Laser interaction with a nanobrush target plasma is investigated at the SILEX-I laser facility [X. F. Wei et al., J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 112, 032010 (2008)] with a laser of intensity 7.9×1018 W/cm2. Highly collimated fast electron beams with yields of more than three times higher than that from the planar target can be produced. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation confirms that a layered surface structure can increase the efficiency of laser energy absorption, and the resulting fast electrons are tightly collimated and guided by the plasma layers to a cross section of about the laser spot size.
Hot electrons generated by short-pulse-laser interaction with nanolayered target (NT) are investigated using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation. Compared to the planar target, the NT leads to more efficient conversion of laser energy to the kinetic energy of the accelerated electrons. However, the energy absorption by the NT decreases at both too-low and too-high laser intensities. At lower laser intensities it is because of the weaker electric and magnetic fields generated by the hot-electron jets and smaller relativistic skin depth. At higher laser intensities it is because of the damage or destruction of the layered structure by the laser field. On the other hand, the dependence of the conversion efficiency and hot-electron number on the duration of the (short) laser pulse and the nanolayer length is weak. Control of the hot-electron characteristics by tailoring the parameters of the laser and the NT is discussed.
Laser-driven energetic electron transport in a two-layered (Au and DT) ultrahigh density plasma is investigated. It is shown that the jump in the resistivity at the interface of the two plasmas plays an important role in the slowing down of the energetic beam electrons and heating of the plasmas. Furthermore, a thin gold wire in the DT plasma can further slow down the beam electrons and absorb a part of the beam energy.
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