Abstract
Particle and radiation sources are widely employed in manifold applications. In the last decades, the upcoming of versatile, energetic, high-brilliance laser-based sources, as produced by intense laser–matter interactions, has introduced utilization of these sources in diverse areas, given their potential to complement or even outperform existing techniques. In this paper, we show that the interaction of an intense laser with a solid target produces a versatile, non-destructive, fast analysis technique that allows to switch from laser-driven PIXE (Particle-Induced X-ray Emission) to laser-driven XRF (X-ray Fluorescence) within single laser shots, by simply changing the atomic number of the interaction target. The combination of both processes improves the retrieval of constituents in materials and allows for volumetric analysis up to tens of microns and on cm2 large areas up to a detection threshold of ppms. This opens the route for a versatile, non-destructive, and fast combined analysis technique.
Highlights
In recent times, laser-based sources as produced by high-intensity (>1018 W/cm2) short-pulse lasers in the multi-hundred TW or even PW regime, have raised interest for their manifold applications
We show that an ultra-intense laser–matter interaction produces a versatile, non-destructive, fast analysis technique that allows, within a single sub-ns shot, to switch from laser-driven Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) to laser-driven X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), or to apply both techniques simultaneously
This spectrum is depicting merely PIXE since line emission X-rays produced by the Al interaction target are not producing any detectable XRF
Summary
Laser-based sources as produced by high-intensity (>1018 W/cm2) short-pulse (ps–fs) lasers in the multi-hundred TW or even PW regime, have raised interest for their manifold applications. In XRF, the first electron is ejected by a high-energy X-ray photon while in PIXE, it is ejected by a proton or other positive ions. Both techniques are routinely used for analysis of cultural heritage[13,14], where there is a stringent need for improved techniques[15,16,17]. The laseracceleration was produced using the most routinely available acceleration mechanism that tends to provide more reliability and stability for the accelerated ions, the so-called Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA)[27] It occurs when a high-intensity short-pulse (duration < 1 ps) laser hits a target, typically a solid target in the micrometric thickness range. The X-ray line emissions are almost isotropic, in our experiment only X-rays in the direction of the proton beam are of interest
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