Efficient Production of Proton Beam in Laser-Illuminated Tailored Microstructured Target

• Published in: IEEE transactions on plasma science Vol. 37; no. 4; pp. 481 - 486
• Main Authors: Kawata, S., Nodera, Y., Limpouch, J., Klimo, O.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.04.2009; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Acceleration; Aluminum; Efficient ion beam generation; Electric fields; Electrons; Exact sciences and technology; Foils; Hot electrons; Ion beams; laser absorption; Laser fusion; laser ion acceleration; Laser theory; Lasers; Microstructure; microstructured target; Particle beams; Particle in cell technique; Particle-in-cell method; Physics; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; Plasma simulation; Ponderomotive forces; Production; Proton beams; Proton energy; Protons; Simulation; Surface emitting lasers; Protons; microstructured target; Particle in cell method; Efficient ion beam generation; Theoretical study; Particle acceleration; Ion beams; Ponderomotive force; Plasma simulation; Hot electrons; Energetic efficiency; Energy conversion; High field; laser absorption; PIC model; laser ion acceleration; Proton beams
• ISSN: 0093-3813; 1939-9375
• DOI: 10.1109/TPS.2008.2011272

In a proton beam generation by a laser-foil interaction, significant improvement of energy-conversion efficiency from laser to proton beam is presented by particle simulations. When an intense short-pulse laser illuminates the thin-foil target, the foil electrons are accelerated around the target by the ponderomotive force. The hot electrons generate a strong electric field, which accelerates the foil protons, and the proton beam is generated. In this paper, a tailored multihole thin-foil target is proposed in order to increase the energy-conversion efficiency from laser to protons. The multiholes transpiercing the foil target enhance the laser-proton energy-conversion efficiency significantly. Particle-in-cell 2.5-dimensional simulations present that the total laser-proton energy-conversion efficiency becomes 9.3% for the tailored multihole target, although the energy-conversion efficiency is 1.5% for a plain thin-foil target. The maximum proton energy is 10.0 MeV for the multihole target and is 3.14 MeV for the plain target. The transpiercing multihole target serves a new method to increase the energy-conversion efficiency from laser to ions.