1
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Elkind M, Cohen I, Blackman D, Meir T, Perelmutter L, Catabi T, Levanon A, Glenzer SH, Arefiev AV, Pomerantz I. Intense laser interaction with micro-bars. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21345. [PMID: 38049633 PMCID: PMC10696094 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48866-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Intense laser fields interact very differently with micrometric rough surfaces than with flat objects. The interaction features high laser energy absorption and increased emission of MeV electrons, ions, and of hard x-rays. In this work, we irradiated isolated, translationally-symmetric objects in the form of micrometric Au bars. The interaction resulted in the emission of two forward-directed electron jets having a small opening angle, a narrow energy spread in the MeV range, and a positive angle to energy correlation. Our numerical simulations show that following ionization, those electrons that are pulled into vacuum near the object's edge, remain in-phase with the laser pulse for long enough so that the Lorentz force they experience drive them around the object's edge. After these electrons pass the object, they form attosecond duration bunches and interact with the laser field over large distances in vacuum in confined volumes that trap and accelerate them within a narrow range of momentum. The selectivity in energy of the interaction, its directionality, and the preservation of the attosecond duration of the electron bunches over large distances, offer new means for designing future laser-based light sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Elkind
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Itamar Cohen
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - David Blackman
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Talia Meir
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The School of Electrical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lior Perelmutter
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tomer Catabi
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Assaf Levanon
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Alexey V Arefiev
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ishay Pomerantz
- The School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Center for Light-Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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2
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Gheorghiu CC, Ionescu A, Zai MI, Iancu D, Burducea I, Velisa G, Vasile BS, Ianculescu AC, Bobeica M, Popa D, Leca V. Nanoscale Control of Structure and Composition for Nanocrystalline Fe Thin Films Grown by Oblique Angle RF Sputtering. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 15:6134. [PMID: 36079515 PMCID: PMC9457537 DOI: 10.3390/ma15176134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The use of Fe films as multi-element targets in space radiation experiments with high-intensity ultrashort laser pulses requires a surface structure that can enhance the laser energy absorption on target, as well as a low concentration and uniform distribution of light element contaminants within the films. In this paper, (110) preferred orientation nanocrystalline Fe thin films with controlled morphology and composition were grown on (100)-oriented Si substrates by oblique angle RF magnetron sputtering, at room temperature. The evolution of films key-parameters, crucial for space-like radiation experiments with organic material, such as nanostructure, morphology, topography, and elemental composition with varying RF source power, deposition pressure, and target to substrate distance is thoroughly discussed. A selection of complementary techniques was used in order to better understand this interdependence, namely X-ray Diffraction, Atomic Force Microscopy, Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy and Non-Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy. The films featured a nanocrystalline, tilted nanocolumn structure, with crystallite size in the (110)-growth direction in the 15-25 nm range, average island size in the 20-50 nm range, and the degree of polycrystallinity determined mainly by the shortest target-to-substrate distance (10 cm) and highest deposition pressure (10-2 mbar Ar). Oxygen concentration (as impurity) into the bulk of the films as low as 1 at. %, with uniform depth distribution, was achieved for the lowest deposition pressures of (1-3) × 10-3 mbar Ar, combined with highest used values for the RF source power of 125-150 W. The results show that the growth process of the Fe thin film is strongly dependent mainly on the deposition pressure, with the film morphology influenced by nucleation and growth kinetics. Due to better control of film topography and uniform distribution of oxygen, such films can be successfully used as free-standing targets for high repetition rate experiments with high power lasers to produce Fe ion beams with a broad energy spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina C. Gheorghiu
- Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Street, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
| | - Aurelia Ionescu
- Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Street, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
| | - Maria-Iulia Zai
- Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Street, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
- Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
| | - Decebal Iancu
- Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
- Department of Applied Nuclear Physics, “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Street, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
| | - Ion Burducea
- Department of Applied Nuclear Physics, “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Street, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
| | - Gihan Velisa
- Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Street, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
- Department of Applied Nuclear Physics, “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Street, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
| | - Bogdan S. Vasile
- Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Adelina C. Ianculescu
- Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mariana Bobeica
- Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Street, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
| | - Daniel Popa
- Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Street, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
| | - Victor Leca
- Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering, 30 Reactorului Street, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
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3
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Strehlow J, Kim J, Bailly-Grandvaux M, Bolaños S, Smith H, Haid A, Alfonso EL, Aniculaesei C, Chen H, Ditmire T, Donovan ME, Hansen SB, Hegelich BM, McLean HS, Quevedo HJ, Spinks MM, Beg FN. A laser parameter study on enhancing proton generation from microtube foil targets. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10827. [PMID: 35760862 PMCID: PMC9237049 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14881-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction of an intense laser with a solid foil target can drive [Formula: see text] TV/m electric fields, accelerating ions to MeV energies. In this study, we experimentally observe that structured targets can dramatically enhance proton acceleration in the target normal sheath acceleration regime. At the Texas Petawatt Laser facility, we compared proton acceleration from a [Formula: see text] flat Ag foil, to a fixed microtube structure 3D printed on the front side of the same foil type. A pulse length (140-450 fs) and intensity ((4-10) [Formula: see text] W/cm[Formula: see text]) study found an optimum laser configuration (140 fs, 4 [Formula: see text] W/cm[Formula: see text]), in which microtube targets increase the proton cutoff energy by 50% and the yield of highly energetic protons ([Formula: see text] MeV) by a factor of 8[Formula: see text]. When the laser intensity reaches [Formula: see text] W/cm[Formula: see text], the prepulse shutters the microtubes with an overcritical plasma, damping their performance. 2D particle-in-cell simulations are performed, with and without the preplasma profile imported, to better understand the coupling of laser energy to the microtube targets. The simulations are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results, and show that the prepulse is necessary to account for when the laser intensity is sufficiently high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Strehlow
- Center for Energy Research, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Joohwan Kim
- Center for Energy Research, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | | | - Simon Bolaños
- Center for Energy Research, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Herbie Smith
- Center for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Alex Haid
- General Atomics, Inertial Fusion Technologies, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Emmanuel L Alfonso
- General Atomics, Inertial Fusion Technologies, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | | | - Hui Chen
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, 94550, USA
| | - Todd Ditmire
- Center for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Michael E Donovan
- Center for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | | | - Bjorn M Hegelich
- Center for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Harry S McLean
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, 94550, USA
| | - Hernan J Quevedo
- Center for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Michael M Spinks
- Center for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Farhat N Beg
- Center for Energy Research, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
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4
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Enhanced Proton Acceleration from Laser Interaction with a Tailored Nanowire Target. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12031153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Target normal sheath field acceleration via laser interaction with structured solid targets has been widely studied for its potential use in a wide range of applications. Here, a novel nanowire target with a corrugated front surface is proposed to improve the proton acceleration by a target normal sheath field. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrated that with the existence of the corrugated surface, the cut-off energy of accelerated protons nearly doubles compared to the planar nanowire target. When interacting with the corrugated surface, the incident laser pulse is reflected multiple times, focused and reinforced in each cavity near the front surface, which leads to suppression of the reflectivity and an improvement in the absorption rate. Electrons are heated more efficiently and the sheath field at the target rear side is naturally enhanced. To further investigate the performance of this novel target, a series of simulations with various laser intensities and target sizes were also carried out. This simple target design may provide insights for experiments in the future and should arouse interest because of its wide application.
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5
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Wang T, Blackman D, Chin K, Arefiev A. Effects of simulation dimensionality on laser-driven electron acceleration and photon emission in hollow microchannel targets. Phys Rev E 2021; 104:045206. [PMID: 34781570 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.104.045206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Using two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) kinetic simulations, we examine the impact of simulation dimensionality on the laser-driven electron acceleration and the emission of collimated γ-ray beams from hollow microchannel targets. We demonstrate that the dimensionality of the simulations considerably influences the results of electron acceleration and photon generation owing to the variation of laser phase velocity in different geometries. In a 3D simulation with a cylindrical geometry, the acceleration process of electrons terminates early due to the higher phase velocity of the propagating laser fields; in contrast, 2D simulations with planar geometry tend to have prolonged electron acceleration and thus produce much more energetic electrons. The photon beam generated in the 3D setup is found to be more diverged accompanied with a lower conversion efficiency. Our paper concludes that the 2D simulation can qualitatively reproduce the features in 3D simulation, but for quantitative evaluations and reliable predictions to facilitate experiment designs 3D modeling is strongly recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA and Center for Energy Research, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - David Blackman
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA and Center for Energy Research, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Katherine Chin
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA and Center for Energy Research, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Alexey Arefiev
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA and Center for Energy Research, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
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6
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Zimmer M, Scheuren S, Ebert T, Schaumann G, Schmitz B, Hornung J, Bagnoud V, Rödel C, Roth M. Analysis of laser-proton acceleration experiments for development of empirical scaling laws. Phys Rev E 2021; 104:045210. [PMID: 34781535 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.104.045210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Numerous experiments on laser-driven proton acceleration in the MeV range have been performed with a large variety of laser parameters since its discovery around the year 2000. Both experiments and simulations have revealed that protons are accelerated up to a maximum cut-off energy during this process. Several attempts have been made to find a universal model for laser proton acceleration in the target normal sheath acceleration regime. While these models can qualitatively explain most experimental findings, they can hardly be used as predictive models, for example, for the energy cut-off of accelerated protons, as many of the underlying parameters are often unknown. Here we analyze experiments on laser proton acceleration in which scans of laser and target parameters were performed. We derive empirical scaling laws from these parameter scans and combine them in a scaling law for the proton energy cut-off that incorporates the laser pulse energy, the laser pulse duration, the focal spot radius, and the target thickness. Using these scaling laws, we give examples for predicting the proton energy cut-off and conversion efficiency for state-of-the-art laser systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Zimmer
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 9, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - S Scheuren
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 9, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - T Ebert
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 9, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - G Schaumann
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 9, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - B Schmitz
- Institute for Accelerator Science and Electromagnetic Fields, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 8, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - J Hornung
- GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Fürstengraben 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Helmholtz-Institut Jena, Fröbelstieg 3, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - V Bagnoud
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 9, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
- GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - C Rödel
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 9, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - M Roth
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schlossgartenstr. 9, 64289 Darmstadt, Germany
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7
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Vallières S, Salvadori M, Permogorov A, Cantono G, Svendsen K, Chen Z, Sun S, Consoli F, d'Humières E, Wahlström CG, Antici P. Enhanced laser-driven proton acceleration using nanowire targets. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2226. [PMID: 33500441 PMCID: PMC7838319 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80392-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Laser-driven proton acceleration is a growing field of interest in the high-power laser community. One of the big challenges related to the most routinely used laser-driven ion acceleration mechanism, Target-Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA), is to enhance the laser-to-proton energy transfer such as to maximize the proton kinetic energy and number. A way to achieve this is using nanostructured target surfaces in the laser-matter interaction. In this paper, we show that nanowire structures can increase the maximum proton energy by a factor of two, triple the proton temperature and boost the proton numbers, in a campaign performed on the ultra-high contrast 10 TW laser at the Lund Laser Center (LLC). The optimal nanowire length, generating maximum proton energies around 6 MeV, is around 1–2 \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\upmu$$\end{document}μm. This nanowire length is sufficient to form well-defined highly-absorptive NW forests and short enough to minimize the energy loss of hot electrons going through the target bulk. Results are further supported by Particle-In-Cell simulations. Systematically analyzing nanowire length, diameter and gap size, we examine the underlying physical mechanisms that are provoking the enhancement of the longitudinal accelerating electric field. The parameter scan analysis shows that optimizing the spatial gap between the nanowires leads to larger enhancement than by the nanowire diameter and length, through increased electron heating.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Vallières
- INRS-EMT, 1650 blvd. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC, J3X 1P7, Canada. .,CELIA, Univ. of Bordeaux, 351 Cours de la Libération, 33400, Talence, France.
| | - M Salvadori
- INRS-EMT, 1650 blvd. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC, J3X 1P7, Canada.,National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Via Enrico Fermi 45, 00044, Frascati, Rome, Italy.,Univ. of Rome "La Sapienza", P. Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - A Permogorov
- Department of Physics, Lund University, 22100, Lund, Sweden
| | - G Cantono
- Department of Physics, Lund University, 22100, Lund, Sweden
| | - K Svendsen
- Department of Physics, Lund University, 22100, Lund, Sweden
| | - Z Chen
- INRS-EMT, 1650 blvd. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC, J3X 1P7, Canada
| | - S Sun
- INRS-EMT, 1650 blvd. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC, J3X 1P7, Canada
| | - F Consoli
- National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Via Enrico Fermi 45, 00044, Frascati, Rome, Italy
| | - E d'Humières
- CELIA, Univ. of Bordeaux, 351 Cours de la Libération, 33400, Talence, France
| | - C-G Wahlström
- Department of Physics, Lund University, 22100, Lund, Sweden
| | - P Antici
- INRS-EMT, 1650 blvd. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, QC, J3X 1P7, Canada
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8
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Bailly-Grandvaux M, Kawahito D, McGuffey C, Strehlow J, Edghill B, Wei MS, Alexander N, Haid A, Brabetz C, Bagnoud V, Hollinger R, Capeluto MG, Rocca JJ, Beg FN. Ion acceleration from microstructured targets irradiated by high-intensity picosecond laser pulses. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:021201. [PMID: 32942368 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.021201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Structures on the front surface of thin foil targets for laser-driven ion acceleration have been proposed to increase the ion source maximum energy and conversion efficiency. While structures have been shown to significantly boost the proton acceleration from pulses of moderate-energy fluence, their performance on tightly focused and high-energy lasers remains unclear. Here, we report the results of laser-driven three-dimensional (3D)-printed microtube targets, focusing on their efficacy for ion acceleration. Using the high-contrast (∼10^{12}) PHELIX laser (150J, 10^{21}W/cm^{2}), we studied the acceleration of ions from 1-μm-thick foils covered with micropillars or microtubes, which we compared with flat foils. The front-surface structures significantly increased the conversion efficiency from laser to light ions, with up to a factor of 5 higher proton number with respect to a flat target, albeit without an increase of the cutoff energy. An optimum diameter was found for the microtube targets. Our findings are supported by a systematic particle-in-cell modeling investigation of ion acceleration using 2D simulations with various structure dimensions. Simulations reproduce the experimental data with good agreement, including the observation of the optimum tube diameter, and reveal that the laser is shuttered by the plasma filling the tubes, explaining why the ion cutoff energy was not increased in this regime.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bailly-Grandvaux
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - D Kawahito
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - C McGuffey
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - J Strehlow
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.,Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - B Edghill
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.,Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - M S Wei
- Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - N Alexander
- General Atomics, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - A Haid
- General Atomics, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - C Brabetz
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt 64291, Germany
| | - V Bagnoud
- GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt 64291, Germany
| | - R Hollinger
- Physics Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - M G Capeluto
- Physics Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA.,Departamento de Física, FCEyN, UBA and IFIBA, CONICET, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - J J Rocca
- Physics Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - F N Beg
- Center for Energy Research, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA.,Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
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9
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Kaymak V, Aktan E, Cerchez M, Elkin B, Papenheim M, Prasad R, Pukhov A, Scheer HC, Schroer AM, Willi O, Aurand B. Boosted acceleration of protons by tailored ultra-thin foil targets. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18672. [PMID: 31822698 PMCID: PMC6904736 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55011-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We report on a detailed experimental and numerical study on the boosted acceleration of protons from ultra-thin hemispherical targets utilizing multi-Joule short-pulse laser-systems. For a laser intensity of 1 × 1020 W/cm2 and an on-target energy of only 1.3 J with this setup a proton cut-off energy of 8.5 MeV was achieved, which is a factor of 1.8 higher compared to a flat foil target of the same thickness. While a boost of the acceleration process by additionally injected electrons was observed for sophisticated targets at high-energy laser-systems before, our studies reveal that the process can be utilized over at least two orders of magnitude in intensity and is therefore suitable for a large number of nowadays existing laser-systems. We retrieved a cut-off energy of about 6.5 MeV of proton energy per Joule of incident laser energy, which is a noticeable enhancement with respect to previous results employing this mechanism. The approach presented here has the advantage of using structure-wise simple targets and being sustainable for numerous applications and high repetition rate demands at the same time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vural Kaymak
- Institut für Theoretische Physik I, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Esin Aktan
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mirela Cerchez
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Bentsian Elkin
- Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Marc Papenheim
- Fakultät für Elektrotechnik, Informationstechnik, Medientechnik, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, 42119, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Rajendra Prasad
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alexander Pukhov
- Institut für Theoretische Physik I, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hella-C Scheer
- Fakultät für Elektrotechnik, Informationstechnik, Medientechnik, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, 42119, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Anna-Marie Schroer
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Oswald Willi
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Bastian Aurand
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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10
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Morace A, Iwata N, Sentoku Y, Mima K, Arikawa Y, Yogo A, Andreev A, Tosaki S, Vaisseau X, Abe Y, Kojima S, Sakata S, Hata M, Lee S, Matsuo K, Kamitsukasa N, Norimatsu T, Kawanaka J, Tokita S, Miyanaga N, Shiraga H, Sakawa Y, Nakai M, Nishimura H, Azechi H, Fujioka S, Kodama R. Enhancing laser beam performance by interfering intense laser beamlets. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2995. [PMID: 31278266 PMCID: PMC6611939 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10997-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing the laser energy absorption into energetic particle beams represents a longstanding quest in intense laser-plasma physics. During the interaction with matter, part of the laser energy is converted into relativistic electron beams, which are the origin of secondary sources of energetic ions, γ-rays and neutrons. Here we experimentally demonstrate that using multiple coherent laser beamlets spatially and temporally overlapped, thus producing an interference pattern in the laser focus, significantly improves the laser energy conversion efficiency into hot electrons, compared to one beam with the same energy and nominal intensity as the four beamlets combined. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations support the experimental results, suggesting that beamlet interference pattern induces a periodical shaping of the critical density, ultimately playing a key-role in enhancing the laser-to-electron energy conversion efficiency. This method is rather insensitive to laser pulse contrast and duration, making this approach robust and suitable to many existing facilities. Enhanced coupling of laser energy to the target particles is a fundamental issue in laser-plasma interactions. Here the authors demonstrate increased photon absorption leading into higher laser to electron and proton energy transfer through the interference of multiple coherent beamlets.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Morace
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - N Iwata
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Y Sentoku
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - K Mima
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Y Arikawa
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - A Yogo
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - A Andreev
- Max Born Institute for non-linear optics and short pulse spectroscopy, Berlin, 12489, Germany.,St. Petersburg State University, Sankt-Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - S Tosaki
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - X Vaisseau
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Y Abe
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - S Kojima
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - S Sakata
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - M Hata
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - S Lee
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - K Matsuo
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - N Kamitsukasa
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - T Norimatsu
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - J Kawanaka
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - S Tokita
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - N Miyanaga
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - H Shiraga
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Y Sakawa
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - M Nakai
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - H Nishimura
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - H Azechi
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - S Fujioka
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - R Kodama
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
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11
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Diagnostics and Dosimetry Solutions for Multidisciplinary Applications at the ELIMAIA Beamline. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/app8091415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
ELI (Extreme Light Infrastructure) multidisciplinary applications of laser-ion acceleration (ELIMAIA) is one the user facilities beamlines of the ELI-Beamlines facility in Prague. It will be dedicated to the transport of laser-driven ion beams and equipped with detectors for diagnostics and dosimetry, in order to carry out experiments for a broad range of multidisciplinary applications. One of the aims of the beamline is also to demonstrate the feasibility of these peculiar beams for possible medical applications, which means delivering controllable and stable beams, properly monitoring their transport parameters and accurately measuring the dose per shot. To fulfil this task, innovative systems of charged particle beam diagnostics have been realized and alternative approaches for relative and absolute dosimetry have been proposed. Concerning the first one, real-time diagnostic solutions have been adopted, involving the use of time-of-flight techniques and Thomson parabola spectrometry for an on-line characterization of the ion beam parameters, as well as radiochromic films, nuclear track detectors (typically CR39), and image plates for single shot measurements. For beam dosimetry, real-time beam/dose monitoring detectors have been realized, like the secondary emission monitor and a double-gap ionization chamber, which can be cross calibrated against a Faraday cup, used for absolute dosimetry. The main features of these detectors are reported in this work together with a description of their working principle and some preliminary tests.
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12
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Ion energy spectra directly measured in the interaction volume of intense laser pulses with clustered plasma. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9404. [PMID: 29925882 PMCID: PMC6010439 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27665-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of gas cluster media as a target for an intense femtosecond laser pulses is considered to be uniquely convenient approach for the development of a compact versatile pulsed source of ionizing radiation. Also, one may consider cluster media as a nanolab to investigate fundamental issues of intense optical fields interaction with sub-wavelength scale structures. However, conventional diagnostic methods fail to register highly charged ion states from a cluster plasma because of strong recombination in the ambient gas. In the paper we introduce high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy method allowing to study energy spectra of highly charged ions created in the area of most intense laser radiation. The emission of CO2 clusters were analyzed in experiments with 60 fs 780 nm laser pulses of 1018 W/cm2 intensity. Theory and according X-ray spectra modeling allows to reveal the energy spectra and yield of highly charged oxygen ions. It was found that while the laser of fundamental frequency creates commonly expected monotonic ion energy spectrum, frequency doubled laser radiation initiates energy spectra featuring of distinctive quasi-monoenergetic peaks. The later would provide definite advantage in further development of laser-plasma based compact ion accelerators.
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13
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Cirrone GAP, Cuttone G, Raffaele L, Salamone V, Avitabile T, Privitera G, Spatola C, Amico AG, Larosa G, Leanza R, Margarone D, Milluzzo G, Patti V, Petringa G, Romano F, Russo A, Russo A, Sabini MG, Schillaci F, Scuderi V, Valastro LM. Clinical and Research Activities at the CATANA Facility of INFN-LNS: From the Conventional Hadrontherapy to the Laser-Driven Approach. Front Oncol 2017; 7:223. [PMID: 28971066 PMCID: PMC5609572 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2017.00223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The CATANA proton therapy center was the first Italian clinical facility making use of energetic (62 MeV) proton beams for the radioactive treatment of solid tumors. Since the date of the first patient treatment in 2002, 294 patients have been successful treated whose majority was affected by choroidal and iris melanomas. In this paper, we report on the current clinical and physical status of the CATANA facility describing the last dosimetric studies and reporting on the last patient follow-up results. The last part of the paper is dedicated to the description of the INFN-LNS ongoing activities on the realization of a beamline for the transport of laser-accelerated ion beams for future applications. The ELIMED (ELI-Beamlines MEDical and multidisciplinary applications) project is introduced and the main scientific aspects will be described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe A. P. Cirrone
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
| | - Giacomo Cuttone
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
| | - Luigi Raffaele
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
- Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico Vittorio Emanuele, Presidio Gaspare Rodolico, Catania, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Salamone
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
- Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico Vittorio Emanuele, Presidio Gaspare Rodolico, Catania, Italy
| | - Teresio Avitabile
- Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico Vittorio Emanuele, Presidio Gaspare Rodolico, Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Privitera
- Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico Vittorio Emanuele, Presidio Gaspare Rodolico, Catania, Italy
| | - Corrado Spatola
- Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico Vittorio Emanuele, Presidio Gaspare Rodolico, Catania, Italy
| | - Antonio G. Amico
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Larosa
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
| | - Renata Leanza
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
| | - Daniele Margarone
- ELI-Beamlines Project, Institute of Physics ASCR, v.v.i. (FZU), Prague, Czechia
| | - Giuliana Milluzzo
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
| | - Valeria Patti
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
- Medical Physics Section, Cannizzaro Hospital, Catania, Italy
| | - Giada Petringa
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
| | - Francesco Romano
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
- National Physical Laboratory, Acoustic and Ionizing Radiation Division, Middlesex, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Russo
- Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Policlinico Vittorio Emanuele, Presidio Gaspare Rodolico, Catania, Italy
| | - Antonio Russo
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
| | - Maria G. Sabini
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
- Medical Physics Section, Cannizzaro Hospital, Catania, Italy
| | - Francesco Schillaci
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
| | - Valentina Scuderi
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
- ELI-Beamlines Project, Institute of Physics ASCR, v.v.i. (FZU), Prague, Czechia
| | - Lucia M. Valastro
- Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN-LNS), Catania, Italy
- Medical Physics Section, Cannizzaro Hospital, Catania, Italy
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14
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Enhancing laser-driven proton acceleration by using micro-pillar arrays at high drive energy. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11366. [PMID: 28900164 PMCID: PMC5596005 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11589-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction of micro- and nano-structured target surfaces with high-power laser pulses is being widely investigated for its unprecedented absorption efficiency. We have developed vertically aligned metallic micro-pillar arrays for laser-driven proton acceleration experiments. We demonstrate that such targets help strengthen interaction mechanisms when irradiated with high-energy-class laser pulses of intensities ~1017–18 W/cm2. In comparison with standard planar targets, we witness strongly enhanced hot-electron production and proton acceleration both in terms of maximum energies and particle numbers. Supporting our experimental results, two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show an increase in laser energy conversion into hot electrons, leading to stronger acceleration fields. This opens a window of opportunity for further improvements of laser-driven ion acceleration systems.
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15
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Lübcke A, Andreev AA, Höhm S, Grunwald R, Ehrentraut L, Schnürer M. Prospects of target nanostructuring for laser proton acceleration. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44030. [PMID: 28290479 PMCID: PMC5349587 DOI: 10.1038/srep44030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In laser-based proton acceleration, nanostructured targets hold the promise to allow for significantly boosted proton energies due to strong increase of laser absorption. We used laser-induced periodic surface structures generated in-situ as a very fast and economic way to produce nanostructured targets capable of high-repetition rate applications. Both in experiment and theory, we investigate the impact of nanostructuring on the proton spectrum for different laser-plasma conditions. Our experimental data show that the nanostructures lead to a significant enhancement of absorption over the entire range of laser plasma conditions investigated. At conditions that do not allow for efficient laser absorption by plane targets, i.e. too steep plasma gradients, nanostructuring is found to significantly enhance the proton cutoff energy and conversion efficiency. In contrast, if the plasma gradient is optimized for laser absorption of the plane target, the nanostructure-induced absorption increase is not reflected in higher cutoff energies. Both, simulation and experiment point towards the energy transfer from the laser to the hot electrons as bottleneck.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Lübcke
- Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie, Max-Born-Strasse 2a, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander A. Andreev
- Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie, Max-Born-Strasse 2a, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sandra Höhm
- Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie, Max-Born-Strasse 2a, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ruediger Grunwald
- Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie, Max-Born-Strasse 2a, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lutz Ehrentraut
- Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie, Max-Born-Strasse 2a, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Schnürer
- Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie, Max-Born-Strasse 2a, 12489 Berlin, Germany
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16
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Laser-Driven Ion Acceleration from Plasma Micro-Channel Targets. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42666. [PMID: 28218247 PMCID: PMC5316955 DOI: 10.1038/srep42666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient energy boost of the laser-accelerated ions is critical for their applications in biomedical and hadron research. Achiev-able energies continue to rise, with currently highest energies, allowing access to medical therapy energy windows. Here, a new regime of simultaneous acceleration of ~100 MeV protons and multi-100 MeV carbon-ions from plasma micro-channel targets is proposed by using a ~1020 W/cm2 modest intensity laser pulse. It is found that two trains of overdense electron bunches are dragged out from the micro-channel and effectively accelerated by the longitudinal electric-field excited in the plasma channel. With the optimized channel size, these “superponderomotive” energetic electrons can be focused on the front surface of the attached plastic substrate. The much intense sheath electric-field is formed on the rear side, leading to up to ~10-fold ionic energy increase compared to the simple planar geometry. The analytical prediction of the optimal channel size and ion maximum energies is derived, which shows good agreement with the particle-in-cell simulations.
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17
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Cialfi L, Fedeli L, Passoni M. Electron heating in subpicosecond laser interaction with overdense and near-critical plasmas. Phys Rev E 2016; 94:053201. [PMID: 27967191 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.94.053201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In this work we investigate electron heating induced by intense laser interaction with micrometric flat solid foils in the context of laser-driven ion acceleration. We propose a simple law to predict the electron temperature in a wider range of laser parameters with respect to commonly used existing models. An extensive two-dimensional (2D) and 3D numerical campaign shows that electron heating is due to the combined actions of j×B and Brunel effect. Electron temperature can be well described with a simple function of pulse intensity and angle of incidence, with parameters dependent on pulse polarization. We then combine our model for the electron temperature with an existing model for laser-ion acceleration, using recent experimental results as a benchmark. We also discuss an exploratory attempt to model electron temperature for multilayered foam-attached targets, which have been proven recently to be an attractive target concept for laser-driven ion acceleration.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Cialfi
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano University, Milan, Italy
| | - L Fedeli
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano University, Milan, Italy
| | - M Passoni
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano University, Milan, Italy
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18
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Pompili R, Anania MP, Bisesto F, Botton M, Castellano M, Chiadroni E, Cianchi A, Curcio A, Ferrario M, Galletti M, Henis Z, Petrarca M, Schleifer E, Zigler A. Femtosecond dynamics of energetic electrons in high intensity laser-matter interactions. Sci Rep 2016; 6:35000. [PMID: 27713541 PMCID: PMC5054520 DOI: 10.1038/srep35000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Highly energetic electrons are generated at the early phases of the interaction of short-pulse high-intensity lasers with solid targets. These escaping particles are identified as the essential core of picosecond-scale phenomena such as laser-based acceleration, surface manipulation, generation of intense magnetic fields and electromagnetic pulses. Increasing the number of the escaping electrons facilitate the late time processes in all cases. Up to now only indirect evidences of these important forerunners have been recorded, thus no detailed study of the governing mechanisms was possible. Here we report, for the first time, direct time-dependent measurements of energetic electrons ejected from solid targets by the interaction with a short-pulse high-intensity laser. We measured electron bunches up to 7 nanocoulombs charge, picosecond duration and 12 megaelectronvolts energy. Our 'snapshots' capture their evolution with an unprecedented temporal resolution, demonstrat- ing a significant boost in charge and energy of escaping electrons when increasing the geometrical target curvature. These results pave the way toward significant improvement in laser acceleration of ions using shaped targets allowing the future development of small scale laser-ion accelerators.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Pompili
- Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, 00044 Frascati, Italy
| | - M. P. Anania
- Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, 00044 Frascati, Italy
| | - F. Bisesto
- Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, 00044 Frascati, Italy
| | - M. Botton
- Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - M. Castellano
- Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, 00044 Frascati, Italy
| | - E. Chiadroni
- Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, 00044 Frascati, Italy
| | - A. Cianchi
- University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - A. Curcio
- Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, 00044 Frascati, Italy
| | - M. Ferrario
- Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, 00044 Frascati, Italy
| | - M. Galletti
- Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, 00044 Frascati, Italy
| | - Z. Henis
- Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - M. Petrarca
- University of Rome Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - E. Schleifer
- Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - A. Zigler
- Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel
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19
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Olšovcová V, Versaci R, Ambrožová I, Zelenka Z, Kaufman J, Margarone D, Kim IJ, Jeong TM. RESPONSE OF DOSEMETERS IN FIELDS GENERATED BY LASER-ACCELERATED PROTONS. RADIATION PROTECTION DOSIMETRY 2016; 170:318-321. [PMID: 26979806 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncw037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In laser-driven acceleration, ultra-short and intense laser pulses are focussed on targets to generate beams of ionising radiation. One of the most important issues to be addressed is personal monitoring. While traditional dosemeters were designed primarily for measurements in continuous fields, dosemeters for laser laboratories must be capable of working in pulsed fields of pulse length below 1 ps, in a single-shot regime up to the repetition rate of 1 kHz. Responses of conventional dosemeters (films, polyallyldiglycol carbonate, electronic personal dosemeter) to proton bunches of up to 30 MeV energy produced by South Korean PW laser system at the Advanced Photonics Research Institute, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology were studied, both by means of Monte Carlo simulations and experimentally.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Olšovcová
- ELI Beamlines, Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Na Slovance 2, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - R Versaci
- ELI Beamlines, Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Na Slovance 2, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - I Ambrožová
- Nuclear Physics Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Řež 130, Czech Republic
| | - Z Zelenka
- National Personal Dosimetry Service, Na Truhlářce 39/64, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - J Kaufman
- ELI Beamlines, Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Na Slovance 2, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - D Margarone
- ELI Beamlines, Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Na Slovance 2, Prague 8, Czech Republic
| | - I J Kim
- Advanced Photonics Research Institute, GIST, Gwangiu 500-712, Korea Present address: Optical Instrumentation Development Team, KBSI, Daejeon 34133, Korea
| | - T M Jeong
- Advanced Photonics Research Institute, GIST, Gwangiu 500-712, Korea ELI Beamlines, Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Na Slovance 2, Prague 8, Czech Republic
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20
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Schreiber J, Bolton PR, Parodi K. Invited Review Article: "Hands-on" laser-driven ion acceleration: A primer for laser-driven source development and potential applications. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2016; 87:071101. [PMID: 27475539 DOI: 10.1063/1.4959198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/09/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
An overview of progress and typical yields from intense laser-plasma acceleration of ions is presented. The evolution of laser-driven ion acceleration at relativistic intensities ushers prospects for improved functionality and diverse applications which can represent a varied assortment of ion beam requirements. This mandates the development of the integrated laser-driven ion accelerator system, the multiple components of which are described. Relevant high field laser-plasma science and design of controlled optimum pulsed laser irradiation on target are dominant single shot (pulse) considerations with aspects that are appropriate to the emerging petawatt era. The pulse energy scaling of maximum ion energies and typical differential spectra obtained over the past two decades provide guidance for continued advancement of laser-driven energetic ion sources and their meaningful applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Schreiber
- Lehrstuhl für Medizinphysik, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
| | - P R Bolton
- Lehrstuhl für Medizinphysik, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
| | - K Parodi
- Lehrstuhl für Medizinphysik, Fakultät für Physik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Am Coulombwall 1, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
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21
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Towards manipulating relativistic laser pulses with micro-tube plasma lenses. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23256. [PMID: 26979657 PMCID: PMC4793226 DOI: 10.1038/srep23256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient coupling of intense laser pulses to solid-density matter is critical to many applications including ion acceleration for cancer therapy. At relativistic intensities, the focus has been mainly on investigating various laser beams irradiating initially overdense flat interfaces with little or no control over the interaction. Here, we propose a novel approach that leverages recent advancements in 3D direct laser writing (DLW) of materials and high contrast lasers to manipulate the laser-matter interactions on the micro-scales. We demonstrate, via simulations, that usable intensities ≥10(23) Wcm(-2) could be achieved with current tabletop lasers coupled to micro-engineered plasma lenses. We show that these plasma optical elements act as a lens to focus laser light. These results open new paths to engineering light-matter interactions at ultra-relativistic intensities.
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22
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Jiang S, Ji LL, Audesirk H, George KM, Snyder J, Krygier A, Poole P, Willis C, Daskalova R, Chowdhury E, Lewis NS, Schumacher DW, Pukhov A, Freeman RR, Akli KU. Microengineering Laser Plasma Interactions at Relativistic Intensities. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2016; 116:085002. [PMID: 26967419 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.116.085002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We report on the first successful proof-of-principle experiment to manipulate laser-matter interactions on microscales using highly ordered Si microwire arrays. The interaction of a high-contrast short-pulse laser with a flat target via periodic Si microwires yields a substantial enhancement in both the total and cutoff energies of the produced electron beam. The self-generated electric and magnetic fields behave as an electromagnetic lens that confines and guides electrons between the microwires as they acquire relativistic energies via direct laser acceleration.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Jiang
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - L L Ji
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - H Audesirk
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 127-72 Noyes Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
| | - K M George
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - J Snyder
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - A Krygier
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - P Poole
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - C Willis
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - R Daskalova
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - E Chowdhury
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - N S Lewis
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 127-72 Noyes Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
| | - D W Schumacher
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - A Pukhov
- Heinrich-Heine University of Dusseldorf, 40225 Dusseldorf, Germany
| | - R R Freeman
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - K U Akli
- Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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23
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Kemp GE, Link A, Ping Y, Ayers S, Patel PK. Commissioning of a frequency-resolved optical gating system at the OMEGA EP laser facility: SpecFROG. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2015; 86:093501. [PMID: 26429437 DOI: 10.1063/1.4929868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We present the design and commissioning of a new single-shot, frequency-resolved optical gating system on the OMEGA EP laser facility - dubbed "SpecFROG" - for characterizing the instantaneous intensity and phase of ∼10 ps pulses used to study ultra-intense laser-plasma interactions. A polarization-gating geometry is employed to ensure tha the diagnostic is broadband and has unambiguous time directionality. SpecFROG is capable of characterizing ∼10 s of mJ pulses with durations between 0.5-25 ps with ≲285 fs geometrical temporal blurring and ∼0.1% spectral shift resolutions over an adjustable total spectral shifting window of ∼15% of the carrier wavelength λo; configurations currently exist for both the fundamental (1ω, λo = 1.054 μm) and second harmonic (2ω, λo = 0.527 μm) of the EP pulse. Initial specular reflectivity measurements of the ∼1 kJ, ∼10 ps OMEGA EP laser off solid density aluminum targets suggest drastically different scalings for specular pulse properties compared to picosecond-scale pulses of comparable intensities.
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Affiliation(s)
- G E Kemp
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550-9698, USA
| | - A Link
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550-9698, USA
| | - Y Ping
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550-9698, USA
| | - S Ayers
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550-9698, USA
| | - P K Patel
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550-9698, USA
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24
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Proton Acceleration by Ultrashort Intense Laser Interaction with Microstructured Snow Targets. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2015. [DOI: 10.3390/app5030459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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25
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Dalui M, Wang WM, Trivikram TM, Sarkar S, Tata S, Jha J, Ayyub P, Sheng ZM, Krishnamurthy M. Preferential enhancement of laser-driven carbon ion acceleration from optimized nanostructured surfaces. Sci Rep 2015; 5:11930. [PMID: 26153048 PMCID: PMC4495568 DOI: 10.1038/srep11930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
High-intensity ultrashort laser pulses focused on metal targets readily generate hot dense plasmas which accelerate ions efficiently and can pave way to compact table-top accelerators. Laser-driven ion acceleration studies predominantly focus on protons, which experience the maximum acceleration owing to their highest charge-to-mass ratio. The possibility of tailoring such schemes for the preferential acceleration of a particular ion species is very much desired but has hardly been explored. Here, we present an experimental demonstration of how the nanostructuring of a copper target can be optimized for enhanced carbon ion acceleration over protons or Cu-ions. Specifically, a thin (≈0.25 μm) layer of 25–30 nm diameter Cu nanoparticles, sputter-deposited on a polished Cu-substrate, enhances the carbon ion energy by about 10-fold at a laser intensity of 1.2×1018 W/cm2. However, particles smaller than 20 nm have an adverse effect on the ion acceleration. Particle-in-cell simulations provide definite pointers regarding the size of nanoparticles necessary for maximizing the ion acceleration. The inherent contrast of the laser pulse is found to play an important role in the species selective ion acceleration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malay Dalui
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - W-M Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.,Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute for Advanced Simulation, Jülich Supercomputing Centre, D-52425 Jülich, Germany.,IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - T Madhu Trivikram
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - Subhrangsu Sarkar
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - Sheroy Tata
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - J Jha
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - P Ayyub
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - Z M Sheng
- IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom.,Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - M Krishnamurthy
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India.,TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, 21 Brundavan Colony, Narsingi, Hyderabad 500075, India
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26
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Jeong TM, Weber S, Le Garrec B, Margarone D, Mocek T, Korn G. Spatio-temporal modification of femtosecond focal spot under tight focusing condition. OPTICS EXPRESS 2015; 23:11641-11656. [PMID: 25969256 DOI: 10.1364/oe.23.011641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The focusing property of a focal spot of a femtosecond laser pulse is presented under tight focusing conditions (below f-number of 1). The spatial and temporal intensity distributions of a focused electric field are calculated by vector diffraction integrals and coherent superposition method. The validity of the calculation method is examined by comparing the intensity distribution obtained under a high f-number condition to that obtained with the fast Fourier transform method that assumes the scalar paraxial approximation. The spatial and temporal modifications under tight focusing conditions are described for a focused femtosecond laser pulse. The calculation results show that a peak intensity of about 2.5x10(24) W/cm2 can be achievable by tightly focusing a 12-fs, 10 PW laser pulse with a f/0.5 parabolic optic. The precise information on intensity distributions of a femtosecond focal spot obtained under a tight focusing condition will be crucial in assessing a focused intensity and in describing the motion of charged particles under an extremely strong electric field in ultra-relativistic and/or relativistic laser matter-interaction studies.
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27
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Yoo SH, Cho I, Cho S, Song Y, Jung WG, Kim DH, Shin D, Lee SB, Pae KH, Park SY. Effective generation of the spread-out-Bragg peak from the laser accelerated proton beams using a carbon-proton mixed target. AUSTRALASIAN PHYSICAL & ENGINEERING SCIENCES IN MEDICINE 2014; 37:635-44. [PMID: 25154880 DOI: 10.1007/s13246-014-0292-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Conventional laser accelerated proton beam has broad energy spectra. It is not suitable for clinical use directly, so it is necessary for employing energy selection system. However, in the conventional laser accelerated proton system, the intensity of the proton beams in the low energy regime is higher than that in the high energy regime. Thus, to generate spread-out-Bragg peak (SOBP), stronger weighting value to the higher energy proton beams is needed and weaker weighting value to the lower energy proton beams is needed, which results in the wide range of weighting values. The purpose of this research is to investigate a method for efficient generating of the SOBP with varying magnetic field in the energy selection system using a carbon-proton mixture target. Energy spectrum of the laser accelerated proton beams was acquired using Particle-In-Cell simulations. The Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation toolkit was implemented for energy selection, particle transportation, and dosimetric property measurement. The energy selection collimator hole size of the energy selection system was changed from 1 to 5 mm in order to investigate the effect of hole size on the dosimetric properties for Bragg peak and SOBP. To generate SOBP, magnetic field in the energy selection system was changed during beam irradiation with each beam weighting factor. In this study, our results suggest that carbon-proton mixture target based laser accelerated proton beams can generate quasi-monoenergetic energy distribution and result in the efficient generation of SOBP. A further research is needed to optimize SOBP according to each range and modulated width using an optimized weighting algorithm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Hoon Yoo
- Division of Heavy Ion Clinical Research, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Science, Seoul, Korea,
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28
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Dalui M, Kundu M, Trivikram TM, Rajeev R, Ray K, Krishnamurthy M. Bacterial cells enhance laser driven ion acceleration. Sci Rep 2014; 4:6002. [PMID: 25102948 PMCID: PMC4126001 DOI: 10.1038/srep06002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Intense laser produced plasmas generate hot electrons which in turn leads to ion acceleration. Ability to generate faster ions or hotter electrons using the same laser parameters is one of the main outstanding paradigms in the intense laser-plasma physics. Here, we present a simple, albeit, unconventional target that succeeds in generating 700 keV carbon ions where conventional targets for the same laser parameters generate at most 40 keV. A few layers of micron sized bacteria coating on a polished surface increases the laser energy coupling and generates a hotter plasma which is more effective for the ion acceleration compared to the conventional polished targets. Particle-in-cell simulations show that micro-particle coated target are much more effective in ion acceleration as seen in the experiment. We envisage that the accelerated, high-energy carbon ions can be used as a source for multiple applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malay Dalui
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - M. Kundu
- Institute for Plasma Research, Bhat, Gandhinagar 382 428, India
| | - T. Madhu Trivikram
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - R. Rajeev
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - Krishanu Ray
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - M. Krishnamurthy
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India
- TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, 21 Brundavan Colony, Narsingi, Hyderabad 500075, India
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29
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Tayyab M, Bagchi S, Ramakrishna B, Mandal T, Upadhyay A, Ramis R, Chakera JA, Naik PA, Gupta PD. Role of target material in proton acceleration from thin foils irradiated by ultrashort laser pulses. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2014; 90:023103. [PMID: 25215835 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.90.023103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We report on the proton acceleration studies from thin metallic foils of varying atomic number (Z) and thicknesses, investigated using a 45 fs, 10 TW Ti:sapphire laser system. An optimum foil thickness was observed for efficient proton acceleration for our laser conditions, dictated by the laser ASE prepulse and hot electron propagation behavior inside the material. The hydrodynamic simulations for ASE prepulse support the experimental observation. The observed maximum proton energy at different thicknesses for a given element is in good agreement with the reported scaling laws. The results with foils of different atomic number Z suggest that a judicious choice of the foil material can enhance the proton acceleration efficiency, resulting into higher proton energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Tayyab
- Laser Plasma Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013, India
| | - S Bagchi
- Laser Plasma Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013, India
| | - B Ramakrishna
- Laser Plasma Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013, India
| | - T Mandal
- Laser Plasma Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013, India
| | - A Upadhyay
- Laser Plasma Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013, India
| | - R Ramis
- E.T.S.I. Aeronáuticos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - J A Chakera
- Laser Plasma Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013, India
| | - P A Naik
- Laser Plasma Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013, India
| | - P D Gupta
- Laser Plasma Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013, India
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30
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Monchocé S, Kahaly S, Leblanc A, Videau L, Combis P, Réau F, Garzella D, D'Oliveira P, Martin P, Quéré F. Optically controlled solid-density transient plasma gratings. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2014; 112:145008. [PMID: 24765983 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.112.145008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
A general approach for optically controlled spatial structuring of overdense plasmas generated at the surface of initially plain solid targets is presented. We demonstrate it experimentally by creating sinusoidal plasma gratings of adjustable spatial periodicity and depth, and study the interaction of these transient structures with an ultraintense laser pulse to establish their usability at relativistically high intensities. We then show how these gratings can be used as a "spatial ruler" to determine the source size of the high-order harmonic beams produced at the surface of an overdense plasma. These results open new directions both for the metrology of laser-plasma interactions and the emerging field of ultrahigh intensity plasmonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Monchocé
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Lasers, Interactions and Dynamics Laboratory, DSM/IRAMIS, CEN Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - S Kahaly
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Lasers, Interactions and Dynamics Laboratory, DSM/IRAMIS, CEN Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - A Leblanc
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Lasers, Interactions and Dynamics Laboratory, DSM/IRAMIS, CEN Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - L Videau
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, DAM, DIF 91297 Arpajon Cedex, France
| | - P Combis
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, DAM, DIF 91297 Arpajon Cedex, France
| | - F Réau
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Lasers, Interactions and Dynamics Laboratory, DSM/IRAMIS, CEN Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - D Garzella
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Lasers, Interactions and Dynamics Laboratory, DSM/IRAMIS, CEN Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - P D'Oliveira
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Lasers, Interactions and Dynamics Laboratory, DSM/IRAMIS, CEN Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Ph Martin
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Lasers, Interactions and Dynamics Laboratory, DSM/IRAMIS, CEN Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - F Quéré
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Lasers, Interactions and Dynamics Laboratory, DSM/IRAMIS, CEN Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France
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31
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Jiang S, Krygier AG, Schumacher DW, Akli KU, Freeman RR. Effects of front-surface target structures on properties of relativistic laser-plasma electrons. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2014; 89:013106. [PMID: 24580345 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.89.013106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We report the results of a study of the role of prescribed geometrical structures on the front of a target in determining the energy and spatial distribution of relativistic laser-plasma electrons. Our three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation studies apply to short-pulse, high-intensity laser pulses, and indicate that a judicious choice of target front-surface geometry provides the realistic possibility of greatly enhancing the yield of high-energy electrons while simultaneously confining the emission to narrow (<5°) angular cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Jiang
- Physics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - A G Krygier
- Physics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - D W Schumacher
- Physics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - K U Akli
- Physics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - R R Freeman
- Physics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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32
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Ceccotti T, Floquet V, Sgattoni A, Bigongiari A, Klimo O, Raynaud M, Riconda C, Heron A, Baffigi F, Labate L, Gizzi LA, Vassura L, Fuchs J, Passoni M, Květon M, Novotny F, Possolt M, Prokůpek J, Proška J, Pšikal J, Štolcová L, Velyhan A, Bougeard M, D'Oliveira P, Tcherbakoff O, Réau F, Martin P, Macchi A. Evidence of resonant surface-wave excitation in the relativistic regime through measurements of proton acceleration from grating targets. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2013; 111:185001. [PMID: 24237527 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.111.185001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of laser pulses with thin grating targets, having a periodic groove at the irradiated surface, is experimentally investigated. Ultrahigh contrast (~10(12)) pulses allow us to demonstrate an enhanced laser-target coupling for the first time in the relativistic regime of ultrahigh intensity >10(19) W/cm(2). A maximum increase by a factor of 2.5 of the cutoff energy of protons produced by target normal sheath acceleration is observed with respect to plane targets, around the incidence angle expected for the resonant excitation of surface waves. A significant enhancement is also observed for small angles of incidence, out of resonance.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Ceccotti
- CEA/IRAMIS/SPAM, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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33
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Kawata S, Izumiyama T, Nagashima T, Takano M, Barada D, Kong Q, Gu YJ, Wang PX, Ma YY, Wang WM. Laser ion acceleration toward future ion beam cancer therapy - Numerical simulation study -. Laser Ther 2013; 22:103-14. [PMID: 24155555 DOI: 10.3136/islsm.22.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ion beam has been used in cancer treatment, and has a unique preferable feature to deposit its main energy inside a human body so that cancer cell could be killed by the ion beam. However, conventional ion accelerator tends to be huge in its size and its cost. In this paper a future intense-laser ion accelerator is proposed to make the ion accelerator compact. SUBJECTS AND METHODS An intense femtosecond pulsed laser was employed to accelerate ions. The issues in the laser ion accelerator include the energy efficiency from the laser to the ions, the ion beam collimation, the ion energy spectrum control, the ion beam bunching and the ion particle energy control. In the study particle computer simulations were performed to solve the issues, and each component was designed to control the ion beam quality. RESULTS When an intense laser illuminates a target, electrons in the target are accelerated and leave from the target; temporarily a strong electric field is formed between the high-energy electrons and the target ions, and the target ions are accelerated. The energy efficiency from the laser to ions was improved by using a solid target with a fine sub-wavelength structure or by a near-critical density gas plasma. The ion beam collimation was realized by holes behind the solid target. The control of the ion energy spectrum and the ion particle energy, and the ion beam bunching were successfully realized by a multi-stage laser-target interaction. CONCLUSIONS The present study proposed a novel concept for a future compact laser ion accelerator, based on each component study required to control the ion beam quality and parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeo Kawata
- Department of Advanced Interdisciplinary Sciences, Utsunomiya University, Japan ; CORE (Center for Optical Research and Education), Utsunomiya University, Japan
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34
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Kawata S, Izumiyama T, Nagashima T, Takano M, Barada D, Kong Q, Gu YJ, Wang PX, Ma YY, Wang WM. Laser ion acceleration toward future ion beam cancer therapy - Numerical simulation study -. Laser Ther 2013. [PMID: 24155555 DOI: 10.5978/islsm.13-or-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ion beam has been used in cancer treatment, and has a unique preferable feature to deposit its main energy inside a human body so that cancer cell could be killed by the ion beam. However, conventional ion accelerator tends to be huge in its size and its cost. In this paper a future intense-laser ion accelerator is proposed to make the ion accelerator compact. SUBJECTS AND METHODS An intense femtosecond pulsed laser was employed to accelerate ions. The issues in the laser ion accelerator include the energy efficiency from the laser to the ions, the ion beam collimation, the ion energy spectrum control, the ion beam bunching and the ion particle energy control. In the study particle computer simulations were performed to solve the issues, and each component was designed to control the ion beam quality. RESULTS When an intense laser illuminates a target, electrons in the target are accelerated and leave from the target; temporarily a strong electric field is formed between the high-energy electrons and the target ions, and the target ions are accelerated. The energy efficiency from the laser to ions was improved by using a solid target with a fine sub-wavelength structure or by a near-critical density gas plasma. The ion beam collimation was realized by holes behind the solid target. The control of the ion energy spectrum and the ion particle energy, and the ion beam bunching were successfully realized by a multi-stage laser-target interaction. CONCLUSIONS The present study proposed a novel concept for a future compact laser ion accelerator, based on each component study required to control the ion beam quality and parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeo Kawata
- Department of Advanced Interdisciplinary Sciences, Utsunomiya University, Japan ; CORE (Center for Optical Research and Education), Utsunomiya University, Japan
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35
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Zigler A, Eisenman S, Botton M, Nahum E, Schleifer E, Baspaly A, Pomerantz I, Abicht F, Branzel J, Priebe G, Steinke S, Andreev A, Schnuerer M, Sandner W, Gordon D, Sprangle P, Ledingham KWD. Enhanced proton acceleration by an ultrashort laser interaction with structured dynamic plasma targets. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2013; 110:215004. [PMID: 23745890 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.110.215004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
We experimentally demonstrate a notably enhanced acceleration of protons to high energy by relatively modest ultrashort laser pulses and structured dynamical plasma targets. Realized by special deposition of snow targets on sapphire substrates and using carefully planned prepulses, high proton yields emitted in a narrow solid angle with energy above 21 MeV were detected from a 5 TW laser. Our simulations predict that using the proposed scheme protons can be accelerated to energies above 150 MeV by 100 TW laser systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Zigler
- Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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