Towards optical polarization control of laser-driven proton acceleration in foils undergoing relativistic transparency

Bruno Gonzalez-Izquierdo; Martin King; Ross J. Gray; Robbie Wilson; Rachel J. Dance; Haydn Powell; David A. MacLellan; John McCreadie; Nicholas M H Butler; Steve Hawkes; James S. Green; Chris D. Murphy; Luca C. Stockhausen; David C. Carroll; Nicola Booth; Graeme G. Scott; Marco Borghesi; David Neely; Paul McKenna

doi:10.1038/ncomms12891

Towards optical polarization control of laser-driven proton acceleration in foils undergoing relativistic transparency

Bruno Gonzalez-Izquierdo, Martin King, Ross J. Gray, Robbie Wilson, Rachel J. Dance, Haydn Powell, David A. MacLellan, John McCreadie, Nicholas M H Butler, Steve Hawkes, James S. Green, Chris D. Murphy, Luca C. Stockhausen, David C. Carroll, Nicola Booth, Graeme G. Scott, Marco Borghesi, David Neely, Paul McKenna^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Centre for Plasma Physics (CPP)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

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Abstract

Control of the collective response of plasma particles to intense laser light is intrinsic to relativistic optics, the development of compact laser-driven particle and radiation sources, as well as investigations of some laboratory astrophysics phenomena. We recently demonstrated that a relativistic plasma aperture produced in an ultra-thin foil at the focus of intense laser radiation can induce diffraction, enabling polarization-based control of the collective motion of plasma electrons. Here we show that under these conditions the electron dynamics are mapped into the beam of protons accelerated via strong charge-separation-induced electrostatic fields. It is demonstrated experimentally and numerically via 3D particle-in-cell simulations that the degree of ellipticity of the laser polarization strongly influences the spatial-intensity distribution of the beam of multi-MeV protons. The influence on both sheath-accelerated and radiation pressure-accelerated protons is investigated. This approach opens up a potential new route to control laser-driven ion sources.

Original language	English
Article number	12891
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12891
Publication status	Published - 14 Sep 2016

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
Chemistry(all)
Physics and Astronomy(all)

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Towards optical polarization control of laser-driven proton acceleration in foils undergoing relativistic transparency
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Gonzalez-Izquierdo, B., King, M., Gray, R. J., Wilson, R., Dance, R. J., Powell, H., MacLellan, D. A., McCreadie, J., Butler, N. M. H., Hawkes, S., Green, J. S., Murphy, C. D., Stockhausen, L. C., Carroll, D. C., Booth, N., Scott, G. G., Borghesi, M., Neely, D., & McKenna, P. (2016). Towards optical polarization control of laser-driven proton acceleration in foils undergoing relativistic transparency. Nature Communications, 7, [12891]. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12891

Gonzalez-Izquierdo, Bruno ; King, Martin ; Gray, Ross J. ; Wilson, Robbie ; Dance, Rachel J. ; Powell, Haydn ; MacLellan, David A. ; McCreadie, John ; Butler, Nicholas M H ; Hawkes, Steve ; Green, James S. ; Murphy, Chris D. ; Stockhausen, Luca C. ; Carroll, David C. ; Booth, Nicola ; Scott, Graeme G. ; Borghesi, Marco ; Neely, David ; McKenna, Paul. / Towards optical polarization control of laser-driven proton acceleration in foils undergoing relativistic transparency. In: Nature Communications. 2016 ; Vol. 7.

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title = "Towards optical polarization control of laser-driven proton acceleration in foils undergoing relativistic transparency",

abstract = "Control of the collective response of plasma particles to intense laser light is intrinsic to relativistic optics, the development of compact laser-driven particle and radiation sources, as well as investigations of some laboratory astrophysics phenomena. We recently demonstrated that a relativistic plasma aperture produced in an ultra-thin foil at the focus of intense laser radiation can induce diffraction, enabling polarization-based control of the collective motion of plasma electrons. Here we show that under these conditions the electron dynamics are mapped into the beam of protons accelerated via strong charge-separation-induced electrostatic fields. It is demonstrated experimentally and numerically via 3D particle-in-cell simulations that the degree of ellipticity of the laser polarization strongly influences the spatial-intensity distribution of the beam of multi-MeV protons. The influence on both sheath-accelerated and radiation pressure-accelerated protons is investigated. This approach opens up a potential new route to control laser-driven ion sources.",

author = "Bruno Gonzalez-Izquierdo and Martin King and Gray, {Ross J.} and Robbie Wilson and Dance, {Rachel J.} and Haydn Powell and MacLellan, {David A.} and John McCreadie and Butler, {Nicholas M H} and Steve Hawkes and Green, {James S.} and Murphy, {Chris D.} and Stockhausen, {Luca C.} and Carroll, {David C.} and Nicola Booth and Scott, {Graeme G.} and Marco Borghesi and David Neely and Paul McKenna",

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Gonzalez-Izquierdo, B, King, M, Gray, RJ, Wilson, R, Dance, RJ, Powell, H, MacLellan, DA, McCreadie, J, Butler, NMH, Hawkes, S, Green, JS, Murphy, CD, Stockhausen, LC, Carroll, DC, Booth, N, Scott, GG, Borghesi, M, Neely, D & McKenna, P 2016, 'Towards optical polarization control of laser-driven proton acceleration in foils undergoing relativistic transparency', Nature Communications, vol. 7, 12891. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12891

Towards optical polarization control of laser-driven proton acceleration in foils undergoing relativistic transparency. / Gonzalez-Izquierdo, Bruno; King, Martin; Gray, Ross J.; Wilson, Robbie; Dance, Rachel J.; Powell, Haydn; MacLellan, David A.; McCreadie, John; Butler, Nicholas M H; Hawkes, Steve; Green, James S.; Murphy, Chris D.; Stockhausen, Luca C.; Carroll, David C.; Booth, Nicola; Scott, Graeme G.; Borghesi, Marco; Neely, David; McKenna, Paul.

In: Nature Communications, Vol. 7, 12891, 14.09.2016.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

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AU - Gonzalez-Izquierdo, Bruno

AU - King, Martin

AU - Gray, Ross J.

AU - Wilson, Robbie

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AU - Powell, Haydn

AU - MacLellan, David A.

AU - McCreadie, John

AU - Butler, Nicholas M H

AU - Hawkes, Steve

AU - Green, James S.

AU - Murphy, Chris D.

AU - Stockhausen, Luca C.

AU - Carroll, David C.

AU - Booth, Nicola

AU - Scott, Graeme G.

AU - Borghesi, Marco

AU - Neely, David

AU - McKenna, Paul

PY - 2016/9/14

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