Enhancement on Laser Intensity and Proton Acceleration Using Micro-tube Plasma Lens Targets

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that micro-tube plasma lens targets can significantly enhance laser intensity and proton acceleration by focusing laser light and increasing sheath fields, as shown through 3-D particle-in-cell simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel micro-tube plasma lens design that improves laser intensity and proton acceleration, with optimized tube dimensions and detailed characterization.

Findings

Laser intensity is enhanced within the micro-tube structure.

Coupling micro-tube lens with flat targets increases on-target intensity.

Proton energy is significantly increased using the micro-tube plasma lens.

Abstract

A hollow cylindrical micron-scale structure is proposed to enhance and manipulate the laser plasma interaction. It is shown through 3-D particle-in-cell simulations that the incident laser pulse intensity is enhanced within the tube. A detailed study of the intensification optimizes the tube dimensions and provides a characterization of the in-tube intensity. By coupling the micro-tube plasma lens to a traditional flat interface, we show an increase in on-target intensity. We detail proton energy enhancement as a potential application of the micro-tube plasma lens target, where the tube structure acts to focus the light and provide additional electrons that enhance the accelerating sheath field.