Spatial and spectral measurement of laser-driven protons through radioactivation

The simultaneous measurement of the spatial profile and spectrum of laser-accelerated protons is important for further optimization of the beam qualities and applications.We report a detailed study regarding the underlying physics and regular procedure of such a measurement through the radioactivation of a stack composed of aluminum,copper,and CR-39 plates as well as radiochromic films(RCFs).After being radioactivated,the copper plates are placed on imaging plates(IPs)to detect the positrons emitted by the reaction products through contact imaging.The spectrum and energy-dependent spatial profile of the protons are then obtained from the IPs and confirmed by the measured ones from the RCFs and CR-39 plates.We also discuss the detection range,influence of electrons,radiation safety,and spatial resolution of this measurement.Finally,insights regarding the extension of the current method to online measurements and dynamic proton imaging are also provided.

Ionizing terahertz waves with 260 MV/cm from scalable optical rectification

Terahertz(THz)waves,known as non-ionizing radiation owing to their low photon energies,can actually ionize atoms and molecules when a sufficiently large number of THz photons are concentrated in time and space.Here,we demonstrate the generation of ionizing,multicycle,15-THz waves emitted from large-area lithium niobate crystals via phase-matched optical rectification of 150-terawatt laser pulses.A complete characterization of the generated THz waves in energy,pulse duration,and focal spot size shows that the field strength can reach up to 260 megavolts per centimeter.In particular,a single-shot THz interferometer is employed to measure the THz pulse duration and spectrum with complementary numerical simulations.Such intense THz pulses are irradiated onto various solid targets to demonstrate THz-induced tunneling ionization and plasma formation.This study also discusses the potential of nonperturbative THz-driven ionization in gases,which will open up new opportunities,including nonlinear and relativistic THz physics in plasma.

Random pinhole attenuator for high-power laser beams

The intensity attenuation of a high-power laser is a frequent task in the measurements of optical science.Laser intensity can be attenuated by inserting an optical element,such as a partial reflector,polarizer or absorption filter.These devices are,however,not always easily applicable,especially in the case of ultra-high-power lasers,because they can alter the characteristics of a laser beam or become easily damaged.In this study,we demonstrated that the intensity of a laser beam could be effectively attenuated using a random pinhole attenuator(RPA),a device with randomly distributed pinholes,without changing the beam properties.With this device,a multi-PW laser beam was successfully attenuated and the focused beam profile was measured without any alterations of its characteristics.In addition,it was confirmed that the temporal profile of a laser pulse,including the spectral phase,was preserved.Consequently,the RPA possesses significant potential for a wide range of applications.

Multi-millijoule terahertz emission from laser- wakefield-accelerated electrons

High-power terahertz radiation was observed to be emitted from a gas jet irradiated by 100-terawatt-class laser pulses in the laser-wakefield acceleration of electrons.The emitted terahertz radiation was characterized in terms of its spectrum,polarization,and energy dependence on the accompanying electron bunch energy and charge under various gas target conditions.With a nitrogen target,more than 4 mJ of energy Was produced at<10 THz with a laser-to-terahertz conversion efficiency of~0.15%.Such strong terahertz radiation is hypothesized to be produced from plasma electrons accelerated by the ponderomotive force of the laser and the plasma wakefelds on the time scale of the laser pulse duration and plasma period.This model is examined with analytic calculations and particle-in-cell simulations to better understand the generation mechanism of high-energy terahertz radiation in laser-wakefield acceleration.