Design and optimization of a compact laser-driven proton beamline

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Particle Acceleration
• Laser-Plasma Interactions

Background:

• Laser-accelerated protons offer advantages over conventional accelerators, including high beam charge and short bunch duration.
• A key limitation of laser-driven proton sources is their broadband energy spectrum, hindering applications requiring narrow energy spread.
• Recent research focuses on developing laser-driven proton beamlines with reduced energy spread.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize a laser-driven beamline design for producing protons with reduced energy spread.
• To investigate beam dynamics for enhanced proton beam quality from laser-based sources.
• To assess the usability of optimized laser-driven proton beams for specific applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized beam dynamics simulations to design and optimize a laser-driven proton beamline.
• Coupled a laser-based proton source with conventional magnetic beam manipulation devices.
• Investigated proton energies in the range of 2 to 20 MeV, typical for commercial TW-class laser systems.

Main Results:

• Achieved a reduction in proton energy spread to below 20%.
• Maintained an overall transmission efficiency of approximately 1%.
• Produced a proton spot-size within the range of 10 mm².

Conclusions:

• The optimized laser-driven beamline design effectively reduces proton energy spread.
• The developed beamline shows potential for applications requiring controlled proton energy, such as in Cultural Heritage.
• Laser-driven proton sources, when optimized, can become viable alternatives to conventional accelerators for specific applications.