wide-spectrum laser pulse; compression means adapted for compressing the wide-spectrum laser pulse in order to generate a short duration laser pulse; wherein the laser generation means are arranged so that the input beam is spatially uniform on the transparent slide and has a break integral B lower than three when the input beam passes through the transparent slide.

Abstract: An embodiment relates to a device for generating a short duration laser pulse, which comprises: means for generating a laser beam and for filtering same, arranged in such a way as to generate an input laser beam providing an input laser pulse; a transparent slide comprising a non-linear scattering material; the laser generation means being arranged so that the slide widens the spectrum of the input laser pulse by phase self-modulation in order to generate a wide-spectrum laser pulse; compression means adapted for compressing the wide-spectrum laser pulse in order to generate a short duration laser pulse; wherein the laser generation means are arranged so that the input beam is spatially uniform on the transparent slide and has a break integral B lower than three when the input beam passes through the transparent slide.

Abstract: Microscale and/or nanoscale structural features are formed in material by using an ultrashort pulsed laser (e.g., a femtosecond pulsed laser). Methods of forming such structures comprise applying laser energy generated by an ultrashort pulsed laser to a surface of a substrate having a first layer and a distinct second layer. The first layer has a first ablation threshold that is less than the applied laser energy and the second layer has a second ablation threshold that is greater than the applied laser energy. The laser energy penetrates through the second layer to the first layer. The applied laser energy results in damage (or an ablation event) at the first layer that exerts force sufficient to delaminate the second layer, thereby forming a void space that is a channel having a major elongate axis or alternately forming an open groove.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for machining a target using a femtosecond laser beam. The invention consists in taking advantage of the deterministic nature of the ablation threshold and the nonlinear dependence thereof through the use of amplitude or phase pupillary filtering using the polarising effect or any other technique in order to reduce significantly the machining dimensions obtained by focusing a laser beam in nanotechnologies. One such filtering process modifies the distribution of the intensity in the focal plane such as to reduce the maximum of the central component of the spectrum of laser pulses while maintaining the bright rings below the deterministic ablation threshold. The invention associates the femtosecond ablation technique with deterministic threshold and the apodisation technique.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical pulse amplifier comprising a first optical fiber amplifier adapted to receive an input pulse, a splitter connected to said first optical fiber, said splitter having a plurality of outputs; a plurality of optical fiber amplifiers, each optical fiber amplifier being connected to one of said plurality of outputs, said plurality of optical fiber amplifiers generating a plurality of output pulse signals. The optical pulse amplifier of the invention has the advantage that it can produce high peak and high average power.

Abstract: Here is presented a versatile technique for machining of nanometer-scale features using tightly-focused ultrashort laser pulses. By the invention, the size of features can be reduced far below the wavelength of light, thus enabling nanomachining of a wide range of materials. The features may be extremely small (<20 nm) and are highly reproducible.

Abstract: Here is presented a versatile technique for machining of nanometer-scale features using tightly-focused ultrashort laser pulses. By the invention, the size of features can be reduced far below the wavelength of light, thus enabling nanomachining of a wide range of materials. The features may be extremely small (<20 nm) and are highly reproducible.

Abstract: A system is provided for generating high-energy particles and for inducing nuclear reactions. The system includes a laser and for emitting a laser beam, an irradiation target for receiving the laser beam and producing high-energy particles, and a secondary target for receiving the high-energy particles, thereby inducing a nuclear reaction. A method is also provided including producing a laser beam of high-intensity with an ultra-short pulse duration, irradiating the laser beam onto an irradiation target in order to ionize the irradiation target and produce a collimated beam of high-energy particles, and colliding the collimated beam of high-energy particles onto a secondary target containing a nuclei, thereby inducing a nuclear reaction on the secondary target.