Sprecher
Beschreibung
Laser plasma based particle accelerators have attracted great interest in fields where conventional accelerators reach limits based on size, cost or beam parameters. However, laser accelerators have not yet reached their full potential in producing simultaneous high-radiation doses at high particle energies. To overcome limitations a high degree of control of the plasma conditions is needed, making methods for optimizing and stabilizing the performance of the accelerator essential.
In this talk, we will present techniques for the optimization of laser-driven proton beams using the DRACO laser system of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf. With its ultra-short laser pulses of up to 23J energy on target yielding intensities on the order of 5*10e21W/cm², DRACO enables exciting research on ion acceleration, as it has been shown in recent publications [Ziegler2024, Rehwald2023, Kroll2022]. This talk will provide an overview of our workflows to optimize and stabilize the acceleration process, including manipulating the laser intensity contrast (e.g. by changing the spectral laser phase) or tailoring the target evolution during the interaction (e.g. by varying the initial target thickness or by introducing an intentional pre-expansion). Our view on the experiment automation and automated laser-plasma systems in this context will conclude the presentation.
[Ziegler2024] T. Ziegler et al. "Laser-driven high-energy proton beams from cascaded acceleration regime" Nature Physics, 20, pages 1211–1216 (2024)
[Rehwald2023] M. Rehwald et al. ”Ultra-short pulse laser-driven acceleration of protons to 80 MeV from density tailored cryogenic hydrogen jets” Nature Communications 14, 4009 (2023).
[Kroll2022] F. Kroll et al. ”Tumor irradiation in mice with a laser-accelerated proton beam” Nature Physics 18, 316-322 (2022)
