A focusable, convergent fast-electron beam from ultra-high-intensity laser-solid interactions

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method to generate a convergent, focusable fast-electron beam from ultra-high-intensity laser-solid interactions, demonstrated through simulations showing controlled focusing within a solid-density plasma.

Contribution

It presents a novel scheme for creating a focusable fast-electron beam with controlled depth of focus using laser-solid interactions, validated by 2D particle-in-cell simulations.

Findings

Fast-electron beam energies range from 500 keV to 3 MeV.

The beam propagates and focuses within solid-density plasma.

Depth of focus is adjustable via target dimensions and optics.

Abstract

A novel scheme for the creation of a convergent, or focussing, fast-electron beam generated from ultra-high-intensity laser-solid interactions is described. Self-consistent particle-in-cell simulations are used to demonstrate the efficacy of this scheme in two dimensions. It is shown that a beam of fast-electrons of energy 500 keV - 3 MeV propagates within a solid-density plasma, focussing at depth. The depth of focus of the fast-electron beam is controlled via the target dimensions and focussing optics.