Stability and debris-mitigation of a solid tape target delivery system for intense laser-matter interactions towards high-repetition-rate

Abstract

The VEGA-3 laser system at the CLPU delivers laser pulses up to 1PW at 1Hz repetition rate, focused to intensities up to 2.5e20W/cm2. A versatile and compact solid target suitable for up to 0.05Hz is presented which can operate in the challenging petawatt laser environment close to the laser-plasma interaction. Strips are spooled in a tape target system to deliver a solid density target to the laser focus for every shot. Results are presented for different tape materials and thicknesses, and a shot-to-shot standard deviation of the cut-off energy of 1.5% was obtained for Kapton reinforced aluminium tapes of 9um thickness. Experimental ion spectra are recorded by a Thomson Parabola Ion Spectrometer coupled with a scintillator screen; and an antenna array is used for the characterization of electromagnetic pulses. The results of both diagnostics show a good shot-to-shot stability of the system.