Production of Iodine Isotopes via Ultra-intense Laser Driven Photonuclear Reactions

The investigation and production of proton-rich iodine isotopes predominantly rely on conventional accelerator-based methods, typically requiring prolonged irradiation periods to measure or achieve quantifiable yields for isotopic isolation. Bremsstrahlung radiation sources generated by high-power laser-plasma-accelerated electron beams with ultrahigh charge (tens of nanocoulombs) bombarding high-Z targets demonstrate extraordinary photon flux characteristics. An electron beam with a total charge of approximately 47.7 nC (Eₑ > 10.4 MeV) was generated in our experiment by focusing a ultra-intense laser pulse onto a deuterium gas jet. Laser-driven bremsstrahlung was employed to induce ¹²⁷I(γ,xn)$ ($x$ = 1,3,4,6-8), and the product yields and the corresponding flux-weighted average cross sections are reported. Our results demonstrate production of medical isotopes, with average yields of $¹²⁴$I and $¹²³$I at approximately $9.83±0.45×10⁵$/shot and $2.81±0.11×10⁵$/shot, respectively. This method, utilizing high-power lasers to generate bremsstrahlung radiation, shows significant potential for medical applications and opens new avenues for studying photonuclear processes in astrophysical contexts.