Part 1: Aspheric Lenses and Mirrors for Nuclear Research
As the power of laboratory lasers increases, aspheric lenses and mirrors have been pushed to deliver extremely high intensities. Around the world, nuclear research laser facilities are increasingly using powerful, amplified, ultrashort-duration pulses of coherent light in order to deliver massive energy densities at a given target. Synchronizing the delivery of these high-power pulses creates extreme conditions, in which scientists can carry out state-of-the-art nuclear research. It also allows research into conditions that exist only in distant and exotic environments, for example, th...