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Title: Micro-sphere layered targets efficiency in laser driven proton acceleration

Journal Article · · Journal of Applied Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4819239· OSTI ID:22218092
; ;  [1]; ; ; ; ; ;  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6]; ; ;  [4]
  1. CEA, IRAMIS, SPAM, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France)
  2. FNSPE, Czech Technical University in Prague, CR-11519 Prague (Czech Republic)
  3. Institute of Physics v.v.i. ASCR, Na Slovance 1999, Prague (Czech Republic)
  4. Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, research unit “Adriano Gozzini,” Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa (Italy)
  5. Dipartimento di Energia, Politecnico di Milano, Milano (Italy)
  6. LULI, UMR7605, CNRS-CEA-Ecole Polytechnique-Paris 6, 91128 Palaiseau (France)

Proton acceleration from the interaction of high contrast, 25 fs laser pulses at >10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2} intensity with plastic foils covered with a single layer of regularly packed micro-spheres has been investigated experimentally. The proton cut-off energy has been measured as a function of the micro-sphere size and laser incidence angle for different substrate thickness, and for both P and S polarization. The presence of micro-spheres with a size comparable to the laser wavelength allows to increase the proton cut-off energy for both polarizations at small angles of incidence (10∘). For large angles of incidence, however, proton energy enhancement with respect to flat targets is absent. Analysis of electron trajectories in particle-in-cell simulations highlights the role of the surface geometry in the heating of electrons.

OSTI ID:
22218092
Journal Information:
Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 114, Issue 8; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English