Microdroplet target synthesis for kilohertz ultrafast lasers

Abstract

We have developed a method for producing spatially stable micron-scale liquid targets of flexible shapes at kilohertz repetition rate for use in air and vacuum, by perturbing 5 and 30 μm diameter streams with femtosecond laser pulses and monitoring the temporal development of the perturbation. Using water, we have produced features such as 2.1 μm diameter droplet and 1.3 μm diameter neck with less than ±0.3 μm shot-to-shot variation, with prospects for further reduction in size and variability. The use of such micron-scale targets can be expected to prevent conductive heat dissipation, enhance field strength for ion acceleration and allow spatially-deterministic laser-cluster experiments. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.