Enhancement of the laser-driven proton source at PHELIX. (2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hornung, J.; Zobus, Y.; Boller, P.; Brabetz, C.; Eisenbarth, U.; Kühl, T.; Major, Zs.; Ohland, J. B.; Zepf, M.; Zielbauer, B.; Bagnoud, V.
• Is Part Of: High power laser science and engineering. Volume 8(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020
• Subjects: high power laser, -- proton acceleration, -- secondary sources; High power lasers -- Periodicals; 621.366
• DOI: 10.1017/hpl.2020.23
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2095-4719

Abstract

Abstract : We present a study of laser-driven ion acceleration with micrometre and sub-micrometre thick targets, which focuses on the enhancement of the maximum proton energy and the total number of accelerated particles at the PHELIX facility. Using laser pulses with a nanosecond temporal contrast of up to $10^{-12}$ and an intensity of the order of $10^{20}~\text{W}/\text{cm}^{2}$, proton energies up to 93 MeV are achieved. Additionally, the conversion efficiency at $45^{\circ }$ incidence angle was increased when changing the laser polarization to p, enabling similar proton energies and particle numbers as in the case of normal incidence and s-polarization, but reducing the debris on the last focusing optic.