Tunable high-energy ion source via oblique laser pulse incidence on a double-layer target

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that oblique laser pulse incidence on a double-layer target can significantly enhance proton beam energy, with optimal angles yielding higher energies than normal incidence, as shown through 3D particle-in-cell simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a method to tune proton beam energy by adjusting laser incidence angle on a double-layer target, revealing optimal angles for maximum energy.

Findings

Proton energy peaks at a specific laser incidence angle.

Proton beams propagate at an angle related to the incidence angle.

Maximum proton energy exceeds that at normal incidence.

Abstract

The laser-driven acceleration of high quality proton beams from a double-layer target, comprised of a high-Z ion layer and a thin disk of hydrogen, is investigated with three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations in the case of oblique incidence of a laser pulse. It is shown that the proton beam energy reaches its maximum at a certain incidence angle of the laser pulse, where it can be much greater than the energy at normal incidence. The proton beam propagates at some angle with respect to the target surface normal, as determined by the proton energy and the incidence angle.