Near-Complete Absorption of Intense, Ultrashort Laser Light by Sub-<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mi>λ</mml:mi></mml:math>Gratings

Abstract

We demonstrate near-100% light absorption and increased x-ray emission from dense plasmas created on solid surfaces with a periodic sub-lambda structure. The efficacy of the structure-induced surface plasmon resonance, responsible for enhanced absorption, is directly tested at the highest intensities to date (3 x 10{15} W cm{-2}) via systematic, correlated measurements of absorption and x-ray emission. An analytical grating model as well as 2D particle-in-cell simulations conclusively explain our observations. Our study offers a definite, quantitative way forward for optimizing and understanding the absorption process.