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  • Letter
  • Open Access

Energy-chirp compensation of laser-driven ion beams enabled by structured targets

Zheng Gong1,2,*, Stepan S. Bulanov3, Toma Toncian4, and Alexey Arefiev5

  • 1Center for High Energy Density Science, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
  • 2SKLNPT, KLHEDP, CAPT and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
  • 3Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
  • 4Institute for Radiation Physics, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., 01328 Dresden, Germany
  • 5Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA

  • *Present address: Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Phys. Rev. Research 4, L042031 – Published 21 November, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.4.L042031

Abstract

We show using three-dimensional (3D) simulations that the challenge of generating dense monoenergetic laser-driven ion beams with low angular divergence can be overcome by utilizing structured targets with a relativistically transparent channel and an overdense wall. In contrast to a uniform target that produces a chirped ion beam, the target structure facilitates the formation of a dense electron bunch whose longitudinal electric field reverses the energy chirp. This approach works in conjunction with existing acceleration mechanisms, augmenting the ion spectra. For example, our 3D simulations predict a significant improvement for a 2 PW laser pulse with a peak intensity of 5×1022 W/cm2. The simulations show a monoenergetic proton peak in a highly desirable energy range of 200 MeV with an unprecedented charge of several nC and a relatively low divergence that is below 10∘.

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Phys. Rev. Research 4, L042031– Published 21 November, 2022
  • Received 4 May 2022
  • Accepted 27 October 2022
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