We observed a preformed plasma of an aluminum slab target produced by a high-intensity Ti:sapphire laser. The expansion length of the preformed plasma at the electron density of 3 × 1018 cm−3, which was the detection limit, was around 100 μm measured with a laser interferometer. In order to characterize quantitatively and to control the preformed plasmas, we perform a two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation. The expansion length of the preformed plasma was almost the same as the experimental result, if we assumed that the amplified spontaneous emission lasted 3.5 ns before the main pulse arrived.

High-energy protons are generated by focusing an ultrashort pulsed high intensity laser at the Advanced Photon Research Center, JAERI-Kansai onto thin (thickness <10 μm) Tantalum targets. The laser intensities are about 4 × 1018 W/cm2. The prepulse level of the laser pulse is measured with combination of a PIN photo diode and a cross correlator and is less than 10−6. A quarter-wave plate is installed into the laser beam line to create circularly polarized pulses. Collimated high energy protons are observed with CH coated Tantalum targets irradiated with the circularly polarized laser pulses. The beam divergence of the generated proton beam is measured with a CR-39 track detector and is about 6 mrad.

The valence and coordination structure of implanted Cu and Br ions were investigated by x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy in (2.4 MeV 6 × 1016 Br2+ ions cm−2+ 2 MeV 6 × 1016 Cu+ ions cm−2)-implanted silica glass. It was found that the implanted Cu and Br atoms were coordinated by oxygen atoms and silicon atoms, respectively, in as-implanted glass. After heating at 600 °C, at least two-thirds of the Cu atoms were coordinated by Br atoms without the formation of crystals. The γCuBr crystal was formed after heating to 1100 °C. It was deduced that the coordination structure of Cu and Br atoms depends on defects as well as thermochemical stability and mass transport processes.

Structure of Cu ions in (Cl+Cu)-, (Br+Cu)-, (I+Cu)-, (S+Cu)- and (Se+Cu)-ion implanted silica glasses has been studied by x-ray absorption and optical absorption spectroscopies. Cu ions formed Cu-O bonds in the as-implanted glasses, due to the homogeneous distribution of Cu ions and the low local concentration of halogen and chalcogen ions in silica glass. Heat treatment at about 600°C caused the formation of bonds between Cu ions and halogen/chalcogen ions without forming Cu halide or chalcogenide crystals. It was deduced that the formation of these bonds was controlled by the diffusion of Cu ions in silica glass. On the other hands, it was inferred that the formation of Cu halide and chalcogenide crystals was controlled not only by the diffusion of halogen/chalcogen ions but also by the diffusion of matrix ions.