Silicon carbide detectors for diagnostics of ion emission from laser plasmas

Silicon carbide (SiC) detectors have been employed to analyze the multi-MeV ions generated from laser plasma. The irradiation was performed with the iodine laser of Prague Asterix Laser System Laboratory operating at 10(16) Wcm(-2) pulse intensity. Thin metallic and polymeric targets were irradiated and the produced plasmas were monitored in the forward direction. The use of SiC detectors ensures the cutting of the visible and soft UV radiation emitted from plasma, enhancing the sensitivity to protons and very fast heavy ions. The time-of-flight spectra obtained by irradiating polymeric films with high laser pulse energy produce protons with energy in the range 1.0-2.5MeV and all the charge states of carbon ions. The metallic Al target allows achieving energy up to 3.0MeV for protons and 40MeV for Al ions. All the results reveal the high performances of these detectors in terms of resolution and response time.