Using Short Pulse Lasers to Address Frontiers in High Pressure Physics

Having laser intensities of 1021 W/cm2 yield electrical field strengths of 1012 V/cm which is comparable to the field strength at the K-shell of neon. Instant field ionization becomes part of the laser-matter interaction allowing to transfer most of the photons momenta directly onto the ions by driving an electrostatic shock through the target equivalent to pressures of several 100 Gbar. Utilization of these high-pressure conditions in form of equation of state measurements, however, strongly depends on the contrast of the femtosecond laser pulse. Currently, the Livermore USP and JanUSP lasers reach contrast values up to 108. This is sufficient to explore near-isochorically heated materials at moderate intensities (1013-1015 W/cm2) attaining pressures around 100 Mbar