Evidence of Resonant Surface-Wave Excitation in the Relativistic Regime through Measurements of Proton Acceleration from Grating Targets

T. Ceccotti(Institut Rayonnement-Matière de Saclay), V. Floquet(Institut Rayonnement-Matière de Saclay), A. Sgattoni(Politecnico di Milano), Alessandra Bigongiari(Sorbonne Université), O. Klimo(Czech Technical University in Prague), M. Raynaud(École Polytechnique), C. Riconda(Sorbonne Université), A. Héron(École Polytechnique), F. Baffigi(National Institute of Optics), L. Labate(National Institute of Optics), L. A. Gizzi(National Institute of Optics), L. Vassura(Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives), J. Fuchs(Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation des Lasers Intenses), M. Passoni(Politecnico di Milano), Milan Květoň(Czech Technical University in Prague), Filip Novotný(Czech Technical University in Prague), Martin Possolt(Czech Technical University in Prague), J. Prokůpek(FZU ‒ Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic), Jan Proška(Czech Technical University in Prague), J. Pšikal(Czech Technical University in Prague), L. Štolcová(FZU ‒ Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic), A. Velyhan(FZU ‒ Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic), M. Bougeard(Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives), P. D’Oliveira(Institut Rayonnement-Matière de Saclay), O. Tcherbakoff(Institut Rayonnement-Matière de Saclay), F. Réau(Institut Rayonnement-Matière de Saclay), Ph. Martin(Institut Rayonnement-Matière de Saclay), Andrea Macchi(National Institute of Optics)
Physical Review Letters
October 28, 2013
Cited by 116Open Access
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Abstract

The interaction of laser pulses with thin grating targets, having a periodic groove at the irradiated surface, is experimentally investigated. Ultrahigh contrast (~10(12)) pulses allow us to demonstrate an enhanced laser-target coupling for the first time in the relativistic regime of ultrahigh intensity >10(19) W/cm(2). A maximum increase by a factor of 2.5 of the cutoff energy of protons produced by target normal sheath acceleration is observed with respect to plane targets, around the incidence angle expected for the resonant excitation of surface waves. A significant enhancement is also observed for small angles of incidence, out of resonance.


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