Near-100 MeV protons via a laser-driven transparency-enhanced hybrid acceleration scheme

Nature Communications
A HigginsonP McKenna

Abstract

The range of potential applications of compact laser-plasma ion sources motivates the development of new acceleration schemes to increase achievable ion energies and conversion efficiencies. Whilst the evolving nature of laser-plasma interactions can limit the effectiveness of individual acceleration mechanisms, it can also enable the development of hybrid schemes, allowing additional degrees of control on the properties of the resulting ion beam. Here we report on an experimental demonstration of efficient proton acceleration to energies exceeding 94 MeV via a hybrid scheme of radiation pressure-sheath acceleration in an ultrathin foil irradiated by a linearly polarised laser pulse. This occurs via a double-peaked electrostatic field structure, which, at an optimum foil thickness, is significantly enhanced by relativistic transparency and an associated jet of super-thermal electrons. The range of parameters over which this hybrid scenario occurs is discussed and implications for ion acceleration driven by next-generation, multi-petawatt laser facilities are explored.

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Citations

Jul 30, 2019·Medical Physics·Theodor AsaveiPaul R Vasos
Aug 17, 2020·Physical Review. E·Luling JinBaifei Shen
Jul 3, 2020·The Review of Scientific Instruments·Thomas F RöschJörg Schreiber
Dec 14, 2018·Nature Communications·Lieselotte Obst-HueblKarl Zeil
Jun 27, 2019·Scientific Reports·M PassoniF Mirani
Jun 4, 2019·The Review of Scientific Instruments·J H BinT Schenkel
Jan 3, 2019·The Review of Scientific Instruments·Matthias WürlKatia Parodi
Dec 12, 2019·Scientific Reports·Vural KaymakBastian Aurand
Nov 21, 2020·Scientific Reports·S R MirfayziR Kodama
May 20, 2021·Physical Review. E·Rajesh KumarAlessio Morace
Jun 14, 2020·Zeitschrift für medizinische Physik·M WürlK Parodi

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
two hybrid

Software Mentioned

RPA
EPOCH

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