Research on laser-plasma interaction in China over the last ten years

Research on laser-plasma interaction in China was conducted in parallel with the high-power laser technique. Since 1964, the high-power Nd: glass laser system has been developed; the laser breakdown and laser-focusing in the plasma were observed by focusing a 1.06-μm laser beam in the atmosphere. In 1973, frozen deuterium and LiD, CD2 plate targets were irradiated by a 1010 W laser beam, and a neutron-yield of 1 x 103/shot was obtained. In 1974, with a 1011 W laser beam bombarding CD2 plate targets, the anomalous laser, absorption and hard x-ray emission from plasma were observed, and a neutron yield of more than 2 x 104/shot was obtained. From 1975 to 1980, the compression of glass microballoon targets was observed by using the six-beam laser facility. Moreover, many laser-plasma interaction experiments, such as second harmonic emission, x-ray line spectrum diagnostics, K-edge absorption measurements for electron temperatures, Faraday cup charge collectors for particle measurements were carried out