Method and device for generating a focused strong-current charged-particle beam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9514908-B2
Application number	US-201314437739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2013
Priority date	Oct 22, 2012
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for generating a focused charged-particle beam, comprising at least the steps of: a) generating a charged-particle beam ( 10 ); b) emitting a laser pulse ( 40 ); c) generating a focusing magnetic field structure in a target ( 50 ) by means of an interaction between the laser pulse and the target; and d) making the charged-particle beam penetrate the focusing magnetic field structure at least partially.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for generating a focused beam of charged particles, the method comprising:
a) generating a beam of charged particles;
b) emitting a laser pulse;
c) generating a focusing magnetic field structure in a target by means of an interaction of said laser pulse with said target; and
d) causing at least partial penetration of the beam of charged particles into said focusing magnetic field structure,
wherein in step b), a laser contrast of the laser pulse is increased.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a power of the laser pulse is substantially between 1 terawatt and about 100 terawatts.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a duration of the laser pulse is substantially between about 10 femtoseconds and about 10 picoseconds.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
in step c) the laser pulse is focused on the target at the level of a focal spot, and
in step d) the beam of charged particles passes at least partially through said focal spot.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the target is made at least in part of a metal.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the target is made at least in part of a metal selected from a group comprising gold, copper and aluminum.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the thickness of the target lies substantially between 500 nanometers and about 100 micrometers.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the target extends substantially along a plane of extension between a front face and a rear face, said faces being opposite to one another in a thickness direction perpendicular to the plane of extension and separated by a thickness measured in said thickness direction, and
in step d) said beam passes through the target substantially in said thickness direction.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step a) of generating a particle beam comprises:
emitting a generating laser purse; and
generating a non-focused beam of particles by means of an interaction of said generating laser pulse with a generating target.

10. A device for generating a focused beam of charged particles, the device comprising:
means for generating a beam of charged particles;
a laser source for emitting a laser pulse;
a target for generating a focusing magnetic field structure by means of an interaction of said laser pulse with said target, said beam of charged particles penetrating at least partially into said magnetic field structure; and
a device for increasing a laser contrast of the laser pulse.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the means for generating a beam of charged particles comprising:
a laser source for emitting a generating laser pulse; and
a generating target for generating a beam of charged particles upon an interaction of said generating laser pulse with said generating target.

Assignees

• Ecole Polytech
• Centre Nat De La Rech Scient (C N R S)
• Inst Nat De La Rech Scient (Inrs)
• Centre Nat De La Rech Scient (C N R S )

Inventors

• Fuchs Julien
• Albertazzi Bruno
• Pepin Henri
• D'Humieres Emmanuel

Classifications

• H01J3/22 Primary

  using electromagnetic means only · CPC title

• G21K1/093 Primary

  by magnetic means · CPC title