The generation of a quasi-monoenergetic electron beam in laser-driven plasma acceleration is reported. A monoenergetic electron beam with an energy of 7 MeV was emitted from a high-density plasma ͑electron density Ͼ10 20 cm −3 ͒ produced by a 2 TW 50 fs laser pulse. The divergence of the monoenergetic beam was ±1.2°. The first Stokes satellite peak of stimulated forward Raman scattering was observed in the spectrum of the light transmitted through the plasma. The plasma wave was excited in the region of which electron density was around 1.3ϫ 10 20 cm −3. The acceleration length was estimated to be 500 m from the length of the side-scattered light image. It is considered that the monoenergetic beam generation is due to the matching of the acceleration length to the dephasing length determined by the velocity difference between the accelerated electrons and the plasma wave.

A novel direct core heating fusion process is introduced, in which a preimploded core is predominantly heated by energetic ions driven by LFEX, an extremely energetic ultrashort pulse laser. Consequently, we have observed the D(d,n)^{3}He-reacted neutrons (DD beam-fusion neutrons) with the yield of 5×10^{8} n/4π sr. Examination of the beam-fusion neutrons verified that the ions directly collide with the core plasma. While the hot electrons heat the whole core volume, the energetic ions deposit their energies locally in the core, forming hot spots for fuel ignition. As evidenced in the spectrum, the process simultaneously excited thermal neutrons with the yield of 6×10^{7} n/4π sr, raising the local core temperature from 0.8 to 1.8 keV. A one-dimensional hydrocode STAR 1D explains the shell implosion dynamics including the beam fusion and thermal fusion initiated by fast deuterons and carbon ions. A two-dimensional collisional particle-in-cell code predicts the core heating due to resistive processes driven by hot electrons, and also the generation of fast ions, which could be an additional heating source when they reach the core. Since the core density is limited to 2 g/cm^{3} in the current experiment, neither hot electrons nor fast ions can efficiently deposit their energy and the neutron yield remains low. In future work, we will achieve the higher core density (>10 g/cm^{3}); then hot electrons could contribute more to the core heating via drag heating. Together with hot electrons, the ion contribution to fast ignition is indispensable for realizing high-gain fusion. By virtue of its core heating and ignition, the proposed scheme can potentially achieve high gain fusion.

Monoenergetic electron beams were generated in the self-modulated laser wakefield acceleration regime using a 2-6 TW, 50 fs Ti:sapphire laser system. The monoenergetic electron beams of energies up to 15 MeV and 30 MeV, with a plasma density around 1.5ϫ 10 20 cm −3 and 3.5 ϫ 10 19 cm −3 , respectively, were observed. The monoenergetic energy was found to be inversely proportional to the plasma density. The monoenergetic electron beam was generated at only specific plasma densities for each experimental condition. The plasma density dependence of the electron energy spectrum, the forward scattered light spectrum, and the side scattered light image of the laser pulse was studied in detail. The conditions for monoenergetic electron beam generation are discussed based on the results of the plasma diagnostics.

We have demonstrated the acceleration of a monoenergetic electron beam by a laser-produced wakefield. Experiments were performed by focusing 2-TW laser pulses of 50 fs on supersonic gas-jet targets. The focused intensity was 5 ϫ 10 18 W0cm 2~a 0 ϭ 1.5!. At an electron density of 1.5 ϫ 10 20 cm Ϫ3 , the clear monoenergetic electron beam from the plasma was obtained at 7 to 15 MeV. The Stokes satellite peak in the forward scattering explained the energy spectra of electrons at various plasma densities well. Although the wakefield propagated 500 microns, which was far beyond the dephasing length, monoenergetic electron beams were obtained.

The property of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) generation from Xe clusters irradiated with intense lasers was studied. The Xe cluster jet was well characterized by the interferometric method. In order to obtain the adequate irradiation condition for strong EUV generation, EUV spectra were taken with various laser systems. Then, the wavelength, the pulse width, and the pump energy were widely varied. Through this survey, even with the comparatively low-density Xe jet of ⩽5×1018 cm−3 average atomic density, the highest conversion efficiency of over 10% from laser energy to EUV (5–18 nm) was obtained with a subpicosecond KrF laser pulse, where a 4π source was assumed. This EUV source is considered to be attractive as an EUV lithography light source because of its low average atomic density and small Xe cluster.