Efficient hot electron generation via low-coherence lasers
Abstract
Hot electrons generated in laser-produced plasmas are a central focus in inertial confinement fusion, laboratory astrophysics, and high-energy-density physics. These electrons originate from instabilities in nonlinear laser-plasma interactions, which are critically modulated by laser bandwidth. Here, we experimentally demonstrate enhanced generation of hot electrons by utilizing instantaneous low-coherence lasers with two bandwidths (0.2% and 0.6%) at intensities of 2-8x10^{14} W/cm^2 and energies up to 620 J. A significant enhancement of hot electron temperature and hard X-ray yield is observed with the broadband lasers compared to a conventional narrowband laser. The results show that the hot electron energy conversion efficiency of the 0.6% broadband laser is approximately 4 times higher than that of the narrowband laser, reaching a maximum value of 2.8%. These findings validate a moderate-bandwidth laser as an efficient hot electron source and support the generation of bright X-ray sources for advanced imaging in high-energy-density physics.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2607.11045,
title = {Efficient hot electron generation via low-coherence lasers},
author = {Huiya Liu and Yao Zhao and Ning Kang and Fujian Li and Guoxiao Xu and Honghai An and Jun Xiong and Zhiyong Xie and Xichen Zhou and Zhiheng Fang and Wei Wang and Lailin Ji and Xiaohui Zhao and Liang Hao and Lifeng Wang and Anle Lei},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.11045},
year = {2026}
}