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We explore the applications of a variety of machine learning techniques in relativistic laser-plasma experiments beyond optimization purposes. With the trained supervised learning models, the beam charge of electrons produced in a laser wakefield accelerator is predicted given the laser wavefront change caused by a deformable mirror. Feature importance analysis using the trained models shows that specific aberrations in the laser wavefront are favored in generating higher beam charges, which reveals more information than the genetic algorithms and the statistical correlation do. The predictive models enable operations beyond merely searching for an optimal beam charge. The quality of the measured data is characterized, and anomaly detection is demonstrated. The model robustness against measurement errors is examined by applying a range of virtual measurement error bars to the experimental data. This work demonstrates a route to machine learning applications in a highly nonlinear problem of relativistic laser-plasma interaction for in-depth data analysis to assist physics interpretation.

We demonstrate that is it possible to optimize the yield of microwave radiation from plasmas generated by laser filamentation in atmosphere through manipulation of the laser wavefront. A genetic algorithm controls a deformable mirror that reconfigures the wavefront using the microwave waveform amplitude as feedback. Optimization runs performed as a function of air pressure show that the genetic algorithm can double the microwave field strength relative to when the mirror surface is flat. An increase in the volume and brightness of the plasma fluorescence accompanies the increase in microwave radiation, implying an improvement in the laser beam intensity profile through the filamentation region due to the optimized wavefront.

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