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Understanding the target dynamics during its interaction with a relativisticultrashort laser pulse is a challenging fundamental multi-physics probleminvolving at least atomic and solid-state physics, plasma physics, and laserphysics. Already, the properties of the so-called pre-plasma formed as thelaser pulse's rising edge ionizes the target are complicated to access inexperiments and modeling, and many aspects of this laser-induced transitionfrom solid to overdense plasma over picosecond time scales are still openquestions. At the same time, applications like laser-driven ion accelerationrequire precise knowledge and control of the pre-plasma because the efficiencyof the acceleration process itself crucially depends on the target propertiesat the arrival of the relativistic intensity peak of the pulse. By capturingthe dynamics of the initial stage of the interaction, we report on a detailedvisualization of the pre-plasma formation and evolution. Nanometer-thindiamond-like carbon foils are shown to transition from solid to plasma duringthe laser rising edge with intensities < 10^16 W/cm^2. Single-shotnear-infrared probe transmission measurements evidence sub-picosecond dynamicsof an expanding plasma with densities above 10^23 cm^-3 (about 100 times thecritical plasma density). The complementarity of a solid-state interactionmodel and a kinetic plasma description provides deep insight into the interplayof ionization, collisions, and expansion.

Optical Probing of Ultrafast Laser-Induced Solid-to-Overdense-Plasma Transitions