Extreme field gradients intrinsic to relativistic laser-interactions with thin solid targets enable compact MeV proton accelerators with unique bunch characteristics. Yet, direct control of the proton beam profile is usually not possible. Here we present a readily applicable all-optical approach to imprint detailed spatial information from the driving laser pulse onto the proton bunch. In a series of experiments, counter-intuitively, the spatial profile of the energetic proton bunch was found to exhibit identical structures as the fraction of the laser pulse passing around a target of limited size. Such information transfer between the laser pulse and the naturally delayed proton bunch is attributed to the formation of quasi-static electric fields in the beam path by ionization of residual gas. Essentially acting as a programmable memory, these fields provide access to a higher level of proton beam manipulation.

Application experiments with laser plasma-based accelerators (LPA) for protons have to cope with the inherent fluctuations of the proton source. This creates a demand for non-destructive and online spectral characterization of the proton pulses, which are for application experiments mostly spectrally filtered and transported by a beamline. Here, we present a scintillator-based time-of-flight (ToF) beam monitoring system (BMS) for the recording of single-pulse proton energy spectra. The setup’s capabilities are showcased by characterizing the spectral stability for the transport of LPA protons for two beamline application cases. For the two beamline settings monitored, data of 122 and 144 proton pulses collected over multiple days were evaluated, respectively. A relative energy uncertainty of 5.5% (1$$\upsigma$$ σ ) is reached for the ToF BMS, allowing for a Monte-Carlo based prediction of depth dose distributions, also used for the calibration of the device. Finally, online spectral monitoring combined with the prediction of the corresponding depth dose distribution in the irradiated samples is demonstrated to enhance applicability of plasma sources in dose-critical scenarios.

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Application experiments with laser plasma-based accelerators (LPA) for protons have to cope with the inherent fluctuations of the proton source. This creates a demand for non-destructive and online spectral characterization of the proton pulses, which are for application experiments mostly spectrally filtered and transported by a beamline. Here, we present a scintillator-based time-of-flight (ToF) beam monitoring system (BMS) for the recording of single-pulse proton energy spectra. The setup’s capabilities are showcased by characterizing the spectral stability for the transport of LPA protons for two beamline application cases. For the two beamline settings monitored data of 122 and 144 proton pulses collected over multiple days were evaluated, respectively. A relative energy uncertainty of 5.5 % (1σ) is reached for the ToF BMS, allowing for a Monte-Carlo based prediction of depth dose distributions, also used for the calibration of the device. Finally, online spectral monitoring combined with the prediction of the corresponding depth dose distribution in the irradiated samples is demonstrated to enhance applicability of plasma sources in dose-critical scenarios.

We report technological developments at DRACO-PW to monitor and improve laser-plasma conditions resulting in a stable particle-source >60MeV, which in combination with our transport-beamline and high-quality dosimetry enabled first dose-controlled “in-vivo” studies with laser-driven protons.