MeV ion jets from short-pulse-laser interaction with thin foils

The first experimental study demonstrating that besides protons also high-brightness, high-energy ion beams can be accelerated from the rear surface of thin foils is presented. As such, calibrated high-resolution energy spectra of different ion species and charge states is obtained. These provide additional information, not in the proton signal, about the spatiotemporal evolution of the accelerating field and the origin of the observed ions. It is shown that it is possible to control the accelerated ion species by choosing a target composed of a front-side interaction material and a rear-side ion source layer.