Clusterized surface transformation under intense heating generated by laser-accelerated proton irradiation

ORAL

Abstract

Today, there are multi-hundred-TW table-top short-pulse laser systems that can generate on-target intensities of around 1019 to 1021 W/cm² and can routinely produce proton beams in the multi-MeV range[1]. The short bunch duration and the very intense and localized heating properties of these beams are perfectly suited for studies in warm dense matter or material science. Here, we use laser-accelerated protons to analyze the effect of an intense and short (ns-scale) energy deposition process occurring on solid metal surfaces and studying its evolution on a ns and nm scale. We show that thermal shocks generate a uniformly distributed clustered heating on a surface[2], with the dimensions of the clusters depending on the irradiation dose and on the duration of the thermal shock. When quickly cooling down, the clusters can produce large nanostructured surfaces[3], [4]. Controlling the dose allows us to obtain nanostructured surfaces with a low dispersion in particle dimension, a high density of particles and a polycrystalline morphology.

*Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Canadian foundation for innovation (CFI).

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Publication: [1] S. Fourmaux et al., « Investigation of laser-driven proton acceleration using ultra-short, ultra-intense laser pulses », Physics of Plasmas, vol. 20, no 1, p. 013110, janv. 2013, doi: 10.1063/1.4789748.

[2] M. Barberio et al., « Laser-accelerated particle beams for stress testing of materials », Nature Communications, vol. 9, no 1, p. 372, janv. 2018, doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-02675-x.

[3] J. Eizenkop, I. Avrutsky, G. Auner, D. G. Georgiev, et V. Chaudhary, « Single pulse excimer laser nanostructuring of thin silicon films: Nanosharp cones formation and a heat transfer problem », Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 101, no 9, p. 094301, mai 2007, doi: 10.1063/1.2720185.

[4] J. Eizenkop, I. Avrutsky, D. G. Georgiev, et V. Chaudchary, « Single-pulse excimer laser nanostructuring of silicon: A heat transfer problem and surface morphology », Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 103, no 9, p. 094311, mai 2008, doi: 10.1063/1.2910196.

Presenters

  • Elias Catrix

    • Institut national de la recherche scientifique

Authors

  • Elias Catrix

    • Institut national de la recherche scientifique

  • Marianna Barberio

    • Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, EMT Research Center, Varennes, Québec, Canada.

  • Simone Giusepponi

    • ENEA, C. R. Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy.

  • Simon Vallières

    • Institute for Quantum Computing, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

  • Jean-Pierre Matte

    • Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, EMT Research Center, Varennes, Québec, Canada.

  • Massimiliano Scisciò

    • ENEA, C. R. Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy.
    • ENEA Fusion and Technologies for Nuclear Safety and Security Department-C. R. Frascati, Via Enrico Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati, Italy

  • Massimo Celino

    • ENEA, C. R. Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy.

  • Patrizio Antici

    • Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, EMT Research Center, Varennes, Québec, Canada.