Simple magnetic spectrometer for ions emitted from laser-generated plasma at 10¹⁰ W/cm² intensity

Abstract

Plasmas were generated by 3 ns pulsed lasers at 1064 nm wavelength using intensities of about 1010 W/cm2 irradiating solid targets with a different composition. The ion emission was investigated with time-of-flight measurements giving information of the ion velocity, charge state generation, and ion energy distribution. Measurements use a coil to generate a magnetic field suitable to deflect ions toward a Faraday cup and/or a secondary electron multiplier.Ion acceleration of the order of hundred eV per charge state, plasma temperature of the order of tens eV, charge states up to about 4+, and Boltzmann energy distributions were obtained in carbon, aluminum, and copper targets.The presented results represent useful plasma characterization methods for many applications such as the new generation of laser ion sources, pulsed laser deposition techniques, and post ion acceleration systems.

Compact Thomson parabola spectrometer for fast diagnostics of different intensity laser-generated plasmas

“…Many magnetic and electrical spectrometers can be used in the diagnostics of particles accelerated in plasmas by high-intensity laser pulses. For instance, the ion energy analyzer using electric deflection, the magnetic spectrometer chamber using magnetic deflection, and the complex mass spectrometers using quadrupole deflection reported in the literature [23,24].…”