The investigation of superintense laser-driven ion sources and their potential applications offers unique opportunities for multidisciplinary research. Plasma physics can be combined with materials and nuclear science, radiation detection and advanced laser technology, leading to novel research challenges of great fundamental and applicative interest. In this paper we present interesting and comprehensive results on nanostructured low density (near-critical) foam targets for TW and PW-class lasers, obtained in the framework of the European Research Council ENSURE project. Numerical simulations and experimental activities carried out at 100 s TW and PW-class laser facilities have shown that targets consisting of a solid foil coated with a nanostructured low-density (near-critical) foam can lead to an enhancement of the ion acceleration process. This stimulated a thorough numerical investigation of superintense laser-interaction with nanostructured near-critical plasmas. Thanks to a deep understanding of the foam growth process via the pulsed laser deposition technique and to the complementary capabilities of high-power impulse magnetron sputtering, advanced multi-layer targets based on near-critical films with carefully controlled properties (e.g. density gradients over few microns length scales) can now be manufactured, with applications outreaching the field of laser-driven ion acceleration. Additionally, comprehensive numerical and theoretical work has allowed the design of dedicated experiments and a realistic table-top apparatus for laser-driven materials irradiation, ion beam analysis and neutron generation, that exploit a double-layer target to reduce the requirements for the laser system.
Among the existing elemental characterization techniques, particle-induced x-ray emission (PIXE) and energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy are two of the most widely used in different scientific and technological fields. Here, we present the first quantitative laser-driven PIXE and laser-driven EDX experimental investigation performed at the Centro de Láseres Pulsados in Salamanca. Thanks to their potential for compactness and portability, laser-driven particle sources are very appealing for materials science applications, especially for materials analysis techniques. We demonstrate the possibility to exploit the x-ray signal produced by the co-irradiation with both electrons and protons to identify the elements in the sample. We show that, using the proton beam only, we can successfully obtain quantitative information about the sample structure through laser-driven PIXE analysis. These results pave the way toward the development of a compact and multifunctional apparatus for the elemental analysis of materials based on a laser-driven particle source.
Non-destructive material characterization exploiting radiation sources is of crucial importance in several fields ranging from the characterization of artworks to environmental monitoring. For instance, Ion Beam Analysis techniques exploiting particle accelerators stand for their unparalleled detection capabilities. However, the wide use of these techniques is limited by the large costs and dimensions of the exploited sources. In this framework, laser-driven particle acceleration represents a promising alternative to conventional sources since it can address some of their limitations. It relies on the interaction of a super-intense ultrashort laser pulse with a target material to accelerate high-energy electrons and ion bunches. Laser-driven radiation sources are potentially more compact and cheaper than particle accelerators. Moreover, the same laser source can provide different radiations by acting on the target configuration. Besides electrons and ions, high-energy photons and neutrons can be produced by exploiting suitable converter materials. Lastly, the particle energies can be controlled by tuning both the laser intensity and target properties. Here, we show some of the most recent results related to the application of laser-driven radiation sources to materials characterization. Our strategy is based on advanced near-critical Double-Layer Targets (DLT) to enhance the acceleration process. By means of experimental and numerical tools, we show how laser-driven protons, electrons, photons, and neutrons can be exploited for surface and bulk elemental analysis, as well as radiography. Notably, DLTs allow for satisfying the requirements of the techniques, in terms of energies and fluxes, with reduced laser requirements.
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