Dynamic Control of Laser Produced Proton Beams

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how ultra-strong electrostatic fields generated by shaped targets can dynamically control laser-produced proton beams, improving their collimation and flux while maintaining high quality.

Contribution

It introduces a method to manipulate proton emission characteristics using high potential targets and electrostatic lens design, enabling dynamic beam control.

Findings

Reduced proton beam divergence with shaped targets

Achieved collimation of highly divergent proton beams

Demonstrated electrostatic lens design for beam focusing

Abstract

The emission characteristics of intense laser driven protons are controlled using ultra-strong (of the order of 10^9 V/m) electrostatic fields varying on a few ps timescale. The field structures are achieved by exploiting the high potential of the target (reaching multi-MV during the laser interaction). Suitably shaped targets result in a reduction in the proton beam divergence, and hence an increase in proton flux while preserving the high beam quality. The peak focusing power and its temporal variation are shown to depend on the target characteristics, allowing for the collimation of the inherently highly divergent beam and the design of achromatic electrostatic lenses.