Towards THz Transmission Measurements on the Omega Laser Facility

Experimental measurements of dc conductivity at high energy densities (HED) will help constrain models of planetary interiors, especially planetary dynamos which are necessary to sustain life. Such measurements are within reach at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics thanks to laser plasma sources under development on the Multi-TeraWatt (MTW) Laser (Bruhaug, 2022). It has been shown that transmission measurement of light at these frequencies provides a reliable method to constrain the dc conductivity of materials at extreme conditions (Chen, 2021). This project develops the experimental design for THz transmission measurements on MTW and simulates the data for dc conductivity measurements of gold. Next steps for extending this platform to HED conditions on the Omega Laser Facility are discussed. 

 

References

Bruhaug, G., et al. “High-Power, High-Energy Laser-Solid THz Generation with Varied Target Geometry.” presented at the 64th American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics, Spokane, Washington, 2022.

Chen, Z., et al. “Ultrafast Multi-Cycle Terahertz Measurements of the Electrical Conductivity in Strongly Excited Solids.” Nature Communications 12, no. 1 (March 12, 2021): 1638. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21756-6.