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Persistent URL	http://purl.org/net/epubs/work/25457919
Record Status	Checked
Record Id	25457919
Title	Ellipsoidal plasma mirror focusing of high power laser pulses to ultra-high intensities
Contributors	R Wilson (SUPA Department of Physics), M King (SUPA Department of Physics), RJ Gray (University of Strathclyde), DC Carroll (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), RJ Dance (SUPA Department of Physics), C Armstrong (SUPA Department of Physics), SJ Hawkes (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), RJ Clarke (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), DJ Robertson (Department of Physics), D Neely (STFC Rutherford Appleton Lab.), P McKenna (University of Strathclyde)
Abstract	The design and development of an ellipsoidal F/1 focusing plasma mirror capable of increasing the peak intensity achievable on petawatt level laser systems to >1022 W cm−2 is presented. A factor of 2.5 reduction in the focal spot size is achieved when compared to F/3 focusing with a conventional (solid state) optic. We find a factor of 3.6 enhancement in peak intensity, taking into account changes in plasma mirror reflectivity and focal spot quality. The sensitivity of the focusing plasma optic to misalignment is also investigated. It is demonstrated that an increase in the peak laser intensity from 3×1020 W cm−2 to 1021 W cm−2 results in a factor of 2 increase in the maximum energy of sheath-accelerated protons from a thin foil positioned at the focus of the intense laser light.
Organisation	CLF , CI , STFC
Keywords
Funding Information	EPSRC (EP/J003832/1, EP/L001357/1 and EP/K022415/1)
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Language	English (EN)

Type	Details	URI(s)	Local file(s)	Year
Journal Article	Phys Plasmas 23, no. 3 (2016): 033106.	doi:10.1063/1.4943200		2016