Journal Article

Stable laser-acceleration of high-flux proton beams with plasma collimation

Parisuaña, C., Istokskaia, V., Thomas, A. G. R., DiIorio, S., Bourgeois, N., Dover, N. P., Gray, R. J., Margarone, D., Streeter, M. J. V., Dzelzainis, T., Hyland, C., Xu, N., Gauthier, M., Glenzer, S. H., Glenn, G. D., Hicks, G. S., Ettlinger, O. C., McKenna, P., Loughran, B., Astbury, S., Parsons, P., Dann, S. J. D., Green, J. S., Spindloe, C., Najmudin, Z., Ahmed, H., Treffert, F., Curry, C. B., McCusker, O., Palmer, C. A. J., Borghesi, M., King, M., Symes, D. R., Giuffrida, L.

2025

Overview

Laser-plasma acceleration of protons offers a compact, ultra-fast alternative to conventional acceleration techniques, and is being widely pursued for potential applications in medicine, industry and fundamental science. Creating a stable, collimated beam of protons at high repetition rates presents a key challenge. Here, we demonstrate the generation of multi-MeV proton beams from a fast-replenishing ambient-temperature liquid sheet. The beam has an unprecedentedly low divergence of 1° (≤20 mrad), resulting from magnetic self-guiding of the proton beam during propagation through a low density vapour. The proton beams, generated at a repetition rate of 5 Hz using only 190 mJ of laser energy, exhibit a hundred-fold increase in flux compared to beams from a solid target. Coupled with the high shot-to-shot stability of this source, this represents a crucial step towards applications. Applications of laser-plasma accelerated protons in fundamental, applied and medical sciences crucially depend on the creation of stable collimated beams with high repetition rates. Here the authors demonstrate the generation of multi-MeV protons at 5 Hz, with low (degree-level) proton beam divergence from a laser pulse focused onto a water sheet target, potentially mitigating the need for beam capturing techniques.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 639/766/1960/1135 / 639/766/1960/1137 / Ambient temperature / Collimation / Humanities and Social Sciences / Laser applications / Laser beams / Lasers / Liquid sheets / Medical science / multidisciplinary / Plasma acceleration / Proton beams / Protons / Repetition / Science / Science (multidisciplinary)