High repetition rate ion acceleration platform using ambient-temperature liquid jets

High-power laser-matter interactions are promising sources of high-energy, high-flux particle beams relevant to applications from fundamental science to cancer therapy. To fully realize these applications, it will be necessary to produce laser-driven particle beams at repetition rates of 1 Hz or above^1,2. We have developed an ambient temperature, continuously-refreshing liquid jet target based on tungsten microfluidic nozzles. Here, we present an experimental platform based on this target that has demonstrated 5 Hz acceleration of laser-driven proton beams. We describe key features of the liquid jet target, as well as the suite of high repetition rate-compatible laser and particle diagnostics necessary to characterize the laser-target interaction and the laser-driven proton beam. Using these diagnostics, we confirm the performance of the liquid jet target as a source of laser-driven ion beams at high repetition rates. Finally, we illustrate applications of this platform to data-driven real-time optimization of laser-driven ion beam parameters.

1. T. Ma et al., Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 2021

2. P. W. Hatfield, Nature 2021