Protons ride moving waves to record energy with long-pulse lasers

Researchers demonstrated a laser-driven ion acceleration scheme in which protons surf a moving plasma wave to reach record energy. The approach avoids the damage that weak prepulses cause to ultrathin targets in conventional laser acceleration.

• Protons gain speed by surfing a plasma wave driven by a long-pulse laser
• Method sidesteps prepulse damage to ultrathin targets
• Laser-driven ion acceleration is seen as an alternative to conventional accelerators