Abstract
The versatility of laser accelerators in generating particle beams of various types is often promoted as a key applicative advantage. These multiple types of particles, however, are generated on vastly different irradiation setups, so that switching from one type to another involves substantial mechanical changes. In this letter, we report on a laser-based accelerator that generates beams of either multi-MeV electrons or ions from the same thin-foil irradiation setup. Switching from generation of ions to electrons is achieved by introducing an auxiliary laser pulse, which pre-explodes the foil tens of ns before irradiation by the main pulse. We present an experimental characterization of the emitted beams in terms of energy, charge, divergence, and repeatability, and conclude with several examples of prospective applications for industry and research.
Highlights
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The most striking feature of intense laser interaction with solid targets is the emission of a variety of intense radiation types [3], including electrons, ions, x-rays, and positrons
We show how by the mere introduction of this pre-pulse, our setup switches from generation of target-normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) ions to generating exploding foil method (EXFM) electrons
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The invention of chirped pulse amplification [1], for which the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded, introduced the era of multi-petawatt lasers [2] and led to new regimes of light–matter interaction. The most striking feature of intense laser interaction with solid targets is the emission of a variety of intense radiation types [3], including electrons, ions, x-rays, and positrons. The relatively small scale of these lasers earned these machines the moniker “tabletop accelerators” and triggered research ranging from small portable machines [4] to large facilities [5] and accelerators at the energy frontier [6]
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