Related papers: High quality GeV proton beams from a density-modul…
We study the onset of electron heating in intense laser-solid interactions and its impact on the spectral quality of radiation pressure accelerated ions in both hole boring and light sail regimes. Two- and three-dimensional particle-in-cell…
We report on laser-based ion acceleration using freely suspended liquid crystal film targets, formed with thicknesses varying from 100 $nm$ to 2 $\mu m$ for this experiment. Optimization of Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA) of…
Two dimensional particle-in-cell simulations characterizing the interaction of ultraintense short pulse lasers in the range 10^{18} \leq I \leq 10^{20} W/cm^{2} with converging target geometries are presented. Seeking to examine intensity…
Optimizing laser and plasma parameters is crucial for enhancing accelerated proton energy in laser-driven proton acceleration with finite laser energy for applications such as cancer therapy. Tight focusing plays a significant role in…
Table-top laser-plasma ion accelerators seldom achieve narrow energy spreads, and never without serious compromises in efficiency, particle yield, etc. Using massive computer simulations, we identify a self-organizing scheme that exploits…
During the past decade, the interaction of high-intensity lasers with solid targets has attracted much interest, regarding its potential in accelerating charged particles. In spite of tremendous progress in laser-plasma based acceleration,…
The development of ultra-intense laser-based sources of high energy ions is an important goal, with a variety of potential applications. One of the barriers to achieving this goal is the need to maximize the conversion efficiency from laser…
Using a kilojoule class laser, we demonstrate for the first time that high-contrast picosecond pulses are advantageous for ion acceleration. We show that a laser pulse with optimum duration and a large focal spot accelerates electrons…
A novel regime is proposed where, employing linearly polarized laser pulses at intensities $10^{21}\textrm{Wcm}^{-2}$ as two order of magnitude lower than earlier predicted [T. Esirkepov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 175003 (2004)], ions are…
Recent studies have demonstrated the possibility of accelerating electrons to MeV energies in ambient air using tightly focused laser configurations. In this article, we explore possible strategies to control and optimize the resulting…
High-quality proton beams generated by laser-plasma interactions are of significant interest for applications ranging from tumor therapy to fast ignition in inertial confinement fusion. However, simultaneously achieving high energy coupling…
The interaction of micro- and nano-structured target surfaces with high-power laser pulses is being widely investigated for its unprecedented absorption efficiency. We have developed vertically aligned metallic micro-pillar arrays for…
The acceleration of protons and electrons in a reconnecting current sheet (RCS) is simulated with a particle-in-cell (PIC) 2D3V code for the proton-to-electron mass ratio of 100. The electro-magnetic configuration forming the RCS…
We present hybrid PIC simulations of fast electron transport and energy deposition in pre-compressed fusion targets, taking full account of collective magnetic effects and the hydrodynamic response of the background plasma. Results on…
A superintense laser pulse illuminating a thin solid-density foil can, in principle, accelerate the entire foil, therefore yielding dense, collimated, and quasi-monoenergetic ion beams. These unique features render radiation pressure…
The characteristics of a MeV ion source driven by superintense, ultrashort laser pulses with circular polarization are studied by means of particle-in-cell simulations. Predicted features include high efficiency, large ion density, low…
Polarized particle sources have a plethora of applications, ranging from deep-inelastic scattering to nuclear fusion. One crucial challenge in laser-plasma interaction is maintaining the initial polarization of the target. Here, we propose…
We report on the development of a highly directional, narrow energy band, short time duration proton beam operating at high repetition rate, suitable for measurements of stopping power in high energy density plasmas as well as other…
Laser-driven ion accelerators have the advantages of compact size, high density, and short bunch duration over conventional accelerators. Nevertheless, it is still challenging to generate ion beams with quasi-monoenergetic peak and low…
We review recent PIC simulation results which show that double-sided irradiaton of a thin overdense plasma slab by ultra-intense laser pulses from both sides can lead to sustained comoving acceleration of surface electrons to energies much…