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Persistent URL	http://purl.org/net/epubs/work/11846074
Record Status	Checked
Record Id	11846074
Title	High energy conversion efficiency in laser-proton acceleration by controlling laser-energy deposition onto thin foil targets
Contributors	CM Brenner (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab., and Strathclyde Univ.), APL Robinson (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), K Markey (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), RHH Scott (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), RJ Gray (Strathclyde Univ.), M Rosinski (Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion), O Deppert (Institut für Kernphysik), J Badziak (Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion), D Batani (Dipartimento di Fisica G. Occhialini), JR Davies (Laboratory for Laser Energetics), SM Hassan (Department of Electronics Engineering), KL Lancaster (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), K Li (GoLP), IO Musgrave (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), PA Norreys (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), J Pasley (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab., and York Univ.), M Roth (Institut fur Kernphysik), H Schlenvoigt (LULI), C Spindloe (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), M Tatarakis (Department of Electronics Engineering), T Winstone (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), J Wolowski (Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion), D Wyatt (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), P McKenna (Strathclyde Univ.), D Neely (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab., and Strathclyde Univ.)
Abstract	An all-optical approach to laser-proton acceleration enhancement is investigated using the simplest of target designs to demonstrate application-relevant levels of energy conversion efficiency between laser and protons. Controlled deposition of laser energy, in the form of a double-pulse temporal envelope, is investigated in combination with thin foil targets in which recirculation of laser-accelerated electrons can lead to optimal conditions for coupling laser drive energy into the proton beam. This approach is shown to deliver a substantial enhancement in the coupling of laser energy to 5–30 MeV protons, compared to single pulse irradiation, reaching a record high 15% conversion efficiency with a temporal separation of 1 ps between the two pulses and a 5 μm-thick Au foil. A 1D simulation code is used to support and explain the origin of the observation of an optimum pulse separation of ∼1 ps.
Organisation	CLF , CI , STFC
Keywords
Funding Information	EPSRC (EP/J003832/1); EPSRC (EP/K022415/1); EC, Framework Programme 7: LASERLAB-EUROPE (284464)
Related Research Object(s):
Licence Information:
Language	English (EN)

Type	Details	URI(s)	Local file(s)	Year
Journal Article	Appl Phys Lett 104, no. 8 (2014): 081123.	doi:10.1063/1.4865812		2014