Picosecond ramp of ultrashort laser pulse: its effect on laser-driven ion acceleration or plasma shutter

Abstract

The effect of picosecond ramp of ultrashort laser pulse is investigated with the help of particle-in-cell simulations. It is shown that the ramp changes cutoff energies and numbers of ions accelerated from laser-irradiated target depending on laser pulse intensity. It can also substantially change the interaction of the main high-intensity part of the pulse with thin membrane used as a plasma shutter to shape laser pulse temporal profile.