Protons ride moving waves to reach record energy with long-pulse lasers
Imagine a proton catching a wave and surfing it to gain speed. While the imagery may seem wild, the premise of laser-driven ion acceleration has promise as an alternative to conventional accelerators. However, the ultrathin targets used to drive this increase in ion energy are vulnerable to the weak prepulse that precedes the main high-intensity laser pulse, meaning an adaptation in the process…
Researchers from the University of Osaka have demonstrated a groundbreaking technique for accelerating protons to record-high energies using long-pulse lasers and ultrathin graphene targets. By harnessing the properties of graphene, the researchers were able to create a moving electric field that propelled protons to an impressive energy of 132 MeV, nearly half the speed of light.
This innovative approach could potentially revolutionize particle accelerators by reducing the vulnerability of targets and increasing energy efficiency. The key to this achievement lies in the ability of ultrathin, durable graphene layers to withstand the laser's initial prepulse, allowing the protons to be accelerated for an extended duration.
Simulations revealed that the laser generated a moving electrostatic wave that sustained acceleration, carrying protons forward for several picoseconds. To identify these rare high-energy protons amidst millions of detector images, the researchers employed a convolutional neural network, achieving 99.2% precision in one measurement.
This breakthrough in long-pulse laser-driven ion acceleration, coupled with AI-based detection, paves the way for more efficient and autonomous laser systems in future research.
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