Characterization and performance of the Apollon main short-pulse laser beam following its commissioning at 2 PW level
Open Access
- 1 April 2025
- journal article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Physics of Plasmas
- Vol. 32 (4)
Abstract
We present the results of the second commissioning phase of the short-focal-length area of the Apollon laser facility, located in Saclay, France. This phase was conducted using the main laser beam (F1), scaled to a peak power of 2 PW. Under the tested conditions, the F1 beam delivered on-target pulses with a maximum energy of up to 45 J and a duration of 22 fs. Several diagnostics were deployed to assess the facility's performance. Key measurements included the on-target focal spot and its spatial stability, along with characterizations of secondary sources generated by irradiating solid targets. These evaluations aim at assisting users in designing future experiments. The laser-target interactions were thoroughly characterized, with emissions of energetic ions, x rays, and neutrons recorded, demonstrating good laser-to-target coupling efficiency. Additionally, we successfully demonstrated the simultaneous operation of the F1 beam with the auxiliary 0.5 PW F2 beam of Apollon, enabling dual-beam operation. This commissioning phase paves the way for the next stage in 2025, which will involve scaling the F1 beam to 8 PW, progressing toward the ultimate goal of achieving 10 PW power.Keywords
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Funding Information
- HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council (787539)
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-24-CE05-6070)
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (pve-323-ac)
- CNRS France (MITI)
- Institut de Radioprotection et de SÛreté Nucléaire (exploratory research program)
- Hubert Curien Maimonides program (50046QF)
- Idex University of Bordeaux (GPR LIGHT)
- The Pazy foundation (435/2023)
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