1
|
Dover NP, Ziegler T, Assenbaum S, Bernert C, Bock S, Brack FE, Cowan TE, Ditter EJ, Garten M, Gaus L, Goethel I, Hicks GS, Kiriyama H, Kluge T, Koga JK, Kon A, Kondo K, Kraft S, Kroll F, Lowe HF, Metzkes-Ng J, Miyatake T, Najmudin Z, Püschel T, Rehwald M, Reimold M, Sakaki H, Schlenvoigt HP, Shiokawa K, Umlandt MEP, Schramm U, Zeil K, Nishiuchi M. Enhanced ion acceleration from transparency-driven foils demonstrated at two ultraintense laser facilities. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2023; 12:71. [PMID: 36914618 PMCID: PMC10011581 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-023-01083-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Laser-driven ion sources are a rapidly developing technology producing high energy, high peak current beams. Their suitability for applications, such as compact medical accelerators, motivates development of robust acceleration schemes using widely available repetitive ultraintense femtosecond lasers. These applications not only require high beam energy, but also place demanding requirements on the source stability and controllability. This can be seriously affected by the laser temporal contrast, precluding the replication of ion acceleration performance on independent laser systems with otherwise similar parameters. Here, we present the experimental generation of >60 MeV protons and >30 MeV u-1 carbon ions from sub-micrometre thickness Formvar foils irradiated with laser intensities >1021 Wcm2. Ions are accelerated by an extreme localised space charge field ≳30 TVm-1, over a million times higher than used in conventional accelerators. The field is formed by a rapid expulsion of electrons from the target bulk due to relativistically induced transparency, in which relativistic corrections to the refractive index enables laser transmission through normally opaque plasma. We replicate the mechanism on two different laser facilities and show that the optimum target thickness decreases with improved laser contrast due to reduced pre-expansion. Our demonstration that energetic ions can be accelerated by this mechanism at different contrast levels relaxes laser requirements and indicates interaction parameters for realising application-specific beam delivery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas P Dover
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto, 619-0215, Japan
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Tim Ziegler
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan Assenbaum
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Constantin Bernert
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan Bock
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - Florian-Emanuel Brack
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas E Cowan
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Emma J Ditter
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Garten
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lennart Gaus
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ilja Goethel
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - George S Hicks
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Hiromitsu Kiriyama
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto, 619-0215, Japan
| | - Thomas Kluge
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - James K Koga
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto, 619-0215, Japan
| | - Akira Kon
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto, 619-0215, Japan
| | - Kotaro Kondo
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto, 619-0215, Japan
| | - Stephan Kraft
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - Florian Kroll
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hazel F Lowe
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto, 619-0215, Japan
| | | | - Tatsuhiko Miyatake
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto, 619-0215, Japan
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-1, Kasuga-Koen, Kasuga, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan
| | - Zulfikar Najmudin
- The John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Püschel
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Rehwald
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marvin Reimold
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hironao Sakaki
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto, 619-0215, Japan
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-1, Kasuga-Koen, Kasuga, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan
| | | | - Keiichiro Shiokawa
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto, 619-0215, Japan
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Engineering Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-1, Kasuga-Koen, Kasuga, Fukuoka, 816-8580, Japan
| | - Marvin E P Umlandt
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schramm
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Karl Zeil
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, 01328, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Mamiko Nishiuchi
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, 8-1-7 Umemidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto, 619-0215, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gui G, Adak A, Dandapat M, Carlson D, Morrill D, Guggenmos A, Kapteyn H, Murnane M, Pervak V, Liao CT. Measurement and control of optical nonlinearities in dispersive dielectric multilayers. OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 29:4947-4957. [PMID: 33726040 DOI: 10.1364/oe.409216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Dispersive dielectric multilayer mirrors, high-dispersion chirped mirrors in particular, are widely used in modern ultrafast optics to manipulate spectral chirps of ultrashort laser pulses. Dispersive mirrors are routinely designed for dispersion compensation in ultrafast lasers and are assumed to be linear optical components. In this work, we report the experimental characterization of an unexpectedly strong nonlinear response in these chirped mirrors. At modest peak intensities <2 TW/cm2-well below the known laser-induced damage threshold of these dielectric structures-we observed a strong reflectivity decrease, local heating, transient spectral modifications, and time-dependent absorption of the incident pulse. Through computational analysis, we found that the incident laser field can be enhanced by an order of magnitude in the dielectric layers of the structure. The field enhancement leads to a wavelength-dependent nonlinear absorption, that shows no signs of cumulative damage before catastrophic failure. The nonlinear absorption is not a simply two-photon process but instead is likely mediated by defects that facilitate two-photon absorption. To mitigate this issue, we designed and fabricated a dispersive multilayer design that strategically suppresses the field enhancement in the high-index layers, shifting the high-field regions to the larger-bandgap, low-index layers. This strategy significantly increases the maximum peak intensity that the mirror can sustain. However, our finding of an onset of nonlinear absorption even at 'modest' fluence and peak intensity has significant implications for numerous past published experimental works employing dispersive mirrors. Additionally, our results will guide future ultrafast experimental work and ultrafast laser design.
Collapse
|
3
|
Ter-Avetisyan S, Singh PK, Lécz Z, Govras E, Bychenkov VY. Bunching of light ions driven by heavy-ion front in multispecies ion beam accelerated by laser. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:023212. [PMID: 32942449 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.023212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Deeply modulated ion spectra from contaminants present on the target surface were measured at the interaction of ultraintense (2-5)×10^{20}W/cm^{2} and high-contrast laser pulses (≲10^{-10}) with thin (∼μm) and ultrathin (∼nm) targets. This phenomenon, observed over a wide range of laser and target parameters, suggests that it is a generic feature of multispecies ion acceleration at high laser pulse contrast. The modulation is ascribed to the acceleration of various ion species at the rear of the target with steplike density profiles which provide well-separated ion species in the accelerated beam. The observed coincidence of the velocity of the modulated region in the ion spectra with the maximum velocity of another ion with a lower mass-to-charge ratio is consistent with this model. The impact of heavy ions on light ions leads to a spectral "bunching" of light ions. Two-dimensional modeling has shown that high laser contrast prevents backside plasma expansion, which provides a well separated ion species with a steplike density profile that allows for the additional acceleration of "light" ions by the slower moving "heavy"-ion front. Spectral modulations can be controlled by tuning the ratio of heavy to light ions in future experiments with ultrathin rear coatings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Ter-Avetisyan
- Institute for Applications of High Intensity Lasers in Nuclear Physics, University of Szeged, Szeged 6720, Hungary
| | - P K Singh
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute of Basic Science, Gwangju 61005, South Korea
| | - Zs Lécz
- ELI-ALPS, Szeged 6728, Hungary
| | - E Govras
- Russian Federal Nuclear Center-All-Russian Research Institute of Technical Physics (RFNC-VNIITF), Snezhinsk, 456770, Russia
| | - V Yu Bychenkov
- P. N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russia.,Center for Fundamental & Applied Research, VNIIA, ROSATOM, Moscow 127055, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gong Z, Shou Y, Tang Y, Hu R, Yu J, Ma W, Lin C, Yan X. Proton sheet crossing in thin relativistic plasma irradiated by a femtosecond petawatt laser pulse. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:013207. [PMID: 32795002 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.013207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Leveraging on analyses of Hamiltonian dynamics to examine the ion motion, we explicitly demonstrate that the proton sheet crossing and plateau-type energy spectrum are two intrinsic features of the effectively accelerated proton beams driven by a drift quasistatic longitudinal electric field. Via two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we show the emergence of proton sheet crossing in a relativistically transparent plasma foil irradiated by a linearly polarized short pulse with the power of one petawatt. Instead of successively blowing the whole foil forward, the incident laser pulse readily penetrates through the plasma bulk, where the proton sheet crossing takes place and the merged self-generated longitudinal electric field traps and reflects the protons to yield a group of protons with plateau-type energy spectrum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, KLHEDP, and CAPT, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yinren Shou
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, KLHEDP, and CAPT, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yuhui Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, KLHEDP, and CAPT, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ronghao Hu
- College of Physics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Jinqing Yu
- School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
| | - Wenjun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, KLHEDP, and CAPT, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chen Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, KLHEDP, and CAPT, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xueqing Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, KLHEDP, and CAPT, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Schwind KM, Aktan E, Prasad R, Cerchez M, Eversheim D, Willi O, Aurand B. An online beam profiler for laser-accelerated protons. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2019; 90:053307. [PMID: 31153256 DOI: 10.1063/1.5086248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The design and operation of an online energy and spatially resolving detector based on three different scintillators for laser-driven protons are described. The device can be used for a multi-Hertz recording rate. The spatial resolution is <0.5 mm, allowing to retrieve details of the proton beam which is of interest, e.g., for radiographic applications. At the same time, the particle energy is divided into three energy bands between 1 MeV and 5 MeV to retrieve the proton energy spectrum. The absolute response of the detector was calibrated at a conventional proton accelerator.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K M Schwind
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - E Aktan
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - R Prasad
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - M Cerchez
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - D Eversheim
- Helmholtz-Institut für Strahlen- und Kernphysik, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - O Willi
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - B Aurand
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ostermayr TM, Gebhard J, Haffa D, Kiefer D, Kreuzer C, Allinger K, Bömer C, Braenzel J, Schnürer M, Cermak I, Schreiber J, Hilz P. A transportable Paul-trap for levitation and accurate positioning of micron-scale particles in vacuum for laser-plasma experiments. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2018; 89:013302. [PMID: 29390683 DOI: 10.1063/1.4995955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We report on a Paul-trap system with large access angles that allows positioning of fully isolated micrometer-scale particles with micrometer precision as targets in high-intensity laser-plasma interactions. This paper summarizes theoretical and experimental concepts of the apparatus as well as supporting measurements that were performed for the trapping process of single particles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T M Ostermayr
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Fakultät für Physik, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - J Gebhard
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Fakultät für Physik, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - D Haffa
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Fakultät für Physik, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - D Kiefer
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Fakultät für Physik, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - C Kreuzer
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Fakultät für Physik, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - K Allinger
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Fakultät für Physik, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - C Bömer
- European XFEL, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | - J Braenzel
- Max-Born-Institut, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - M Schnürer
- Max-Born-Institut, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - I Cermak
- CGC Instruments, Hübschmannstr. 18, 09112 Chemnitz, Germany
| | - J Schreiber
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Fakultät für Physik, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - P Hilz
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Fakultät für Physik, 85748 Garching, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ostermayr TM, Haffa D, Hilz P, Pauw V, Allinger K, Bamberg KU, Böhl P, Bömer C, Bolton PR, Deutschmann F, Ditmire T, Donovan ME, Dyer G, Gaul E, Gordon J, Hegelich BM, Kiefer D, Klier C, Kreuzer C, Martinez M, McCary E, Meadows AR, Moschüring N, Rösch T, Ruhl H, Spinks M, Wagner C, Schreiber J. Proton acceleration by irradiation of isolated spheres with an intense laser pulse. Phys Rev E 2016; 94:033208. [PMID: 27739766 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.94.033208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We report on experiments irradiating isolated plastic spheres with a peak laser intensity of 2-3×10^{20}Wcm^{-2}. With a laser focal spot size of 10 μm full width half maximum (FWHM) the sphere diameter was varied between 520 nm and 19.3 μm. Maximum proton energies of ∼25 MeV are achieved for targets matching the focal spot size of 10 μm in diameter or being slightly smaller. For smaller spheres the kinetic energy distributions of protons become nonmonotonic, indicating a change in the accelerating mechanism from ambipolar expansion towards a regime dominated by effects caused by Coulomb repulsion of ions. The energy conversion efficiency from laser energy to proton kinetic energy is optimized when the target diameter matches the laser focal spot size with efficiencies reaching the percent level. The change of proton acceleration efficiency with target size can be attributed to the reduced cross-sectional overlap of subfocus targets with the laser. Reported experimental observations are in line with 3D3V particle in cell simulations. They make use of well-defined targets and point out pathways for future applications and experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T M Ostermayr
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.,Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - D Haffa
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - P Hilz
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - V Pauw
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstr. 37, 80333 München, Germany
| | - K Allinger
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - K-U Bamberg
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstr. 37, 80333 München, Germany
| | - P Böhl
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstr. 37, 80333 München, Germany
| | - C Bömer
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - P R Bolton
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - F Deutschmann
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstr. 37, 80333 München, Germany
| | - T Ditmire
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - M E Donovan
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - G Dyer
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - E Gaul
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - J Gordon
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - B M Hegelich
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - D Kiefer
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - C Klier
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstr. 37, 80333 München, Germany
| | - C Kreuzer
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - M Martinez
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - E McCary
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - A R Meadows
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - N Moschüring
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstr. 37, 80333 München, Germany
| | - T Rösch
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - H Ruhl
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstr. 37, 80333 München, Germany
| | - M Spinks
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - C Wagner
- Center for High Energy Density Science, C1510, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - J Schreiber
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.,Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Mackenroth F, Gonoskov A, Marklund M. Chirped-Standing-Wave Acceleration of Ions with Intense Lasers. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2016; 117:104801. [PMID: 27636480 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.117.104801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We propose a novel mechanism for ion acceleration based on the guided motion of electrons from a thin layer. The electron motion is locked to the moving nodes of a standing wave formed by a chirped laser pulse reflected from a mirror behind the layer. This provides a stable longitudinal field of charge separation, thus giving rise to chirped-standing-wave acceleration of the residual ions of the layer. We demonstrate, both analytically and numerically, that stable proton beams, with energy spectra peaked around 100 MeV, are feasible for pulse energies at the level of 10 J. Moreover, a scaling law for higher laser intensities and layer densities is presented, indicating stable GeV-level energy gains of dense ion bunches, for soon-to-be-available laser intensities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Mackenroth
- Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - A Gonoskov
- Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Göteborg, Sweden
- Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia
- Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod 603950, Russia
| | - M Marklund
- Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Göteborg, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Rubel O, Loring B, Vay JL, Grote DP, Lehe R, Bulanov S, Vincenti H, Bethel EW. WarpIV: In Situ Visualization and Analysis of Ion Accelerator Simulations. IEEE COMPUTER GRAPHICS AND APPLICATIONS 2016; 36:22-35. [PMID: 28113157 DOI: 10.1109/mcg.2016.62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The generation of short pulses of ion beams through the interaction of an intense laser with a plasma sheath offers the possibility of compact and cheaper ion sources for many applications--from fast ignition and radiography of dense targets to hadron therapy and injection into conventional accelerators. To enable the efficient analysis of large-scale, high-fidelity particle accelerator simulations using the Warp simulation suite, the authors introduce the Warp In situ Visualization Toolkit (WarpIV). WarpIV integrates state-of-the-art in situ visualization and analysis using VisIt with Warp, supports management and control of complex in situ visualization and analysis workflows, and implements integrated analytics to facilitate query- and feature-based data analytics and efficient large-scale data analysis. WarpIV enables for the first time distributed parallel, in situ visualization of the full simulation data using high-performance compute resources as the data is being generated by Warp. The authors describe the application of WarpIV to study and compare large 2D and 3D ion accelerator simulations, demonstrating significant differences in the acceleration process in 2D and 3D simulations. WarpIV is available to the public via https://bitbucket.org/berkeleylab/warpiv. The Warp In situ Visualization Toolkit (WarpIV) supports large-scale, parallel, in situ visualization and analysis and facilitates query- and feature-based analytics, enabling for the first time high-performance analysis of large-scale, high-fidelity particle accelerator simulations while the data is being generated by the Warp simulation suite. This supplemental material https://extras.computer.org/extra/mcg2016030022s1.pdf provides more details regarding the memory profiling and optimization and the Yee grid recentering optimization results discussed in the main article.
Collapse
|
10
|
Ultrafast collisional ion heating by electrostatic shocks. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8905. [PMID: 26563440 PMCID: PMC4660361 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
High-intensity lasers can be used to generate shockwaves, which have found applications in nuclear fusion, proton imaging, cancer therapies and materials science. Collisionless electrostatic shocks are one type of shockwave widely studied for applications involving ion acceleration. Here we show a novel mechanism for collisionless electrostatic shocks to heat small amounts of solid density matter to temperatures of ∼keV in tens of femtoseconds. Unusually, electrons play no direct role in the heating and it is the ions that determine the heating rate. Ions are heated due to an interplay between the electric field of the shock, the local density increase during the passage of the shock and collisions between different species of ion. In simulations, these factors combine to produce rapid, localized heating of the lighter ion species. Although the heated volume is modest, this would be one of the fastest heating mechanisms discovered if demonstrated in the laboratory. Short pulses of high intensity laser light usually heat the ions in dense plasmas indirectly via collisions with the electrons. Here, the authors identify an extremely rapid alternative heating mechanism based on ion-ion collisions.
Collapse
|
11
|
Braenzel J, Andreev AA, Platonov K, Klingsporn M, Ehrentraut L, Sandner W, Schnürer M. Coulomb-driven energy boost of heavy ions for laser-plasma acceleration. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2015; 114:124801. [PMID: 25860747 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.114.124801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
An unprecedented increase of kinetic energy of laser accelerated heavy ions is demonstrated. Ultrathin gold foils have been irradiated by an ultrashort laser pulse at a peak intensity of 8×10^{19} W/ cm^{2}. Highly charged gold ions with kinetic energies up to >200 MeV and a bandwidth limited energy distribution have been reached by using 1.3 J laser energy on target. 1D and 2D particle in cell simulations show how a spatial dependence on the ion's ionization leads to an enhancement of the accelerating electrical field. Our theoretical model considers a spatial distribution of the ionization inside the thin target, leading to a field enhancement for the heavy ions by Coulomb explosion. It is capable of explaining the energy boost of highly charged ions, enabling a higher efficiency for the laser-driven heavy ion acceleration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Braenzel
- Max Born Institute, Max Born Strasse 2A, 12489 Berlin, Germany
- Technical University Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - A A Andreev
- Max Born Institute, Max Born Strasse 2A, 12489 Berlin, Germany
- Vavilov State Optical Institute, Birzhevaya line 12, 199064 St. Petersburg, Russia
- St. Petersburg University, University emb.7, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - K Platonov
- Vavilov State Optical Institute, Birzhevaya line 12, 199064 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - M Klingsporn
- IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - L Ehrentraut
- Max Born Institute, Max Born Strasse 2A, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - W Sandner
- Max Born Institute, Max Born Strasse 2A, 12489 Berlin, Germany
- Technical University Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
- ELI-DC International Association AISBL, Platanenallee 6, Zeuthen 15738, Germany
| | - M Schnürer
- Max Born Institute, Max Born Strasse 2A, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Iwata N, Kishimoto Y. Higher-order nonlocal effects of a relativistic ponderomotive force in high-intensity laser fields. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2014; 112:035002. [PMID: 24484146 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.112.035002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2012] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We have developed a new formula for a relativistic ponderomotive force of transversely localized laser fields based on the noncanonical Lie perturbation method by finding proper coordinates and gauges in the variational principle. The formula involves new terms represented by second and third spatial derivatives of the field amplitude, so that the ponderomotive force depends not only on the local field gradient, but also on the curvature and its variation. The formula is then applicable to a regime in which the conventional formula is hardly applied such that nonlocal and/or global extent of the field profile becomes important. The result can provide a theoretical basis for describing nonlinear laser-plasma interaction including such nonlocal effects, which is examined via particle-in-cell simulation of laser propagation in a plasma with a super Gaussian transverse field profile.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Iwata
- Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Yasuaki Kishimoto
- Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan and Institute of Advanced Energy, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Korzhimanov AV, Efimenko ES, Golubev SV, Kim AV. Generating high-energy highly charged ion beams from petawatt-class laser interactions with compound targets. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2012; 109:245008. [PMID: 23368338 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.109.245008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
A new method of generation of high-energy highly charged ion beams is proposed. The method is based on the interaction of petawatt circularly polarized laser pulses with high-Z compound targets consisting of two species of different charge-to-mass ratio. It is shown that highly charged ions produced by field ionization can be accelerated up to tens of MeV/u with ion (actually with Z ≤ 25) beam parameters like density and total charge inaccessible in conventional accelerators. A possibility of further ionization of the accelerated ion bunches in foil is also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A V Korzhimanov
- Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Daido H, Nishiuchi M, Pirozhkov AS. Review of laser-driven ion sources and their applications. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2012; 75:056401. [PMID: 22790586 DOI: 10.1088/0034-4885/75/5/056401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
For many years, laser-driven ion acceleration, mainly proton acceleration, has been proposed and a number of proof-of-principle experiments have been carried out with lasers whose pulse duration was in the nanosecond range. In the 1990s, ion acceleration in a relativistic plasma was demonstrated with ultra-short pulse lasers based on the chirped pulse amplification technique which can provide not only picosecond or femtosecond laser pulse duration, but simultaneously ultra-high peak power of terawatt to petawatt levels. Starting from the year 2000, several groups demonstrated low transverse emittance, tens of MeV proton beams with a conversion efficiency of up to several percent. The laser-accelerated particle beams have a duration of the order of a few picoseconds at the source, an ultra-high peak current and a broad energy spectrum, which make them suitable for many, including several unique, applications. This paper reviews, firstly, the historical background including the early laser-matter interaction studies on energetic ion acceleration relevant to inertial confinement fusion. Secondly, we describe several implemented and proposed mechanisms of proton and/or ion acceleration driven by ultra-short high-intensity lasers. We pay special attention to relatively simple models of several acceleration regimes. The models connect the laser, plasma and proton/ion beam parameters, predicting important features, such as energy spectral shape, optimum conditions and scalings under these conditions for maximum ion energy, conversion efficiency, etc. The models also suggest possible ways to manipulate the proton/ion beams by tailoring the target and irradiation conditions. Thirdly, we review experimental results on proton/ion acceleration, starting with the description of driving lasers. We list experimental results and show general trends of parameter dependences and compare them with the theoretical predictions and simulations. The fourth topic includes a review of scientific, industrial and medical applications of laser-driven proton or ion sources, some of which have already been established, while the others are yet to be demonstrated. In most applications, the laser-driven ion sources are complementary to the conventional accelerators, exhibiting significantly different properties. Finally, we summarize the paper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Daido
- Applied Laser Technology Institute, Tsuruga Head Office, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Kizaki, Tsuruga-shi, Fukui-ken 914-8585, Japan.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Dollar F, Zulick C, Thomas AGR, Chvykov V, Davis J, Kalinchenko G, Matsuoka T, McGuffey C, Petrov GM, Willingale L, Yanovsky V, Maksimchuk A, Krushelnick K. Finite spot effects on radiation pressure acceleration from intense high-contrast laser interactions with thin targets. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2012; 108:175005. [PMID: 22680876 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.108.175005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Short pulse laser interactions at intensities of 2×10(21) W cm(-2) with ultrahigh contrast (10(-15)) on submicrometer silicon nitride foils were studied experimentally by using linear and circular polarizations at normal incidence. It was observed that, as the target decreases in thickness, electron heating by the laser begins to occur for circular polarization leading to target normal sheath acceleration of contaminant ions, while at thicker targets no acceleration or electron heating is observed. For linear polarization, all targets showed exponential energy spreads with similar electron temperatures. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that the heating is due to the rapid deformation of the target that occurs early in the interaction. These experiments demonstrate that finite spot size effects can severely restrict the regime suitable for radiation pressure acceleration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Dollar
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2099, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Grech M, Nuter R, Mikaberidze A, Di Cintio P, Gremillet L, Lefebvre E, Saalmann U, Rost JM, Skupin S. Coulomb explosion of uniformly charged spheroids. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2011; 84:056404. [PMID: 22181525 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.84.056404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
A simple, semianalytical model is proposed for nonrelativistic Coulomb explosion of a uniformly charged spheroid. This model allows us to derive the time-dependent particle energy distributions. Simple expressions are also given for the characteristic explosion time and maximum particle energies in the limits of extreme prolate and oblate spheroids as well as for the sphere. Results of particle simulations are found to be in remarkably good agreement with the model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Grech
- Max-Planck-Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Dollar F, Matsuoka T, Petrov GM, Thomas AGR, Bulanov SS, Chvykov V, Davis J, Kalinchenko G, McGuffey C, Willingale L, Yanovsky V, Maksimchuk A, Krushelnick K. Control of energy spread and dark current in proton and ion beams generated in high-contrast laser solid interactions. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2011; 107:065003. [PMID: 21902332 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.107.065003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
By using temporal pulse shaping of high-contrast, short pulse laser interactions with solid density targets at intensities of 2 × 10(21) W cm(-2) at a 45° incident angle, we show that it is possible to reproducibly generate quasimonoenergetic proton and ion energy spectra. The presence of a short pulse prepulse 33 ps prior to the main pulse produced proton spectra with an energy spread between 25% and 60% (ΔE/E) with energy of several MeV, with light ions becoming quasimonoenergetic for 50 nm targets. When the prepulse was removed, the energy spectra was broad. Numerical simulations suggest that expansion of the rear-side contaminant layer allowed for density conditions that prevented the protons from being screened from the sheath field, thus providing a low energy cutoff in the observed spectra normal to the target surface.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Dollar
- Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Qiao B, Zepf M, Borghesi M, Dromey B, Geissler M, Karmakar A, Gibbon P. Radiation-pressure acceleration of ion beams from nanofoil targets: the leaky light-sail regime. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2010; 105:155002. [PMID: 21230914 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.105.155002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
A new ion radiation-pressure acceleration regime, the "leaky light sail," is proposed which uses sub-skin-depth nanometer foils irradiated by circularly polarized laser pulses. In the regime, the foil is partially transparent, continuously leaking electrons out along with the transmitted laser field. This feature can be exploited by a multispecies nanofoil configuration to stabilize the acceleration of the light ion component, supplementing the latter with an excess of electrons leaked from those associated with the heavy ions to avoid Coulomb explosion. It is shown by 2D particle-in-cell simulations that a monoenergetic proton beam with energy 18 MeV is produced by circularly polarized lasers at intensities of just 10¹⁹ W/cm². 100 MeV proton beams are obtained by increasing the intensities to 2 × 10²⁰ W/cm².
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B Qiao
- Jülich Supercomputing Center, Forschungzentrum Jülich GmbH, D-52425, Jülich, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Bulanov SV, Echkina EY, Esirkepov TZ, Inovenkov IN, Kando M, Pegoraro F, Korn G. Unlimited ion acceleration by radiation pressure. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2010; 104:135003. [PMID: 20481890 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.104.135003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2009] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The energy of ions accelerated by an intense electromagnetic wave in the radiation pressure dominated regime can be greatly enhanced due to a transverse expansion of a thin target. The expansion decreases the number of accelerated ions in the irradiated region resulting in an increase in the ion energy and in the ion longitudinal velocity. In the relativistic limit, the ions become phase locked with respect to the electromagnetic wave resulting in unlimited ion energy gain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S V Bulanov
- Kansai Photon Science Institute, JAEA, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Bulanov SS, Bychenkov VY, Chvykov V, Kalinchenko G, Litzenberg DW, Matsuoka T, Thomas AGR, Willingale L, Yanovsky V, Krushelnick K, Maksimchuk A. Generation of GeV protons from 1 PW laser interaction with near critical density targets. PHYSICS OF PLASMAS 2010; 17:043105. [PMID: 20838426 PMCID: PMC2931601 DOI: 10.1063/1.3372840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2009] [Accepted: 03/05/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The propagation of ultraintense laser pulses through matter is connected with the generation of strong moving magnetic fields in the propagation channel as well as the formation of a thin ion filament along the axis of the channel. Upon exiting the plasma the magnetic field displaces the electrons at the back of the target, generating a quasistatic electric field that accelerates and collimates ions from the filament. Two dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that a 1 PW laser pulse tightly focused on a near-critical density target is able to accelerate protons up to an energy of 1.3 GeV. Scaling laws and optimal conditions for proton acceleration are established considering the energy depletion of the laser pulse.
Collapse
|
21
|
Macchi A, Veghini S, Pegoraro F. "Light sail" acceleration reexamined. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2009; 103:085003. [PMID: 19792733 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.103.085003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The dynamics of the acceleration of ultrathin foil targets by the radiation pressure of superintense, circularly polarized laser pulses is investigated by analytical modeling and particle-in-cell simulations. By addressing self-induced transparency and charge separation effects, it is shown that for "optimal" values of the foil thickness only a thin layer at the rear side is accelerated by radiation pressure. The simple "light sail" model gives a good estimate of the energy per nucleon, but overestimates the conversion efficiency of laser energy into monoenergetic ions.
Collapse
|
22
|
Panchenko AV, Esirkepov TZ, Pirozhkov AS, Kando M, Kamenets FF, Bulanov SV. Interaction of electromagnetic waves with caustics in plasma flows. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2008; 78:056402. [PMID: 19113221 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.78.056402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
An electromagnetic wave (EMW) interacting with the moving singularity of the charged particle flux undergoes the reflection and absorption as well as frequency change due to Doppler effect and nonlinearity. The singularity corresponding to a caustic in plasma flow with inhomogeneous velocity can arise during the breaking of the finite amplitude Langmuir waves due to nonlinear effects. A systematic analysis of the wave-breaking regimes and caustics formation is presented and the EMW reflection coefficients are calculated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A V Panchenko
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutskii pereulok 9, Dolgoprudnyi, Moscow Region, 141700 Russia
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|