Transition Radiation Field Enhanced Laser Proton Acceleration Employing Near-Critical-Density Foam

Abstract Laser-driven protons with ultrafast temporal properties hold great promise for applications, ranging from tumor therapy to compact accelerators. Hybrid acceleration mechanisms that combine multiple field contributions proves critical for achieving high-energy protons, especially at laser intensities exceeding 10²¹ W cm–². Here, we report a new laser proton acceleration scheme in which proton energy can be enhanced by a transition radiation field (TRF) built by high-energy and large-charged electron bunches. Using near-critical-density plasmas, we experimentally produce electron beams with charges up to ~30 nC (>13 MeV). As these electrons exit the target, they emit intense TRF with energy up to 0.6 J in 0.1-15 THz range, corresponding to an acceleration field of 10¹²–¹³ V m–¹. When superposed with the sheath field, proton cut-off energy is boosted by more than a factor of two, reaching 90 MeV. The resulting spectra exhibit a distinctive plateau-shaped feature in the high-energy regime. Multi-dimensional kinetic simulations confirm the synergistic role of the TRF and sheath field in both enhancing the proton energy and shaping the spectral structure. This scheme provides new insights into the coupling between relativistic electron beams and acceleration fields and facilitates more efficient laser-driven proton acceleration.