Optimized laser pulse profile for efficient radiation pressure acceleration of ions

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that tailoring the laser pulse profile in radiation pressure acceleration can significantly reduce acceleration distances, enabling more compact and energy-efficient laser ion accelerators.

Contribution

It introduces an optimized laser pulse profile design that enhances radiation pressure acceleration efficiency and reduces the required acceleration distance.

Findings

Tailored laser pulses decrease acceleration distance.

Optimized profiles improve energy efficiency.

Potential for more compact laser ion accelerators.

Abstract

The radiation pressure acceleration regime of laser ion acceleration requires high intensity laser pulses to function efficiently. Moreover the foil should be opaque for incident radiation during the interaction to ensure maximum momentum transfer from the pulse to the foil, which requires proper matching of the target to the laser pulse. However, in the ultrarelativistic regime, this leads to large acceleration distances, over which the high laser intensity for a Gaussian laser pulse must be maintained. It is shown that proper tailoring of the laser pulse profile can significantly reduce the acceleration distance, leading to a compact laser ion accelerator, requiring less energy to operate.