Abstract
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 12891 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Nature Communications |
| Volume | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Sep 2016 |
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Keywords
- laser-plasma interaction
- proton acceleration
- charged particle dynamics
- plasma particles
- laser light
- multi-MeV protons
- plasma based accelerators
- laser-produced plasmas
Cite this
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Towards optical polarization control of laser-driven proton acceleration in foils undergoing relativistic transparency. / Gonzalez-Izquierdo, Bruno; King, Martin; Gray, Ross J.; Wilson, Robbie; Dance, Rachel J.; Powell, Haydn; MacLellan, David A.; McCreadie, John; Butler, Nicholas M.H.; Hawkes, Steve; Green, James S.; Murphy, Chris D.; Stockhausen, Luca C.; Carroll, David C.; Booth, Nicola; Scott, Graeme G.; Borghesi, Marco; Neely, David; McKenna, Paul.
In: Nature Communications, Vol. 7, 12891, 14.09.2016.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Towards optical polarization control of laser-driven proton acceleration in foils undergoing relativistic transparency
AU - Gonzalez-Izquierdo, Bruno
AU - King, Martin
AU - Gray, Ross J.
AU - Wilson, Robbie
AU - Dance, Rachel J.
AU - Powell, Haydn
AU - MacLellan, David A.
AU - McCreadie, John
AU - Butler, Nicholas M.H.
AU - Hawkes, Steve
AU - Green, James S.
AU - Murphy, Chris D.
AU - Stockhausen, Luca C.
AU - Carroll, David C.
AU - Booth, Nicola
AU - Scott, Graeme G.
AU - Borghesi, Marco
AU - Neely, David
AU - McKenna, Paul
PY - 2016/9/14
Y1 - 2016/9/14
N2 - Control of the collective response of plasma particles to intense laser light is intrinsic to relativistic optics, the development of compact laser-driven particle and radiation sources, as well as investigations of some laboratory astrophysics phenomena. We recently demonstrated that a relativistic plasma aperture produced in an ultra-thin foil at the focus of intense laser radiation can induce diffraction, enabling polarization-based control of the collective motion of plasma electrons. Here we show that under these conditions the electron dynamics are mapped into the beam of protons accelerated via strong charge-separation-induced electrostatic fields. It is demonstrated experimentally and numerically via 3D particle-in-cell simulations that the degree of ellipticity of the laser polarization strongly influences the spatial-intensity distribution of the beam of multi-MeV protons. The influence on both sheath accelerated and radiation pressure accelerated protons is investigated. This approach opens up new routes to control laser-driven ion sources.
AB - Control of the collective response of plasma particles to intense laser light is intrinsic to relativistic optics, the development of compact laser-driven particle and radiation sources, as well as investigations of some laboratory astrophysics phenomena. We recently demonstrated that a relativistic plasma aperture produced in an ultra-thin foil at the focus of intense laser radiation can induce diffraction, enabling polarization-based control of the collective motion of plasma electrons. Here we show that under these conditions the electron dynamics are mapped into the beam of protons accelerated via strong charge-separation-induced electrostatic fields. It is demonstrated experimentally and numerically via 3D particle-in-cell simulations that the degree of ellipticity of the laser polarization strongly influences the spatial-intensity distribution of the beam of multi-MeV protons. The influence on both sheath accelerated and radiation pressure accelerated protons is investigated. This approach opens up new routes to control laser-driven ion sources.
KW - laser-plasma interaction
KW - proton acceleration
KW - charged particle dynamics
KW - plasma particles
KW - laser light
KW - multi-MeV protons
KW - plasma based accelerators
KW - laser-produced plasmas
UR - http://www.nature.com/ncomms/
U2 - 10.1038/ncomms12891
DO - 10.1038/ncomms12891
M3 - Article
VL - 7
JO - Nature Communications
T2 - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
SN - 2041-1723
M1 - 12891
ER -