Multi-species ion acceleration from sub-ps, PW interactions with ultra-thin foils

Enhanced laser-ion acceleration in thin foils of reduced surface

Ion acceleration in the interaction of ultrashort intense laser pulses (~ 2×10 W/cm, 10s-100s fs) with thin solid foils of limited transverse extend (~ 10s of μm) is measured experimentally and studied numerically (by PIC simulations). Reducing the target surface area allows hot electrons to be reflected from target edges during or shortly after the laser pulse. This transverse refluxing in suc...

Proton acceleration from high-contrast short pulse lasers interacting with sub-micron thin foils

All-optical measurement of the hot electron sheath driving laser ion acceleration from thin foils

We present experimental results from an all-optical diagnostic method to directly measure the evolution of the hot-electron distribution driving the acceleration of ions from thin foils using high-intensity lasers. Central parameters of laser ion acceleration such as the hot-electron density, the temperature distribution and the conversion efficiency from laser pulse energy into hot electrons b...

Heavy-ion emission from short-pulse laser-plasma interactions with thin foils

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Stable GeV ion-beam acceleration from thin foils by circularly polarized laser pulses.

A stable relativistic ion acceleration regime for thin foils irradiated by circularly polarized laser pulses is suggested. In this regime, the "light-sail" stage of radiation pressure acceleration for ions is smoothly connected with the initial relativistic "hole-boring" stage, and a defined relationship between laser intensity I0, foil density n{0}, and thickness l{0} should be satisfied. For ...