超短超强激光与固体靶相互作用中发射质子的截止能量估算

 根据超短超强激光与固体靶相互作用中质子靶前表面加速和靶后表面加速两种机制,对在SILEX-I激光器上进行的质子加速实验中获得的质子最大截止能量进行了估算,认为实验中质子产生的主要机制是靶后表面加速。同时结果表明：对该装置的实验条件,靶前表面加速机制可以产生质子的最大能量约为2 MeV;靶后表面加速机制可以产生的质子的最大能量约11 MeV。另外用Multi2005程序计算了激光器信噪比对靶后表面加速机制的影响。计算表明：SILEX-I激光器信噪比达到108∶1时,预脉冲对用5 μm靶时鞘层加速电场的影响可以忽略。     

基于带电粒子活化法开展的SGⅡ-U皮秒激光质子加速实验研究

基于带电粒子活化测谱方法在SGⅡ-U装置上开展了皮秒激光靶背鞘场机制质子加速实验研究,对靶参数进行了优化.利用带电粒子活化测谱方法测量了相同激光条件、不同Cu薄膜靶厚度情况下靶背鞘场加速质子的最高截止能量、角分布、总产额以及激光能量到质子的转化效率等关键参数.实验发现,SGⅡ-U皮秒激光靶背鞘场加速机制的最佳Cu薄膜靶厚度为10 μm,对应质子最高能量接近40 MeV,质子（>4 MeV）总产额约4×10¹²个,激光能量到质子的转化效率约2%.薄膜靶更厚或者更薄都会降低加速质子的最高截止能量;当靶厚减薄至1 μm时,皮秒激光的预脉冲开始对靶背鞘场产生显著影响,质子最高截止能量急剧下降,高能质子束斑呈现空心结构;而当靶厚增加至35 μm时,虽然质子束的能量有所降低,但是质子束斑的均匀性更好.     

快点火中质子的能量沉积和神光Ⅱ升级装置上的质子束的产生

基于神光Ⅱ升级装置激光条件,利用流体程序、粒子模拟程序和Fokker-Placnck程序,模拟研究质子快点火中所需质子束的品质以及产生所需质子束的激光条件.首先根据快点火靶的条件,利用Fokker-Planck方程模拟快点火所需的质子束的能量范围,模拟表明当背景等离子密度为300 g/cm³时,能量为7—12 MeV的质子束适合点火;当背景等离子体密度为400 g/cm³时,能量为8—18 MeV的质子束适合点火.再根据神光Ⅱ升级装置实验条件研究质子束所需的激光参数,通过利用粒子模拟程序,结合流体程序给出的预等离子体,分别模拟研究了加预等离子体和不加预等离子体两种情况下的质子加速,在有预等离子体时得到的质子束最大能量约为22 MeV,没有预等离子体时得到的质子束最大能量为17.5 MeV,具体分析了两种情况下质子加速的物理机制,其结果跟等离子体自由膨胀模型结果符合得很好.     

神光Ⅱ升级装置激光加速质子照相初步实验研究

在神光Ⅱ升级装置上开展了首轮激光加速质子对间接驱动快点火靶内爆过程的照相实验研究。通过激光与靶参数的优化,获得了能量高于18 MeV的质子束。通过静态客体的照相,获得了优于20 m的高空间分辨网格图像,为开展时间分辨的啁啾质子照相奠定了基础。开展了质子动态照相实验,获得了内爆压缩晚期的质子照相图像。实验发现内爆区域质子照相图像存在大量排空现象。内爆压缩区域不足以阻挡如此大范围质子束,证明了其中存在电磁场使得质子向外排开。动态照相的质子能量较低,分析是ns激光打靶过程产生的X射线及等离子体对质子加速存在影响。后续实验中需要进一步优化靶的屏蔽设计。     

飞秒激光中高能质子的产生与加速的研究

为了探索飞秒激光与固体靶相互作用中高能质子的产生和加速机制,在超短超强激光装置“SILEX-I”上进行了飞秒激光与平面固体薄膜Cu靶的相互作用中高能质子空间分布、能谱和产额的实验研究。实验采用固体核径迹探测器CR39和Thomson离子谱仪相结合的方式,在固体靶背表面法线方向测量了质子空间分布、能谱和产额。实验结果表明：质子沿着靶背法线方向发射,质子空间分布呈圆环状,存在一定的立体角;质子在一定能量处出现截断;截断能量的大小与靶厚度有关。经分析,高能离子的产生和加速是多种作用机制共同作用的结果,其中静电场中的TNSA加速机制则占主导地位。     

飞秒激光中高能质子的产生与加速的研究

为了探索飞秒激光与固体靶相互作用中高能质子的产生和加速机制,在超短超强激光装置“SILEX-I”上进行了飞秒激光与平面固体薄膜Cu靶的相互作用中高能质子空间分布、能谱和产额的实验研究。实验采用固体核径迹探测器CR39和Thomson离子谱仪相结合的方式,在固体靶背表面法线方向测量了质子空间分布、能谱和产额。实验结果表明：质子沿着靶背法线方向发射,质子空间分布呈圆环状,存在一定的立体角;质子在一定能量处出现截断;截断能量的大小与靶厚度有关。经分析,高能离子的产生和加速是多种作用机制共同作用的结果,其中静电场中的TNSA加速机制则占主导地位。     

用于激光加速质子参数表征的带电粒子活化测谱技术

基于传统带电粒子活化分析技术,发展了一种用于激光加速质子参数表征的带电粒子活化测谱方法.激光加速质子轰击不同厚度铜薄膜组成的诊断滤片堆栈,使铜片活化,通过测量各铜片活度及活性区的大小,获得加速质子的空间积分能谱、角分布等参数.详细讨论了活化测谱的滤片堆栈诊断排布、符合测量及解谱方法,并对该方法的可靠性进行了自洽检验;在XG-III皮秒激光装置上开展了带电粒子活化测谱实验,利用该诊断方法,得到了加速质子的角分布、空间积分能谱等参数,实验获得的质子最高截止能量18 MeV,激光能量到质子(4 MeV)的转换效率为1.07%.     

采用超薄双层靶提高质子束的单能性

利用1维粒子模拟程序,研究了超短超强激光脉冲与超薄双层靶(基底层和加速层厚度均为nm量级)相互作用产生准单能质子束的过程。研究表明,基底层厚度及加速层厚度对质子能谱的影响至关重要。减小基底层厚度,靶后静电场增强,质子的最大能量显著增大;减小加速层厚度,靶后静电场分布变得更加均匀,质子能谱中心能量变化不大,单能性变好。通过优化参数,获得了能散度为7%的准单能质子束。     

短脉冲强激光打靶产生的质子角分布实验研究

 采用短脉冲强激光辐照固体双层薄靶的方式对质子束的产生及质子束角分布开展了实验研究。在SILEX-Ⅰ短脉冲激光装置上利用脉宽为30 fs的强激光辐照背面镀有CH膜的金膜靶,在距离靶背3.3 cm处采用CR39记录靶背出射的质子角分布。通过分析靶背出射质子的角分布,研究了激光功率密度和对比度对质子加速机制的影响。研究结果表明:占主导地位的质子产生和加速机制对激光预脉冲比较敏感。激光预脉冲较弱时,靶背壳电场加速机制占主导地位;当激光预脉冲较强时,靶前加速机制占主导地位。此外,还对导致质子环形分布的磁场大小进行了估算。     

Energy spectra of protons driven by ultra-short laser interaction with thin gold foils

在能量11 mJ、波长744 nm、脉宽120 fs、功率密度6×1016 W/cm2的超短脉冲装置上,开展了超短脉冲激光与2.1 μm和5.0μm金薄膜靶相互作用产生质子束的实验研究.利用Thomson谱仪测量了产生的质子能谱,发现利用2.1 μm金薄膜靶时,质子能谱由于质子源数量不足而在74 keV附近出现单能峰,5.0 μm的金薄膜靶产生的质子计数和能谱均比2.1 μm的金薄膜靶产生的低,主要原因是超热电子穿过薄膜靶时出现的能量损失和几何倾斜降低了电子回流所致.     

Proton beam generation by ultra-high intensity laser–solid interaction

We report on some recent experimental results on proton production from ultra-intense laser pulse interaction with thin aluminium and plastic foil targets. These results were obtained at Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée with the 100 TW ‘salle jaune’ laser system, delivering 35 fs laser pulses at 0.8 μm, reaching a maximum intensity on target of a few 10¹⁹ W/cm².

In such extreme interaction conditions, an intense and collimated relativistic electron current is injected from the plasma created on the laser focal spot into the cold interior of the target. Its transport through dense matter, ruled by both collisions and self-induced (electro-magnetic) field effects, is the driving mechanism for proton acceleration from the rear side of thin foils: when reaching and leaving the foil rear-side, the fast electrons create a large charge separation and a huge electrostatic field with a maximum value of few TV/m, capable of accelerating protons.

A parametric study as a function of the laser driver and target parameters indicates an optimal value for target thickness, which strongly depends on the laser prepulse duration. In our experiments, we did irradiate targets of various materials (CH, Al, Au) changing the prepulse duration by using fast Pockels cells in the laser chain. CR-39 nuclear track detectors with Al filters of different thickness and a Thomson parabola were used to detect proton generation. The best results were obtained for 2 μm Al targets, leading to the generation of proton energies with energies up to 12 MeV.     

Six MeV proton acceleration from plasma generated by high-intensity laser using advanced thin polyethylene targets

Proton acceleration can be induced by non-equilibrium plasma developed by high-intensity laser pulses, at 10¹⁶ W/cm², irradiating different types of thin polyethylene targets. The process of proton acceleration and directive yield emission was investigated, optimizing the laser parameters, the irradiation conditions, and the target properties. The use of 600 J pulse energy, a laser focalization inducing self-focusing effects and advanced targets with embedded nanoparticles and optimal thicknesses, has permitted to accelerate forward protons up to the energies of about 6 MeV and amount of the order of 10¹⁵ H⁺/pulse. High proton energy is obtained using thin foils enriched with gold nanoparticles, whereas high proton yield is obtained using targets with a thickness of about 10 μm. The plasma diagnostics using SiC semiconductor detectors in time-of-flight configuration was fundamental to monitor the optimal conditions to improve the plasma processes concerning the ion acceleration and the X-ray and relativistic electron emission.     

Experimental investigations of fast-proton production in a picosecond laser plasma

Results of experimental investigations of fast-proton production in a laser plasma are presented for the case where the intensity of laser radiation at the targets is 2 × 10¹⁸ W/cm². Three processes of fast-proton acceleration in laser plasma are investigated: (1) the acceleration of protons from the front surface toward the laser pulse, (ii) the acceleration of protons from the front surface of the target toward its interior, and (iii) the acceleration of protons from the rear foil surface in the outward direction. The activation procedure and CR-39 tracker detectors featuring a set of various-thickness aluminum filters were used to record fast protons. It turned out that the proton-acceleration process is the most efficient in the case of proton acceleration from the rear foil surface in the outward direction. Experimental results revealed that about N _p = 10⁷ protons of energy in the region E _p > 1.9 MeV that are accelerated from the target surface toward a laser ray, N _p = 4× 10⁷ protons of energy in the region E _p > 1.9 MeV that are accelerated fromthe front surface of the target toward its interior, and N _p = 4×10⁸ protons of energy in the region E _p > 1.9 MeV that are accelerated from the rear foil surface in the outward direction are generated at a laser-radiation intensity of 2 × 10¹⁸ W/cm² at the surface of aluminum, copper, and titanium targets. Experimental investigations aimed at optimizing the process of proton acceleration from the rear surface of aluminum foils were performed by varying the foil thickness over the range between 1 and 100 μm. The results of these experiments showed that there is an optimum foil thickness of 10 μm, in which case protons of maximum energy 5 MeV are generated.     

Evolution of energy spectrum from laser-accelerated protons with a 100 fs intense prepulse

A parametric study is reported where a femtosecond prepulse is used to change the target properties before the interaction with a multi-terawatt laser pulse which accelerates protons from a foil target. The proton spectrum as function of the prepulse delay and intensity, up to 1.5 ns and up to 3×10¹⁶ W/cm², respectively, shows a global decrease of the maximum proton energy with delay and intensity. However, under appropriate conditions, it is found that the maximum proton energy increases by more than 10% and that the spectral shape changes.     

Experimental study of the acceleration of protons emitted from thin foils irradiated by ultrahigh-contrast laser pulses

Experimental results are presented for proton acceleration from the back of a target irradiated by laser pulses with intensities up to 2 × 10¹⁹ W/cm² generated by the SOKOL-P facility. The proton acceleration efficiency increases with decreasing of the target thickness. However, thin targets are destroyed by the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) prepulse before the main pulse arrival. An additional optical switch based on a Pockels cell has been used in the amplification section to carry out the experiments with ultrathin foils. As a result, the energy contrast with respect to the ASE prepulse has been increased up to 4 × 10⁶. Owing to high contrast, the experiments on studying proton acceleration from foils with thicknesses less than 100 nm have been carried out.     

Near‐3‐MeV protons from target‐normal‐sheath‐acceleration femtosecond laser irradiating advanced targets

Advanced targets based on graphene oxide and gold thin film were irradiated at high laser intensity (10¹⁸–10¹⁹ W/cm²) with 50‐fs laser pulses and high contrast (10⁸) to investigate ion acceleration in the target‐normal‐sheath‐acceleration regime. Time‐of‐flight technique was employed with SiC semiconductor detectors and ion collectors in order to measure the ion kinetic energy and to control the properties of the generated plasma. It was found that, at the optimized laser focus position with respect to the target, maximum proton acceleration up to about 3 MeV energy and low angular divergence could be generated. The high proton energy is explained as due to the high electrical and thermal conductivity of the reduced graphene oxide structure. Dependence of the maximum proton energy on the target focal position and thickness is presented and discussed.     

Eight MeV per charge state from 300 ps laser ion acceleration by using micrometric foils

Proton acceleration using high-intensity laser pulses, at 10¹⁶ W/cm² was studied irradiating different types of thin metal and plastic targets having 1-micron thickness. The maximization of the proton energy process was investigated optimizing the laser parameters, the irradiation conditions and the target properties. Employing 600–700 J laser pulse energy, a focalization inducing self-focusing effects and using targets with optimized thickness, it was possible to accelerate protons up to energies of above 8 MeV. The time-of-flight diagnostics has allowed to monitor the plasma properties and to control the ion acceleration process.     

Protons and carbon ions acceleration in the target-normal-sheath-acceleration regime using low-contrast fs laser and metal-graphene targets

fs pulsed lasers at an intensity of the order of 10¹⁸ W/cm², with a contrast of 10⁻⁵, were employed to irradiate thin foils to study the target-normal-sheath-acceleration (TNSA) regime. The forward ion acceleration was investigated using 1/11 µm thickness foils composed of a metallic sheet on which a thin reduced graphene oxide film with 10 nm thickness was deposited by single or both faces. The forward-accelerated ions were detected using SiC semiconductors connected in time-of-flight configuration. The use of intense and long pre-pulse generating the low contrast does not permit to accelerate protons above 1 MeV because it produces a pre-plasma destroying the foil, and the successive main laser pulse interacts with the expanding plasma and not with the overdense solid surface. Experimental results demonstrated that the maximum proton energies of about 700 keV and of 4.2 MeV carbon ions and higher were obtained under the condition of the optimal acceleration procedure. The measurements of ion energy and charge states confirm that the acceleration per charge state is measurable from the proton energy, confirming the Coulomb–Boltzmann-shifted theoretical model. However, heavy ions cannot be accelerated due to their mass and low velocity, which does not permit them to be subjected to the fast and high developed electric field driving the light-ion acceleration. The ion acceleration can be optimized based on the laser focal positioning and on the foil thickness, composition, and structure, as it will be presented and discussed.