Generation of solid-density ultraintense ion beams by a picosecond laser pulse of circular polarization.

This contribution reports particle-in-cell numerical studies of deuteron beam acceleration by a picosecond laser pulse of circular polarization. The effect of laser wavelength λ and the I(L)λ(2) product (I(L) is laser intensity) on the ion beam parameters is investigated. It is shown that at the I(L)λ(2) product fixed, the beam parameters (, I(i), F(i)) as well as the laser-ions energy conversion efficiency quickly increase with a decrease in the laser wavelength and the best results are achieved for a KrF laser (λ = 0.248 µm). In particular, a 2-ps KrF laser pulse of I(L)λ(2) ∼ 2 × 10(20) Wcm(-2) µm(2) interacting with a 10-µm deuteron target produces a quasi-monoenergetic, solid-density deuteron beam of parameters approaching those required for inertial confinement fusion fast ignition.